In today’s digital age, while we capture countless memories on our smartphones, the desire to hold physical prints of our cherished photos remains strong. But with numerous online photo printing services available, deciding where to print photos can be overwhelming. This guide breaks down some of the most popular options, comparing their print quality, packaging, and overall user experience to help you find the best service for your needs.
Mpix, a well-known service with a convenient smartphone app, unfortunately didn’t impress our experts. They ranked Mpix photos as their least favorite due to significant cropping issues when printing smartphone photos. This forced cropping is a major drawback for those who carefully compose their shots. While services like EZprints and RitzPix offer smartphone-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio prints, and Printique and Nations Photo Lab allow uncropped printing regardless of aspect ratio, Mpix lacks these options. If preserving your original image composition is crucial, Mpix might not be the ideal choice for where to print photos.
Bay Photo provides small print sizes suitable for smartphone photos and boasts sturdy packaging. However, their print quality was considered average in tests. Participants in blind comparisons generally placed Bay Photo as a decent second choice, but not a standout option. While Bay Photo might be a reasonable option for where to print photos if packaging is a top concern, the middling print quality might be a compromise.
Snapfish stands out for its incredibly low prices, making it a tempting option for budget-conscious consumers wondering where to print photos cheaply. However, the low cost comes with significant compromises in print quality and packaging. Tests revealed harsh contrast in both 8×10 and 4×6 prints, losing detail in shadows and highlights. Portrait photos exhibited unflattering orangish skin tones. Packaging was also subpar, with small prints arriving in flimsy cardboard envelopes lacking padding. Even the 11×14 print, shipped in a tube, suffered damage due to insufficient internal padding, as shown below.
A close-up of the edge of a rolled-up print from Snapfish showing damage, emphasizing poor packaging for online photo prints.
Snapfish’s inadequate packaging led to damage in transit, highlighting a crucial factor when choosing where to print photos online. Photo: Amadou Diallo
RitzPix also experienced packaging issues. Their 11×14 print arrived in a flat envelope with minimal backing board, resulting in corner damage during shipping. This was especially disappointing considering RitzPix charged a hefty $14.95 for shipping. The damage, seen below, could have been easily avoided with a larger envelope or a box, methods successfully used by other services. If reliable delivery is a key factor in your decision of where to print photos, RitzPix’s packaging needs improvement.
Close-up of damaged corner on RitzPix photo print, illustrating shipping issues when ordering photo prints online.
RitzPix’s damaged print due to insufficient packaging demonstrates the importance of considering shipping protection when deciding where to print photos. Photo: Amadou Diallo
EZprints, similar to Snapfish, delivered prints that were noticeably below par. Every print had a washed-out, hazy appearance and lacked sharpness. Clear tones appeared mottled, further detracting from the overall quality. For those seeking crisp and vibrant prints, EZprints is unlikely to be the best answer for where to print photos.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service tested, only offered average print quality. The primary complaint, however, was their packaging. Small prints arrived in a thin envelope, and the 11×14 print came rolled in a tube, resulting in significant curling that required flattening before display. While a tube offers protection, the inconvenience of dealing with curled prints is something to consider when choosing where to print photos, especially for larger sizes.
Curled photo print from Shutterfly after tube shipping, demonstrating a common issue with online photo print delivery.
Shutterfly’s tube packaging, while protective, results in curled prints requiring flattening, a factor to consider when deciding where to print photos. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Zazzle, while offering photo printing, is geared towards single-item orders and has limited paper choices. Their user interface for ordering prints is cumbersome, requiring users to drag each image individually onto a print-size template. This tedious process makes Zazzle unsuitable for printing multiple photos, making it less convenient for users looking for where to print photos in bulk.
Flattening photo prints with books, illustrating a method to correct curling caused by shipping tubes from online print services.
Using weights to flatten curled photo prints, a common step needed after receiving prints shipped in tubes from services where you print photos online. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Winkflash has garnered numerous negative reviews, with customers reporting issues ranging from lost photo access due to ownership changes to poor customer service. The lack of phone or email support further complicates matters. These issues make Winkflash a service to avoid when considering where to print photos, especially if reliable service and customer support are important.
FreePrints offers an enticing deal of up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints per year, with only shipping costs to pay. However, information about the company, print quality, and ordering process is scarce online, limited to a single-page website. The lack of transparency and the “too good to be true” offer raise red flags, making FreePrints a risky choice for where to print photos without further investigation and customer reviews.
Amazon Prints offers 4×6 prints at a competitive price. Amazon Prime members who use Prime Photos can order prints directly from their stored images, simplifying the process. Print quality was deemed average, with skin tones leaning towards orange, but not the worst among those tested. Packaging, however, was disappointing, consisting of a thin mailer with minimal cardboard support, leading to corner damage on some prints. While convenient for Amazon Prime users, the packaging is a concern when considering where to print photos from Amazon.
Walmart provides a 4×5.3-inch print size, accommodating smartphone 4:3 aspect ratio images without cropping. However, their overall print size selection is less extensive compared to top-rated services. While Walmart offers a solution for uncropped smartphone prints, their limited size options might restrict choices when deciding where to print photos in various formats.
Conclusion
Choosing where to print photos online involves balancing factors like print quality, price, convenience, and packaging. While some services offer attractive pricing, they may compromise on print quality or protection during shipping. Carefully consider your priorities and the reviews of each service to make an informed decision and ensure your precious memories are printed beautifully and arrive safely.
