In today’s digital age, while we capture countless photos on our smartphones, the desire to hold tangible prints remains strong. But with numerous online photo printing services available, deciding Where Can I Get Pictures Printed can feel overwhelming. This guide dives into a comprehensive review of popular online photo printing services, helping you choose the best option for your precious memories. We’ll analyze print quality, pricing, ease of use, and crucial factors like packaging and shipping to ensure your photos arrive in perfect condition.
Choosing the right service to print your photos involves more than just price. Quality, convenience, and reliability are paramount. Let’s explore some of the leading contenders in the online photo printing arena, examining their strengths and weaknesses to answer the question: where can I get pictures printed with the best results?
One widely recognized service is Mpix. Known for its user-friendly app that facilitates direct photo uploads from smartphones, Mpix is a convenient choice. However, user reviews and tests reveal a significant drawback: its handling of smartphone photos. Mpix’s printing process often involves considerable cropping of smartphone images, which can be a major issue for photographers who meticulously compose their shots. If precise composition is important to you, this forced cropping could be a deal-breaker. Services like EZprints and RitzPix stand out by offering smartphone-friendly print sizes with a 4:3 aspect ratio, perfectly suited for typical smartphone photos. Furthermore, Printique and Nations Photo Lab provide the valuable option to print your images uncropped, regardless of aspect ratio mismatches, a feature currently lacking in Mpix’s offerings.
Bay Photo presents itself as another option, offering small print sizes tailored for smartphone photos and robust packaging. Despite these positives, testing indicates that Bay Photo’s print quality is only middling. In blind print comparisons, it rarely emerged as a top choice, typically being considered a satisfactory but not exceptional second option. While not delivering poor prints, Bay Photo doesn’t particularly excel in print quality either.
For budget-conscious consumers asking where can I get pictures printed cheaply, Snapfish often comes up as the lowest-price service. However, the adage “you get what you pay for” rings true here. Snapfish’s print quality has been described as disappointing. Both 8×10 and 4×6 prints exhibited harsh contrast, resulting in loss of detail in shadows and highlights. Portrait photos were noted to have unnatural, orangish skin tones. Packaging also proved to be a problem. Smaller prints arrived in flimsy cardboard envelopes offering minimal protection, while larger 11×14 prints, though shipped in tubes, lacked internal padding. This lack of padding led to damage during shipping, as illustrated below.
Damaged edge of a Snapfish print due to insufficient packaging during shipping
Snapfish’s 11×14 print arrived in a protective tube, but the absence of internal padding resulted in damage to the top edge during transit, highlighting issues when considering where can I get pictures printed with safe delivery. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Unfortunately, Snapfish isn’t alone in shipping mishaps. A print from RitzPix also arrived damaged. RitzPix opted for a flat envelope with thin backing boards for an 11×14 print – insufficient protection. The envelope’s snug fit to the photo size meant that any crushing during shipping directly impacted the print, resulting in corner damage. This damage was preventable with better packaging, especially considering RitzPix charged a hefty $14.95 for shipping, significantly above the average. This raises concerns about value when thinking about where can I get pictures printed reliably and affordably.
Damaged corner of a RitzPix photo print due to poor packaging
This 11×14 print from RitzPix was damaged due to inadequate packaging and a crushed envelope corner during shipping, demonstrating the importance of packaging when deciding where can I get pictures printed. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Similar to Snapfish, EZprints also struggled with print quality. Prints from EZprints consistently appeared hazy and washed-out, lacking sharpness. Areas of solid color even exhibited a mottled texture, making them among the poorest quality prints tested. For those prioritizing image clarity, EZprints might not be the ideal answer to where can I get pictures printed.
Shutterfly was among the more expensive services tested, yet its print quality was only rated as average. The primary complaint with Shutterfly was packaging. Small prints were shipped in thin envelopes, while 11×14 prints came rolled in tubes, leading to curled prints requiring flattening. While a curled print isn’t damaged, it adds an extra step before display. The image below illustrates the extent of curling caused by tube shipping.
Curled photo print from Shutterfly due to tube packaging
Although shipping tubes offer protection, prints often arrive with a significant curl, requiring flattening before display, a factor to consider when deciding where can I get pictures printed for immediate use. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Zazzle offers photo printing, but its user interface is geared towards individual, single-order prints, not bulk orders. The process of selecting print sizes involves a tedious drag-and-drop method for each image, making it impractical for printing multiple photos. This cumbersome process makes Zazzle less suitable for users needing to print numerous pictures, impacting its ranking for where can I get pictures printed efficiently.
Flattening a curled photo print under heavy books
The safest method to flatten curled prints is to place them between cardboard sheets under weight for 24-48 hours, showcasing a post-printing step sometimes needed depending on where can I get pictures printed. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Winkflash faces a barrage of negative customer reviews. Reports include users losing access to stored photos due to ownership changes and significant difficulties with customer service. The sole customer support channel is a web form, lacking phone or email options. These issues make Winkflash a service to avoid when considering where can I get pictures printed reliably.
FreePrints entices users with up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints annually (excluding shipping costs). However, information about the company and its services is sparse, primarily accessible through their phone app. The lack of online information and the “too good to be true” offer raise concerns about transparency and potential hidden costs when exploring where can I get pictures printed for free.
Amazon Prints provides 4×6 prints at a reasonable price. Amazon Prime members using Prime Photos can directly order prints of their stored images, simplifying the process. While convenient and offering decent (though not top-tier) print quality, Amazon Prints’ packaging is underwhelming – a flat mailer with thin cardboard, leading to occasional corner damage. Print quality is average with skin tones tending towards orange, placing it in the middle ground when considering where can I get pictures printed for balanced quality and convenience.
Finally, Walmart offers a 4×5.3-inch print size, accommodating smartphone 4:3 aspect ratio photos without cropping. However, their overall print size selection is less comprehensive compared to top-rated services. While Walmart provides a cropping-free option for smartphones, their limited size variety might restrict choices for users seeking diverse print sizes when deciding where can I get pictures printed with varied options.
In conclusion, when pondering where can I get pictures printed, it’s crucial to weigh factors beyond just price. Print quality, cropping options for smartphone photos, packaging robustness, and customer service all play vital roles. While some services offer enticingly low prices, they may compromise on quality or packaging, leading to disappointment or damaged prints. Carefully consider your priorities and choose a service that balances quality, convenience, and reliability to best preserve your cherished photographic memories.
