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Rangefinder
Magazine Lab Profile: Buckeye Color Lab by Lou Jacobs Jr.
Buckeye’s success has been contagious, spreading from the Midwest to a large roster of national clients. Once just specializing in film processing and printing, Buckeye began rapidly expanding into digital technology four years ago, becoming one of the largest portrait and wedding labs in the U.S. Like many labs for pros, Buckeye still offers C-41 film processing. Years ago, what set the lab apart was one-day proofing, which Buckeye offered before digital was so popular. One-day proofing is still the rule. Also, proofs carry copyright notices and numbers on the back, which photographers find valuable. Prints are made on Fuji Frontier printers with larger prints made on a ZBE Chromira printer. Fuji prints are made on silver halide paper that is archival up to many decades. While inkjet prints are composed of tiny dots on the paper, Fuji photographic print images develop within the paper. As more photographers convert to digital, they can enjoy selling lasting images as well as the extensive services that labs like Buckeye offer. Another feature at Buckeye is the Fuji StudioMaster Pro software the lab makes available. This program allows photographers to do sales presentations and order images. In addition, photographers may use it to edit images, convert them to black and white or sepia, crop as needed, rotate , and place the images in graphic templates. StudioMaster Pro includes over 400 exclusive templates for calendars, babies, seniors, multiple image sheets and more. Steve Troup, Buckeye’s president and CEO, says that StudioMaster Pro has become a natural choice for photographers. Fuji allows each lab to build features into StudioMaster to meet specific customer needs. The program can be downloaded (www.buckeyecolor.com) or requested by calling (800) 433-1292.
Though color has always been a mainstay at Buckeye, the lab also provides full black and white developing, proofing, machine and hand printing. The latter is popular with fine art photographers. Buckeye has formed a worthy relationship with Marathon Press of Norfolk, NE, for services allied to photographers. Several times a year Buckeye clients receive significant discounts to attend marketing clinics held by Marathon, with successful photographer and businesswoman Ann Monteith as instructor.
Here are the
answers to some FAQs posted on Buckeye’s web site: As photography evolves from film to digital, traditional labs like Buckeye Color convert to the latest technology and services. These modern labs are popular with photog-raphers because they allow photographers more time to shoot, and provide handsome, professionally made images to sell.
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In business for 30 years, Buckeye Color Lab is neatly
departmentalized to do film, digital prints and related services, according
to photographers’ needs. Among the lab’s many services are
digital retouching or proofing and traditional black-and-white printing.
If you need one of these services, you are guaranteed to find an expert
in the lab’s cadre of 100-plus employees. The company’s premise
is that no matter what your professional level, you get to decide what
you do yourself and what the lab does for you. 
The lab also offers the Buckeye
Image Transfer (BIT) system. This software allows customers to easily
order prints and finishing services along
with personalized wallets. 
The workshops help photographers plan and implement
ways to develop affordable professional communication programs. Also
available
through Marathon
is the discounted Marketing Value Program that is personalized for
individual studios. For more information, visit www.marathonpress.com.