In today’s digital age, while we capture countless memories on our smartphones, the desire to hold tangible prints of our cherished photos remains strong. Numerous online photo printing services promise convenience and quality, but navigating through the options to find the Best Website For Printing Photos can be overwhelming. This review dives into some of the most popular photo printing services, examining their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed decision.
Mpix, a well-known name in the photo printing industry, offers a user-friendly app for direct smartphone photo uploads and orders. Despite its popularity, our tests revealed significant cropping issues when printing smartphone photos, a major drawback for those meticulous about image composition. If preserving your original framing is crucial, Mpix might not be the ideal choice. Services like EZprints and RitzPix offer smartphone-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio print sizes, while Printique and Nations Photo Lab provide uncropped printing options regardless of aspect ratio mismatches – features currently lacking at Mpix.
A close-up of the edge of a rolled-up print from Snapfish showing damage from shipping.
Damaged print edge from Snapfish due to insufficient packaging during transit.
Bay Photo presents itself as a solid option with small print sizes tailored for smartphone photos and robust packaging. However, its print quality in our evaluations was only average. In blind comparisons, participants generally ranked Bay Photo prints as a decent second choice, but rarely as a top pick, suggesting it may not stand out in terms of overall print excellence.
For budget-conscious consumers, Snapfish is often appealing due to its very low prices. Unfortunately, the low cost is reflected in the print quality. Both 8×10 and 4×6 prints from Snapfish exhibited harsh contrast, resulting in loss of detail in shadows and highlights. Portrait photos also displayed undesirable orangish skin tones. Packaging was another significant concern. Small prints were shipped in flimsy cardboard envelopes lacking padding, and while larger 11×14 prints arrived in a tube, the absence of internal padding led to bent edges during shipping, as depicted below.
RitzPix also encountered packaging problems. 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 inadequate size relative to the print resulted in corner damage when the package was crushed in transit. This damage was preventable with better packaging—a larger envelope or a box, as used by several competitors. The $14.95 shipping fee charged by RitzPix, more than double the average of other services tested, made the inadequate packaging even more disappointing.
Close-up of a damaged corner of a RitzPix photo print, highlighting shipping damage.
Corner damage on an 11×14 RitzPix print caused by undersized and flimsy shipping envelope.
EZprints, similar to Snapfish, delivered prints that were noticeably subpar. Every print had a hazy, washed-out appearance, as if veiled. These were the least sharp photos among all tested services, and areas of consistent color tone appeared somewhat mottled.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service in our tests, offered only average print quality. The primary issue with Shutterfly was its packaging. Small prints were shipped in thin, flat envelopes, and 11×14 prints arrived rolled in a tube. Prints shipped in tubes often arrive curled and require flattening before they can be displayed. While uncurling prints is possible, it carries the risk of creasing or damaging the print. A safer method involves laying the prints flat under weight for a day or two.
Curled photo print from Shutterfly after being shipped in a tube, showing significant curvature.
Curled Shutterfly print demonstrating the effects of tube shipping, requiring flattening before display.
Zazzle provides photo printing services, but its user interface is geared towards individual, single-item orders and offers limited paper choices. Ordering multiple prints becomes cumbersome as the process involves dragging each image onto a print-size template on its order page – a tedious task even for small batches of prints.
Winkflash has accumulated a substantial number of negative customer reviews. Beyond reports of customers losing access to stored photos due to ownership changes, numerous users have reported difficulties with customer service. Customer support is limited to a web form, with no phone or email contact options available. These issues make Winkflash a service to approach with caution.
FreePrints, as the name implies, offers up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints annually, requiring only payment for shipping. However, the service provides minimal information on its single-page website. All operations appear to be app-based. The lack of readily available information about the company, print quality, and the ordering process raises concerns, echoing the adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
Amazon Prints offers 4×6 prints at a competitive price, although slightly higher than some ultra-budget options. For Amazon Prime members already utilizing Prime Photos for storage, ordering prints is seamlessly integrated. Amazon’s ordering process is straightforward. Print quality was mid-range – not exceptional, with slightly orange skin tones, but not the worst either. Prints arrived within six business days. Packaging, however, was underwhelming, consisting of a flat mailer with thin cardboard inserts, resulting in corner damage to one print.
Walmart Photo offers a 4×5.3-inch print size, accommodating smartphone 4:3 aspect ratio images without cropping. However, its overall selection of print sizes is less comprehensive compared to some top-rated services.
Coffee table books used to flatten a photo print between cardboard sheets.
Weighting down a curled photo print between cardboard sheets using heavy books for flattening.
Choosing the best website for printing photos depends on individual priorities. While some services offer low prices, this often comes at the cost of print quality or packaging. Services with better print quality may be slightly more expensive. Carefully consider factors like print quality, cropping options, packaging reliability, and customer service reviews when selecting an online photo printing service to ensure your precious memories are printed beautifully and arrive safely.
