If you photograph weddings, run a portrait studio or sell your own art, there is a good chance you already know McKenna Pro. The lab in Cedar Falls, Iowa has built its name on products for professional photographers, and many artists first learn about metal prints, albums and canvas through a lab like it.

This review looks at what McKenna Pro makes, how its ordering tools work and what to check before you order ChromaLuxe metal prints from the lab. The last part covers a different job that many artists eventually take on, which is selling prints to collectors online, and how Brakebee helps with that. Every fact about McKenna below comes from the lab's own website, checked on October 14, 2026.¹

McKenna describes itself with the line "Exceptional Products for Professional Photographers" and notes that its products are proudly made in Iowa.¹ The lab is based at 3105 Capital Way in Cedar Falls and lists phone support on weekdays during Central Time business hours.¹

The product range leans toward what photographers deliver to their clients. Here is what the lab features on its homepage today.

McKenna makes its metal prints with ChromaLuxe material, using high heat to fuse the image into aluminum.² The lab offers four finishes. Glossy has brilliant whites and high shine, semi-gloss has a similar look with less glare, matte has a satin feel with minimal glare, and metallic uses a clear base that lets the aluminum show through lighter areas of the image.²

Sizes run from 4x4 up to 38x58, and custom sizes are available at an additional charge.² Each McKenna metal print comes with a metal hanger and clear wall bumpers, and display upgrades include an easel back, Stand Out mounts, a Gallery Frame Stand Out mount, a Post Stand Out mount and rod and rings.² McKenna lists a turnaround of one to two days for metal and describes its finishes as UV and scratch resistant.²

If metal is a format you want to sell to collectors, our guide to <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/metal-prints-for-artists">metal prints for artists</a> covers finishes, file prep and selling metal wall art online.

McKenna offers ordering software built for different kinds of photography businesses. Easy Order is its general ordering tool, and Sports &amp; Events 2.0 is built for sports and event photographers, with drag-and-drop sports templates.¹

The lab also partners with PhotoDay, a studio workflow platform that covers the path from capture to checkout. Through that partnership, studios can automate emails, simplify ordering and offer McKenna products to their clients.¹ For a school, sports or event photographer, that pairing handles a lot of the busywork between the shoot and the delivered print.

Before you order ChromaLuxe metal prints: a checklist

A metal print is a big investment of time and money for you or your client, so it pays to make a few decisions before you place the order. These points follow the options McKenna lists for its ChromaLuxe metal prints, and they are good questions to ask whichever lab you use.

McKenna publishes size-by-size price lists on its product pages and runs promotions from time to time, so the lab's own site is the best place to check current pricing before you order.²

McKenna Pro is built around photographers who deliver finished products to their own clients. Wedding and family photographers get albums, Layflat Press Books and Art Blocks. School, sports and event photographers get ordering software and the PhotoDay partnership. Photographers and artists who want a durable wall piece get a wide range of metal sizes, finishes and mounts.

In each case, the photographer handles the client relationship and places the order. That works well when you already have clients who are paying for a session or a package.

From ordering prints to selling them: meet Brakebee

Many artists reach a point where they want strangers to find and buy their work, and they would rather skip buying prints up front and storing stock. That is the job Brakebee is built for.

With Brakebee print-on-demand, you list your prints on the Brakebee marketplace and in your own shop. When a collector pays, our Phoenix lab prints, packs and ships the order, and it is free to start.³ Brakebee aluminum metal prints come in gloss, satin and matte finishes, they are scratch, water and UV resistant, and hanging hardware comes with every one.⁴ You can read how it all works on our <a href="https://brakebee.com/print-on-demand">print-on-demand page</a>.

The Brakebee marketplace is a curated marketplace that connects verified artists and studios with buyers.³ If you want your own website as well, <a href="https://brakebee.com/custom-sites">Brakebee Custom Sites</a> builds a site around your work with a shop, checkout, prints and a connection to the marketplace.⁵

You place each order, pay for the prints and deliver them to the client. It works well for sessions, albums and packages you sell directly.

Ordering from a pro lab for clients

Collectors find your work and buy it online, and each print is made and shipped after the sale. It works well for selling art to people you have never met.

Selling prints with print-on-demand

You can keep both. Plenty of photographers keep ordering client work from their usual lab and use Brakebee to sell art prints to the public. Our guide to <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/print-lab-vs-print-on-demand">print lab vs print-on-demand</a> walks through how the two models compare.

Where this fits in the Selling Art Prints series

This is the sixth article in our Selling Art Prints series. If you are starting from the beginning, our overview of <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/best-print-on-demand-for-artists">print-on-demand for artists</a> compares the main options. The step-by-step guide on <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/sell-prints-online">how to sell prints online</a> covers listing, pricing and promotion. To compare McKenna with other professional labs, see <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/best-pro-photo-labs">best pro photo labs for artists</a>.

