I would like to respond to EOS Rules and Biotime Biotime (see a special note for you at the end).
Here is the scoop
1: Gretag Machines that are at Target are minilabs and true, they do have a bad reputation. The digital versions have a much better reputation. Called a MasterFlex Digital.
1A: The NetPrinter 812 is not a "VERY high volume machine" - when we say High Volume 20 thousand prints per hour is HIGH Volume and no minilab can even come close to that and most are lucky if they can break 1500 prints an hour - not even 10 % speed of the HighVolume machines.
2: The machines that are used in photolabs are High Volume Machines minilabs cannot handle 30,000 plus rolls of film a night.
3: The machines that are used are manufactured by Kodak, Agfa and Gretag.
4: The Gretag machines that are in most photolabs are very old and are used mainly for 110 and 126 film printing. (Film Splicing and Film Processing are performed on other pieces of equipment made by various manufacturers.)
4A: There are other Highspeed machines made by Gretag that produce very high quality prints from 135 and reorder negatives.
5: KPP and Regular Processing - same equipment - just an additional inspection (you should get this quality without paying a premium anyway!)
6: Perfect Touch I believe now comes standard on KPP - the printing equipment is different. They use Kodak High Speed Digital Printers - and have many names associated with it - 10k and Mercury are 2 of the names.
7: Gretag high speed machines in the early 80's set the standard for quality and speed. Which is why the Agfa is an almost duplicate form of the Gretag.
8: Gretag Assets were bought out by various companies depending on market wholesale lab (high volume) or minilab.
9: San Marco was at one point part of Gretag Imaging, and was bought out of the bankruptcy.
10: NetPrinter was manufactured out of Denver Co. as a coompany Gretag purchased.. when the bankruptcy occurred they were bought by San Marco.
11: The Wholesale Division was bought by Kis photo-me and is now called Imaging Solutions AG
12: Imaging Solutions produces HighSpeed digital equipment (originally being developed by Gretag - very high quality and high speed) there are several places in North America and Europe that have this equipment.
13: If you have Reorder film - any one in the industry knows the process and the pitfalls, good news however is that there are a couple states where Walmart is your best choice.
14: In the end when you send your work to a highspeed lab - there is no telling what equipment was used to produce it. (not necessarily a bad thing) - truth is - in general the quality you get depends upon the people that work in the wholesale lab. Some Labs are better than others. Some labs are very bad and you wonder how they survive.
15: As for Kodak Film getting better results at the Minilab - Bad Quality Control.. if you know how it is done you should know this... and who in their right mind would use polaroid/3m film - too much silver retention causes diffusion and bad effects for the machines that must analyze the negative. (Those printers are Giant Cameras and they must analyze the film before making the exposure on the paper).
And a special note just for BIOTIME.
You simply want your negs digitized and to be comparable with your prints is that what you are asking now..?
Ok here is the scoop for you - The Gretag Machines Overexpose - nope that is technical maintenance and quality control. BAD SHOPS BAD TECHNICAL PEOPLE. PERIOD.
The Frontiers better with Kodak and Agfa film - Quality Control - Film Balance - Period. If you knew what was involved you would understand this. (I know from what you write that you don't, and that is OK - you just want prints and scans to match - but now you have to know something...because you are now trying to compare apples and oranges etc..)
If you want a scan from your neg and want it to match - usually you get a JPEG a JPEG is not a true match of what was scanned - nor does it have to be the same resolution that was scanned. (It is considered a LOSSY format as well ) Get a TIF file if you want better. The resolution also plays a part is it 1024 x 768 pixels at 300 dpi or 150 dpi SIZE divided by DPI will give you the maximum number of inches at the stated DPI for example 1200 x 1800 Pixels at 300 DPi will give you a 4 x 6 print at 300 DPi - trying to make that an 8 x 12 will result in 150 dpi and so on. If you want the scans - what base do you want them 4 base 8 base 16 base ?? Do some research.. because what you are asking doesn't have a simple answer such as take them to Joes digital shop...
There is a whole lot more detail that could be added but we will stop here.
