About Bay Photo

The print lab Professional Photographers trust.

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You don’t just snap the shutter.
We don’t just click print.

  • Why Bay? Trusted by Photographers and Artists since 1976.
  • Presentation. Your vision, our execution.
  • Passion. Our team is passionate about preserving memories and artwork in print.
  • Service. Customer support you can rely on. We’re here for you!
  • Growth. Your committed partner in success.
  • Sustainability. We're a "Green Certified" business.
We are passionate in what we do

Welcome to Bay Photo,
Where You’re Part of a Community

Original office, current building, original storefront, aerial of our current building

Bay Photo was founded in 1976 with the purpose of providing Photographers with the finest possible prints, and most reliable service available. We have kept that promise by changing and adapting with the photography industry, as well as listening to our customers. Bring your images to Bay Photo, and join the many Professional Photographers who depend on us for outstanding quality, excellent value and exceptional customer service.

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Why Choose Bay?

For nearly half a century, Bay Photo Lab has remained a trusted partner for Photographers, Artists and Creatives.

Our Exceptional Customer Service

We know the exceptional presentation
your images deserve.

  • Your vision, our execution. In a state-of-the-art facility with the finest equipment available, each order is expertly produced by professionally trained technicians, and inspected at multiple points in the process.
  • We put MetalPrints on the map, and invented the Epic Print (with up to 610dpi resolution). Safe to say, we have a proven track record of fulfilling the highest impact, most stunning displays with the widest variety of sizes and display options.
Customer talking to Bay Photo employee among Prints

Preserving creativity in print?
It’s our passion.

  • We are a team of experienced craftspeople who understand the importance of what we do. We transform each image and memory that comes through the lab into a work of art.
  • A group of talented creatives ourselves, TeamBay is passionate about the handcrafted work of printing - not only as a profession, but also a lifestyle.
Employee working with precision on an Album

We’re here for you!
Then, now, always.

  • Our friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated Support Team is available by phone, live chat and email. We provide the service you can rely on for your business.
  • Customer Service has remained a top priority since day one. Through thick and thin, we’ve understood the importance of not only serving our customers, but in turn, delivering their clients’ satisfaction.

Quality. Service. Innovation.
Since 1976.

Committed to Growth, Together

Innovation has allowed us to stay at the forefront of the industry. When digital technology began to gain momentum among Professional Photographers, Bay Photo was the first lab to implement the ROES online ordering system - now a well-established standard for pro labs. We’ve since developed our own Online Ordering solution, for an ultra user-friendly experience with tools and features to help you sell. As we’ve continued learning from our customers which products and services help their businesses grow, we’ve built one of the most comprehensive selections of quality photo products available anywhere. It’s your success that keeps us going, and we’re committed to growth together.

When you join the Bay community, you’ll have access to our weekly specials, news, and tips. Get inspired by fellow Photographers, browse cutting-edge displays, and get to know TeamBay even better on the Bay Blog. We feature regular content from our community, so follow and tag us on social media to share alongside talented creatives.

A huge part of our dynamic community and diverse brand culture is shaped by our amazing staff. For information about Employment Opportunities at Bay Photo Lab, please click here.

Bay Photo Timeline

1976
A knack for the darkroom becomes a business - Bay Photo is born in Santa Cruz
1990s
Printing and scanning goes digital, increasing volume for Photographic Prints
2003
We are first to launch ROES, allowing easy ordering and volume workflow
2009
We invent ThinWraps™ and put MetalPrints on the map
2016
Online Ordering is launched for a quick, easy and intuitive ordering experience
2018-19
Performance EXT, Larger Photo Prints and Albums, and Clusters & Splits; Custom Sizes for Wood and Acrylic Prints are live
2022-
We continue to evolve and innovate!
1980s
Processing expands for Weddings, Portraits, and 1-Hour Photo
2001-3
We move into a larger space and start our first fully digital printing lab
2004-6
We offer Press Printed Cards, Calendars, Books, and Albums
2013-5
We move into a our current facility in Scotts Valley, release Acrylic Prints and Xpozer, and expand Fine Art Papers
2017
Our catalog expands to include Dream Prints, Foil Cards, Curved MetalPrints, and Jewelry
2020-21
Textured MetalPrints, Epic Prints, and Signature Pen are added to our offerings

A Great Choice for the Environment

Bay continually earns the Green Business Certification Award

Here at Bay Photo, we are aware of our responsibilities to be good stewards of the environment. To ensure we are satisfying eco-friendly business standards, we've continually worked with federal, state and local regulatory agencies and sought to receive our Monterey Bay Green Business Certification Award, "For Exceeding Environmental Regulatory Requirements, Preventing Pollution, and Conserving Natural Resources!" It is important for us to show our employees, customers, and the community that we are committed to doing whatever we can to minimize our impact on the environment.

Bay Photo Lab is recognized for voluntarily taking steps to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution by:

  • Purchasing renewable energy credits used to help fund renewable energy projects globally
  • Sourcing sustainably produced and/or recycled materials whenever possible
  • Using copy paper that is produced from 100% recycled material
  • Encouraging employee bicycle transport by offering covered and uncovered bike storage, along with tools in case of any necessary repairs
  • Using electronic pre-press and imaging systems to reduce developers and film or plating materials
  • Regularly checking, preventing, and repairing all building and plumbing leaks
  • Retrofitting our lights and other equipment to conserve energy
  • Recycling all cardboard, paper, and plastic waste through our County's recycling program
  • Recycling all scrap metal from our manufacturing
  • Recovering precious metals from our photographic process and sending it to the refiner
  • Recovering waste inks from our press printed process and working with a contractor to haul it off for recycling
  • Returning all ink cartridges to the manufacturer, local office supply, or recycling them through our County's recycling program
  • Organizing employee volunteer events with local non-profit organization Save Our Shores, to divert trash from the ocean by picking up trash out of waterways and surrounding areas
  • Continually working on more ways to contribute to our green business mission

Interested in Becoming Part of the Team?

Explore Employment Opportunities