Costco Connection - June 2009

Anna Hinkston, photo manager at Costco’s Covington, Washington, warehouse, shows Pat Volchok the technology that allows 1-Hour Photo to offer high-tech, high-value services.

in extremely clear, detailed images. The labs use Fujicolor Crystal Archive photographic paper, which will last a lifetime if stored properly in acid-free albums such as the ones Costco carries.

Staff training is key to meeting Costco’s high standards of quality.

“Costco is the leading retailer in the U.S. photo industry for national certification,” says Glen. “All 1-Hour Photo Center managers are required to take intensive certification programs. More than 60 percent of the nonmanagement staff have achieved this level of expertise as well. ”

Costco.com photo services

If you’re not able to make it to the warehouse, the Photo Center on Costco.com is all about convenience. From the comfort of home, you can upload digital images to the site, order prints and pick them up at a warehouse or have them mailed. (Costco ships 4-by-6-inch prints free, or you can pick up 4-by-6-inch print orders of up to 100 photos in one hour at any 1-Hour Photo Center.)

In addition to making print orders easy, the Photo Center site also serves as a place to organize, edit and share photos via e-mail. For storage, it’s best to keep back-ups of the original images on a gold CD and your PC.

Using your favorite photos, you can also create personalized photo gifts—calendars; woven photo throws; handbags, diaper bags and messenger bags; canvas prints; plus stickers, notepads, folded cards, etc.—and

have them shipped anywhere in the U.S.

Gold CDs

Prints, slides and film can’t last forever. Computers filled with your digital memories crash, get destroyed or even stolen. This is why gold archive CDs and DVDs are so necessary.

Costco’s gold CDs store up to 600 MB (about 300 pictures). They are made with an archival-grade gold reflective layer for maximum resistance to aging and chemical breakdown. Most retailers charge extra for gold or use less expensive silver CDs that can start deteriorating after only two years.

Gold CDs can be ordered individually or as an add-on with digital print or film orders for $2.99. Film orders must include the film-processing charge, too. All gold CDs have a thumbnail index of the images on the CD and include Costco Photo Organizer software that helps you edit, print and e-mail your photos. Gold CDs are usually available in one hour while you shop, depending upon how many images are in the order.

Glen notes, “One online e-tailer charges $9.49 for the first 50 photos on a silver CD and $10 more for each additional 150 images. At our low price, I suggest ordering duplicate gold CDs and storing them someplace outside your home for safekeeping.”

Home movies to gold DVDs
Costco’s newest photo-preservation ser-
vice is transferring home movies, videos and
slides onto gold DVDs. This program has

taken off like a rocket and is available for 8 mm, 16 mm, videotape, Betamax, VHS and other archaic formats. Each DVD is suitable for a TV, home theater or PC and stores up to 1,600 feet of film (with or without sound), two hours of video or 1,000 slides.

An additional DVD copy is included as well as Digital Scrapbook software to let you create your own show or select a single frame, save it as a JPG file and make a print.

Passport/ID photos and more
Costco 1-Hour Photo offers a set of two
passport photos with an average processing
time of less than 15 minutes for $4.99. (One
retailer near me sells passport photos for $13
per set!)

You might consider purchasing a second set of photos. Glen, a constant traveler, notes, “All you need to do is lose your passport once in a foreign country to know how invaluable a second set is. Always carry them with you.” (Tip: As of June 1, most U.S. citizens reentering the United States are required to have a passport.)

1-Hour Photo offers a variety of additional services. Check out the all-occasion photo greeting/holiday cards at $14.99 for 50 cards with envelopes, collage prints, special scrapbook-size prints and print packages starting with a four-wallet-photo combo for 39 cents.