I have total control over the finished product through WHCC. I get EXACTLY what I see on my screen, because they have professionals (i.e. Trained and Certified) operating, maintaining, and testing the output. Like I said, if you spitting out a few 11x14's for a sale in a booth or to hang in an opening, then by all means, print your own. If your printing a $1200 wedding order, let a PRO LAB do it. And, BTW, just because I let the lab do my prints, I still do the matting and framing myself. Not because I enjoy the "control" since my framer will do anything I ask for, but because it is less expensive. However, I save a lot of time by getting the print from lab, already on mat board. Plus there are never any bubbles or air pockets. Oh, yeah, you can a another thousand bucks to price of entry if you want to add a texture to the print. For seniors and other portraits, this adds a lot to the perceived value, yet it only casts a small amount when ordered from the lab. You have to go a step beyond "plain" prints in a land where everyone has a digital camera and a smugmug account
