DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

I became a customer of PhotoAccess.com in January, 2003, based on numerous positive reviews of their photo print quality and their ability to print 4.5''x6'' photos.

(Most digital cameras create images with a 4:3 aspect ratio. 4x6'' prints can’t fit the full 4:3 digital image — you’d have to either shrink the image, leaving white borders along the short sides of the print, or crop the long sides off the image. Or, print the full frame on 4.5''x6'' paper.

Some photos can be painlessly cropped to 3:2, but in my experience nearly half the shots I take actually work best at 4:3. I relied on PhotoAccess’ “6D” print size — which measured 4.5''x6'' — to reproduce these images.)

In March of 2005, PhotoWorks bought/assimilated/wrecked PhotoAccess. Print prices came way down — from about 42 cents a print to 19 cents — but the new ordering interface was confusing and difficult to use. The UI wasn’t bad enough to make me leave the site, but it was a sad step backwards considering how well the PhotoAccess site had worked.

But, this week, PhotoWorks removed the 6D print size option. This means that most digital images (which have a 4:3 aspect ratio) will have to be cropped or shrunk. The print is compromised in both cases.

It’s sad to see this devolution. PhotoAccess seemed to be a high-quality outfit with somewhat exclusive pricing. In contrast, PhotoWorks seems to be going after the mass market, and they’re shedding features and quality to do it. If my experience is any indication, they’re shedding customers too — I was once a fan and advocate of PhotoAccess; now I’m writing bad reviews of PhotoWorks for the world to see.

Also I’m looking for a new digital photo print service. I’ve found the Printers and Printing forum at dpreview.com, which should lead to some new vendor recommendations.

If you have a favorite, let me know.

UPDATE, 2006-05-01: I went with MPIX.com.