In today’s digital age, our smartphones are constantly capturing precious moments. But these digital memories often remain trapped on our devices. When you decide to bring your favorite photos into the physical world, the question arises: Where Can I Print Photos online with the best quality and service? Numerous online photo printing services promise convenience and professional results, but the reality can vary significantly. This review dives into some popular options, comparing their print quality, shipping, and overall user experience to help you find the best place to print your cherished photos.
Mpix, a well-known name in online photo printing, offers a user-friendly app for ordering prints directly from your phone. Despite its popularity, our tests revealed some shortcomings. Panelists ranked Mpix photos as their least favorite, and a significant drawback was its cropping issue with smartphone photos. If precise composition is important to you, Mpix’s forced cropping could be a deal-breaker. Services like EZprints and RitzPix offer smartphone-friendly print sizes with a 4:3 aspect ratio, while Printique and Nations Photo Lab provide uncropped printing options regardless of aspect ratio. Currently, Mpix lacks both of these crucial features for smartphone photographers.
Bay Photo stands out by offering small print sizes tailored for smartphone photos and robust packaging. However, the print quality was only middling in our evaluations. In blind comparisons, participants typically placed Bay Photo as a reasonable second choice, rarely as a top pick. While Bay Photo provides decent quality and smartphone-friendly options, it doesn’t quite reach the top tier in overall print excellence.
Snapfish is known for being one of the most budget-friendly photo printing services. However, the low prices come with compromises in quality. Prints in 8×10 and 4×6 sizes exhibited harsh contrast, losing detail in shadows and highlights. Portrait photos also had an undesirable orange skin tone cast. Packaging was another concern. Smaller prints arrived in flimsy cardboard envelopes without adequate padding, while larger 11×14 prints, though shipped in a tube, lacked internal padding, leading to damage during transit.
A close-up of a damaged photo print edge from Snapfish, showing a crease from shipping.
Snapfish’s packaging for larger prints, while using a tube, lacked internal padding, resulting in shipping damage. Photo: Amadou Diallo
RitzPix also struggled with packaging issues. An 11×14 print arrived damaged, shipped in a flat envelope with only thin backing boards – the type found in cheap picture frames. The envelope’s tight fit for the 11×14 photo meant the print was easily damaged when the package was crushed in transit. Considering the steep $14.95 shipping fee, more than double the average of other services tested, the inadequate packaging from RitzPix was particularly disappointing.
A close-up of a damaged corner on a photo print from RitzPix against a green backdrop.
RitzPix’s 11×14 print suffered corner damage due to insufficient packaging during shipping. Photo: Amadou Diallo
EZprints, similar to Snapfish, delivered prints that were noticeably subpar. Every print had a hazy, washed-out appearance, lacking sharpness and clarity. Tonal areas appeared mottled, further detracting from the overall print quality. EZprints prints were consistently the least sharp among those tested.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service tested, provided only average print quality. The primary complaint with Shutterfly was its packaging. Small prints were shipped in thin, flat envelopes, and 11×14 prints arrived in tubes, causing them to curl and requiring flattening before display. While shipping tubes offer protection, they often result in curled prints.
A curled photo print from Shutterfly, showing significant curvature after being shipped in a tube.
Prints shipped by Shutterfly in tubes often arrive curled, requiring flattening before display. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Zazzle offers photo printing services, but its interface is better suited for single, customized item orders. The process of selecting print sizes involves dragging each image onto a print-size template on individual order pages, making it cumbersome for ordering multiple prints. Zazzle’s user interface and limited paper options are not ideal for standard photo printing needs.
Coffee table books flattening a photo print between cardboard pieces, illustrating a method to uncurl prints.
Flattening curled prints safely can be achieved by pressing them between cardboard sheets under heavy objects for a day or two. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Winkflash has garnered numerous negative reviews online, citing issues with customer service and users losing access to hosted photos due to ownership changes. Customer support is limited to a web form, lacking phone or email contact options. These customer service and reliability concerns make Winkflash a service to avoid.
FreePrints advertises up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints annually, with users only paying for shipping. However, information about the company and print quality is scarce on their single-page website, and ordering is exclusively through a phone app. The lack of transparency and reliance on a “too good to be true” offer raises concerns about the actual quality and service of FreePrints.
Amazon Prints provides 4×6 prints at a competitive price. Amazon Prime members who use Prime Photos can conveniently order prints of their stored images. The ordering process is straightforward, and print quality is decent, falling in the middle range – not exceptional but not the worst. Skin tones tended to be slightly orange. However, packaging was again a weak point, with prints arriving in a thin flat mailer with minimal cardboard protection, leading to corner damage on some prints.
Walmart offers a 4×5.3-inch print size, accommodating smartphone 4:3 aspect ratio photos without cropping. While this is a plus for smartphone users, Walmart’s overall range of print sizes is less comprehensive compared to top-rated services.
Conclusion:
Choosing where to print photos online depends on your priorities. If smartphone photo compatibility and uncropped prints are essential, services like RitzPix, Printique, Nations Photo Lab, and Walmart (for specific sizes) are worth considering. For budget-conscious consumers, Amazon Prints and Snapfish might seem appealing, but be aware of potential quality and packaging issues. Services like Mpix, Bay Photo, EZprints, Shutterfly, Zazzle and Winkflash showed significant drawbacks in our tests, ranging from cropping problems and poor print quality to inadequate packaging and customer service concerns. Ultimately, balancing print quality, smartphone compatibility, and reliable shipping is key to finding the best online photo printing service for your needs.