If you already know your way around a pro lab, you have done the hard part of learning what makes a great print. Put your best pieces in front of collectors with Brakebee print-on-demand.

1. McKenna Pro, homepage: tagline, Made in Iowa, product categories, Layflat Press Books, Art Blocks, Pivot Prints, PhotoDay partnership, Easy Order and Sports &amp; Events 2.0, address and hours. mckennapro.com, accessed Oct 14, 2026.

2. McKenna Pro, Metal Prints product page: ChromaLuxe material, heat fusing, four finishes, size range, custom sizes, included hanger and bumpers, display upgrades, turnaround, UV and scratch resistance, published price list. mckennapro.com, accessed Oct 14, 2026.

3. Brakebee, print-on-demand page: marketplace and own-shop listing, Phoenix lab printing and shipping, free to start, curated marketplace. Confirmed Oct 14, 2026.

4. Brakebee, Metal Prints for Artists article: aluminum metal prints in gloss, satin and matte aluminum, scratch, water and UV resistance, hanging hardware included. Confirmed Oct 14, 2026.

5. Brakebee, Custom Sites page: shop, checkout, prints and marketplace connection. Confirmed Oct 14, 2026.

Facts about McKenna Pro reflect its website on the date accessed and may change.

Metal and canvas art prints laid out on a studio worktable

A fair McKenna Pro review for artists: ChromaLuxe metal prints, albums and ordering software, plus how to sell your prints online with print-on-demand.

McKenna Pro Review: ChromaLuxe Metal, Ordering, and Selling Prints

You may already order from McKenna Pro. Here is an honest look at what the Iowa lab makes and how it works, followed by how Brakebee helps artists sell their prints.

When you sell your art as prints, the lab behind them becomes part of your reputation. Collectors judge the paper, the color and the packaging as much as the image, so choosing a lab is one of the most important business decisions an artist or photographer makes. This guide looks at eight print labs that artists ask about. We start with Brakebee, which fits artists who want prints made and shipped after each sale without buying stock, and then cover seven well-known professional photo labs using what each one publishes on its own website, so you can see which ones line up with the products you want to sell.

A traditional pro lab usually means you order prints yourself, either for stock you keep on hand or for orders you fulfill. If you are still deciding whether that model suits you, the Brakebee entry below links to our side-by-side look at bulk orders and on-demand printing. If you already know you want prints made and shipped for you after each sale, our <a href="https://brakebee.com/print-on-demand">print-on-demand for artists overview</a> shows how Brakebee handles it.

For the seven traditional labs, we read each lab's own website on October 13, 2026, and recorded only what the lab says about itself: the product lines it offers, the fine art and wall art options it lists, how you place orders, and any published policies such as turnaround, shipping or guarantees. We left out pricing, since lab prices change often and depend on your account, and we left out opinions about quality, because the only reliable quality test is a sample print of your own work. Every fact about those labs is footnoted to the lab's site so you can check it yourself before ordering. Brakebee facts come from Brakebee directly.

Brakebee fits artists who sell mostly online, want to offer many sizes and finishes without holding inventory, and would rather spend their time making work than packing orders. Brakebee is an online art marketplace and selling platform for working artists, with its own print lab in Phoenix. When you use its print on demand, each print is made only after a customer orders it and goes straight to that customer, so you never buy or store inventory.8 You can offer dozens of print sizes in gloss, satin and matte aluminum, gloss or matte photo prints, gallery wrap canvas and giclée, and archival inks are used for artist prints.8 Beyond wall art, you can turn your designs into custom products such as keychains, notecards, printed decor, coasters, calendars and coloring books.8

Print on demand is one of three ways to fulfill orders on Brakebee. You can let the Phoenix lab print and ship each sale, ship orders yourself from your own stock, or use a third-party fulfillment partner.8 Selling reach is built in, because along with your Brakebee shop you can connect marketplaces including Etsy, Shopify, TikTok Shop, Wayfair, Walmart, Amazon, eBay and Faire, with more coming soon.8 Print-on-demand orders usually turn around in hours to a day, and you are paid after products ship.8 If you want to offer limited edition runs, we explain how they work when you sign up. Artists who also want their own website can see Brakebee Custom Sites, with current pricing on the <a href="https://brakebee.com/custom-sites#pricing">Custom Sites pricing section</a>. Learn more on our <a href="https://brakebee.com/print-on-demand">print-on-demand for artists page</a>.

A traditional lab can still suit artists who want to hold stock of their own, such as prints for art fairs or wholesale orders. Our guide to <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/print-lab-vs-print-on-demand">print lab vs print-on-demand</a> walks through when each model makes sense.

