In today’s digital age, our smartphones are constantly capturing precious moments. But while digital photos are convenient, there’s something special about holding a physical print in your hands. If you’re wondering Where Can You Print Photos online, you’re in luck. Numerous online photo printing services offer a convenient way to transform your digital memories into tangible prints. However, with so many options available, choosing the right service can be overwhelming. This review dives into some of the most popular online photo printing services, comparing their print quality, pricing, packaging, and user experience to help you decide where to best print your photos.
Mpix, a well-known name in the photo printing industry, offers a user-friendly app for ordering prints directly from your smartphone. Despite its popularity and ease of use, our tests revealed some significant drawbacks. Panelists consistently ranked Mpix prints as their least favorite due to issues with smartphone photo cropping. If you meticulously compose your smartphone photos, Mpix’s forced cropping can be a major dealbreaker. Unlike services like EZprints and RitzPix, which offer smartphone-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio print sizes, or Printique and Nations Photo Lab, which allow uncropped printing regardless of aspect ratio, Mpix lacks these crucial options.
Bay Photo, another service we tested, provides small print sizes optimized for smartphone photos and boasts sturdy packaging. However, its print quality was deemed average in our evaluations. In blind comparisons, participants generally placed Bay Photo as a reasonable second choice, but rarely as a top or bottom pick, indicating a middling performance overall.
For budget-conscious consumers, Snapfish stands out with its incredibly low prices. In fact, no other service we tested offered lower rates. Unfortunately, this affordability comes at a cost. Snapfish prints, particularly in 8×10 and 4×6 sizes, suffered from harsh contrast, resulting in a loss of detail in both shadows and highlights. Portrait photos exhibited noticeable orange skin tones, further detracting from the print quality. Packaging was also a concern. Smaller prints were shipped in flimsy cardboard envelopes lacking padding, offering minimal protection during transit. While larger 11×14 prints were shipped in tubes, the absence of internal padding led to damage during shipping, as illustrated below.
Damaged photo print from Snapfish due to inadequate packaging.
Snapfish’s protective tube for 11×14 prints failed due to lack of internal padding, resulting in creased edges from impact with the end cap during delivery.
RitzPix also experienced packaging issues, resulting in damaged prints upon arrival. Their 11×14 prints were shipped in flat envelopes with only thin backing boards for support, similar to those found in inexpensive photo frames. The envelope’s size, barely larger than the print itself, offered insufficient protection. Consequently, our RitzPix print arrived with a corner dent, a clear indication of damage during shipping. This damage could have easily been prevented with a larger envelope or, preferably, a box, as employed by several other services. The inadequate packaging was particularly disappointing considering RitzPix’s high shipping fee of $14.95, more than double the average cost of other services we tested.
Damaged corner of a RitzPix photo print due to insufficient packaging.
A crushed corner of a RitzPix 11×14 print, caused by an undersized shipping envelope, demonstrates packaging inadequacy.
EZprints, similar to Snapfish, was among the services with notably subpar print quality. Every print from EZprints displayed a hazy, washed-out appearance, as if veiled. These prints were the least sharp of all services tested, and areas of consistent color tone appeared somewhat mottled.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service in our tests, delivered only average print quality. Our primary complaint with Shutterfly, however, was their packaging. Smaller prints were shipped in thin, flat envelopes, while 11×14 prints arrived in tubes, leading to curled prints that required flattening before display. While uncurling prints is possible, it’s a time-consuming process that carries the risk of damage. A safer method involves flattening the prints under weight for an extended period.
Curled photo print from Shutterfly shipped in a tube.
Photo prints shipped in tubes, like this one from Shutterfly, often arrive with a significant curl that needs flattening.
Zazzle offers photo printing services but is primarily designed for single-item orders with a limited selection of paper options. Their ordering process involves a cumbersome drag-and-drop interface, requiring individual image placement onto print-size templates for each print. This tedious process makes Zazzle impractical for ordering more than a few prints at a time.
Flattening a photo print using heavy books.
Heavy books, like coffee table books, can be used to safely flatten curled photo prints over a day or two.
Winkflash has garnered a consistent stream of negative customer reviews, citing issues ranging from customers losing access to stored photos due to ownership changes to significant difficulties contacting customer service. Their sole customer support option is a web form, lacking phone or email contact methods. These issues led us to easily dismiss Winkflash as a viable option.
FreePrints, as the name implies, offers up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints annually, requiring only payment for shipping. However, their website provides minimal information about the company, print quality, or ordering process. The lack of transparency and the “too good to be true” offer raise concerns about the service’s reliability and quality.
Amazon Prints offers competitive pricing for 4×6 prints, although their prices have increased from previous lows. Amazon Prime members who utilize Prime Photos for storage can directly order prints of their stored images. The ordering process is straightforward and efficient. Print quality was assessed as mid-range, not exceptional but not the worst, with a slight orange tint in skin tones. Prints arrived within a reasonable timeframe of six business days. Packaging, however, was underwhelming, consisting of a flat mailer with thin cardboard inserts, resulting in a damaged corner on one print.
Walmart provides a 4×5.3-inch print size option, accommodating smartphone 4:3 aspect ratio images without cropping. However, their overall selection of print sizes is less extensive compared to some top-rated services.
Conclusion
Choosing where to print your photos online depends on your priorities. If smartphone compatibility and avoiding cropping are crucial, EZprints, RitzPix, Printique, and Nations Photo Lab are worth considering. For budget printing with less concern for top-tier quality, Amazon Prints or Snapfish might suffice, though be aware of potential packaging and print quality issues. Services like Mpix, Bay Photo, and Shutterfly offer a mixed bag of features and quality, while Zazzle, Winkflash, and FreePrints present significant drawbacks. Ultimately, consider what matters most to you – print quality, price, packaging, or smartphone compatibility – to make an informed decision and select the best service to bring your digital memories to life.
