[dougsmit]

Opinion: This is a good question but asked in the wrong place. If you have decided to have prints made by Mpix (I've never used them so I do not know) it would seem the first step is to read every word in their help section and blog. Certainly there are some things that cross over from printer to printer but information you get from Mpix should be better than anything offered here.

I have gone on record before suggesting that people might try Costco but should develop a rapport with the local machine operators at their local store. This goes for anonymous online sites, too, but rather than a face to face chat with the photo manager, you need to understand what they have posted in the way of instructions. Certainly I am more than willing to tell you what I do to get what I want from their services but I'm not 100% sure I know more about it that they do so my opinions are just that. Looking over the Mpix site, I see evidence of a place I might try if I wanted a print larger than my Costco can do or if I were to move to a part of the world where Costco has no store. In my situation, the extra cost for postage alone would make me hesitant to try them as long as I am getting what I want locally.

One thing I really believe no matter where you will be having your print made is that you should deliver them a file that is the correct proportions for the print you will be ordering and not allow them to guess what should be cropped out from your full 5D image. At a minimum you need to crop off about 662 pixels from the long side (one end or both) as you see fit if you expect an 11x14 that fills the paper. Since you are converting from RAW and polishing the image anyway, you might as well throw out the part that you want gone rather than making someone else guess what you are thinking.

I hope you get replies from Mpix veterans.