In today’s digital age, while we capture countless photos on our smartphones and digital cameras, the charm of holding a physical photograph remains unmatched. If you’re wondering Where Can I Get Photos Printed and are navigating the myriad of online photo printing services, it’s crucial to choose a provider that meets your needs in terms of quality, convenience, and price. This review dives into several popular online photo printing services to help you make an informed decision and ensure your precious memories are printed beautifully.
Mpix, often touted as a leading photo service, even boasts a user-friendly app for direct smartphone uploads and orders. However, in our evaluations, Mpix’s prints surprisingly ranked as the least favored by our panel. A significant drawback was its inability to print smartphone photos without forced cropping. This is a critical issue for photographers who meticulously compose their shots, as the unwanted cropping can drastically alter the intended image. Services like EZprints and RitzPix offer more smartphone-friendly print sizes with a 4:3 aspect ratio, perfectly suited for most smartphone photos. For those who prefer complete control, Printique and Nations Photo Lab provide options to print images uncropped, regardless of aspect ratio mismatches. Unfortunately, Mpix currently lacks both of these flexible options.
Bay Photo presents itself as another option, offering small print sizes optimized for smartphone photos and commendable sturdy packaging. Despite these positives, its print quality was only middling in our tests. Participants in blind comparisons consistently placed Bay Photo as a reasonable second choice, rarely as a top or bottom pick. This suggests a decent but not exceptional performance.
For budget-conscious consumers asking where can i get photos printed cheaply, Snapfish emerges as seemingly the most affordable service tested. However, the low prices come at a cost in quality. Both 8×10 and 4×6 prints from Snapfish suffered from harsh contrast, resulting in a loss of detail in shadows and highlights. Portrait photos exhibited an undesirable orangish skin tone. Packaging was also a major letdown. Smaller prints arrived in flimsy cardboard envelopes with no padding, offering minimal protection during transit. The 11×14 print, while shipped in a tube, lacked internal padding, leading to damage on the print’s edges.
A damaged print from Snapfish, showing a crease on the edge due to inadequate packaging during shipping.
Snapfish’s attempt to protect larger prints with a tube was undermined by the absence of internal padding, resulting in shipping damage. Photo: Amadou Diallo
RitzPix also struggled with packaging issues, further highlighting the importance of considering shipping practices when deciding where can i get photos printed. An 11×14 print from RitzPix arrived damaged, shipped in a flat envelope with thin backing boards – similar to those found in inexpensive photo frames. The envelope’s tight fit for the 11×14 photo meant that any crushing during shipping directly impacted the print, causing corner damage. This could have been easily avoided with a larger envelope or, ideally, a box, which several other services utilized. Adding insult to injury, RitzPix charged a steep $14.95 for shipping, more than double the average cost of other services, making the inadequate packaging even more disappointing.
Corner damage to a RitzPix photo print due to insufficient packaging during transit.
RitzPix’s packaging failed to protect this 11×14 print from corner damage sustained during shipping, despite a high shipping fee. Photo: Amadou Diallo
EZprints, alongside Snapfish, stood out for delivering prints of uncommonly poor quality. Every print exhibited a hazy, washed-out appearance, as if veiled. These were the least sharp photos among those tested, and areas of consistent color tone appeared somewhat mottled. This consistent quality issue makes EZprints a less desirable option when considering where can i get photos printed for important photos.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service in our tests, delivered only average print quality. The primary complaint with Shutterfly, however, was its packaging. Small prints were shipped in a flimsy flat envelope, and larger 11×14 prints arrived rolled in a tube. While tubes offer protection, they result in curled prints that require flattening before display. The article notes that uncurling prints quickly can be tricky and risk damage, suggesting a safer method is to flatten them under weight for a day or two.
A curled photo print from Shutterfly, a common result of shipping prints in tubes.
Shipping prints in tubes, as used by Shutterfly, often leads to significant curling that needs to be addressed before display. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Zazzle, while offering photo printing, is designed more for single-order custom items. Its user interface is not optimized for ordering multiple prints easily. Selecting print sizes involves individually dragging each image onto a print-size template on its order page. This process is excessively tedious, making Zazzle impractical for ordering even a small batch of prints.
Books being used to flatten a curled photo print, illustrating a method to correct prints shipped in tubes.
Flattening curled prints, often necessary after tube shipping, is best achieved by placing them under weight between flat surfaces, like books and cardboard. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Winkflash suffers from a stream of highly negative customer reviews. Beyond reports of customers losing access to hosted photos due to ownership changes, numerous users have reported difficulties contacting customer service. Customer support is limited to a web form, with no phone or email contact options available. These issues make Winkflash easily dismissible when considering where can i get photos printed with reliable service.
FreePrints, as the name implies, offers up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints annually, with users only paying for shipping. However, the service provides minimal information online, with a single-page website and apparent reliance on a phone app for all operations. The lack of transparency and details raises concerns, echoing the adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.” This lack of information makes it difficult to confidently recommend FreePrints for those seeking reliable and high-quality photo printing.
Amazon Prints offers 4×6 prints at a competitive price, though previously they matched even lower-cost rivals like Snapfish in pricing. For Amazon Prime members already utilizing Prime Photos, ordering prints is directly integrated. The order process is straightforward, and print quality is described as mid-range – not exceptional, with slightly orange skin tones, but also not the worst. Prints arrived within six business days. Packaging, however, was again a point of weakness, consisting of a flat mailer with thin cardboard, resulting in corner damage to one print.
Walmart provides a 4×5.3-inch print option, which accommodates the 4:3 aspect ratio of smartphone images without cropping. However, their overall selection of print sizes is less comprehensive compared to some of the top-rated services. While Walmart might be convenient for some, the limited size options might not cater to all printing needs.
When deciding where can i get photos printed, it’s essential to weigh factors beyond just price. Print quality, packaging, shipping costs, and customer service are equally important. While some services may lure you in with low prices or free prints, the actual quality and service experience can vary significantly. Carefully consider your priorities and choose a service that aligns with your needs to ensure your printed photos are cherished for years to come.