See how print-on-demand works for artists

McKenna Pro describes itself as a maker of products for professional photographers, and its site says it is proudly made in Iowa.1 Its catalog spans canvas and fine art prints, gallery wraps, metal prints and metal floats, art blocks, barn wood pieces, framed products, albums, press-printed books and cards.1 The lab offers several ways to order, including its browser-based McKenna Web, the Easy Order desktop software and a Sports & Events ordering tool, and it lists partner workflows with PhotoDay, GotPhoto and Proofpix.1 It also lists color calibration and studio consultations among its resources.1 For a closer look at this lab on its own, read our <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/mckenna-pro-review">McKenna Pro review</a>.

WHCC stands for White House Custom Colour, and its site presents it as a professional photo lab for photographers.2 Its print menu includes photographic prints and archival fine art prints, loose or mounted, and its wall art range covers metal, acrylic and wood prints, canvas gallery wraps and float frames.2 WHCC also offers albums and books, and it lists a sample program on its site, which is useful for testing papers and finishes before you commit to a product line.2

Miller's says it has served professional photographers since 1964 and that every order is made in its facilities in Pittsburg, Kansas and Columbia, Missouri.3 Its print options include photographic, giclée and fine art prints, and its wall art covers metal, acrylic and wood prints, gallery wraps and custom framing.3 Miller's lists white label drop-shipping among its services, publishes a one-to-three-day turnaround in the lab, and offers free shipping on most orders.3 You can order online, through its ROES software or through its Designer Plus design tool, and the lab sells sample kits.3

Bay Photo describes its business as professional photo printing products and services.4 Its menu highlights MetalPrints alongside photographic prints, fine art prints, canvas, acrylic, wood and framed prints, and it also offers albums and books.4 The site links to published production times and shipping policies, and it sells sample sets so you can compare surfaces in person.4

Printique identifies itself as an Adorama company.5 Its catalog includes photo prints, giclée fine art prints, metal, canvas, acrylic, wood and framed prints, plus photo books and layflat albums.5 When you create an account, Printique asks what describes you, and one of the listed options is Artist, Art for Sale.5

Nations Photo Lab offers standard and professional prints, giclée prints, canvas, metal, acrylic and framed prints, along with photo books and albums.6 Its site promotes a Picture Perfect Guarantee and includes pages for remakes, shipping information and support.6 Its menu also includes volume, proofing and school package prints for photographers who handle client and event work.6

Mpix lists photo prints in over 30 sizes, giclée prints, canvas, metal, wood and framed prints, plus photo books and albums.7 Its site says its products are backed with a satisfaction guarantee.7 The site also sells professionally printed photo cards and handcrafted photo albums, so you can keep prints, cards and books with one lab.7

With a pro lab, you order the prints yourself and handle storing, packing and shipping each sale. With print-on-demand, each print is made after a customer buys it and goes straight to them, which many artists who sell mostly online find easier to manage.

You order prints yourself, inspect them, and pack and ship each sale or arrange the lab's shipping options. It suits events, client work and hands-on quality control.

Pro photo lab

Each print is made after a sale and ships directly to the buyer, so you can offer every size and finish without holding stock. It suits selling online and testing new work.

Print-on-demand

If you are comparing print-on-demand platforms instead of labs, our guide to <a href="https://brakebee.com/articles/best-print-on-demand-for-artists">print-on-demand for artists</a> lines up seven options side by side.

The right lab depends on the products you sell and how hands-on you want to be. Order samples, compare them with your originals, and choose the path that fits the way you work. If you want each order printed and shipped for you while you keep making work, Brakebee is designed for that way of selling.

1 Source: McKenna Pro, mckennapro.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 2 Source: WHCC, whcc.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 3 Source: Miller's Professional Imaging, millerslab.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 4 Source: Bay Photo Lab, bayphoto.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 5 Source: Printique, printique.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 6 Source: Nations Photo Lab, nationsphotolab.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 7 Source: Mpix, mpix.com, as published on 10/13/2026. 8 Source: Brakebee: on-demand printing and shipping from the Phoenix lab, print sizes, finishes, giclée, archival inks for artist prints, custom products, marketplace connectors, turnaround, payout after products ship and limited edition runs, confirmed by Brakebee 10/13/2026; fulfillment options (print on demand, self-fulfillment, third-party fulfillment) confirmed by Brakebee 10/16/2026.

Fine art prints, a metal print and a canvas laid out on a studio table for comparison

Compare Brakebee, McKenna Pro, WHCC, Miller's, Bay Photo, Printique, Nations Photo Lab and Mpix: products, ordering, fine art options and who each suits.

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