In today’s digital age, while we capture countless photos on our smartphones, the desire to hold physical prints remains strong. Photo Printing services bridge this gap, offering a convenient way to transform digital images into tangible memories. However, not all photo printing services are created equal. Our in-depth testing of several popular platforms reveals significant differences in print quality, ease of use, and overall satisfaction, especially when it comes to photo printing directly from your phone.
One of the most recognized names, Mpix, despite its user-friendly app for smartphone uploads and orders, unfortunately, fell short in our evaluations. Panelists ranked Mpix prints as their least preferred, largely due to a significant drawback: forced cropping when printing smartphone photos. This is a major concern if you value the composition of your images, as crucial parts of your photos may be lost in the printing process. For those seeking uncropped photo printing options for smartphone images, services like EZprints, RitzPix, Printique, and Nations Photo Lab offer more accommodating aspect ratios or the option to print without any cropping. As of now, Mpix lacks these crucial features, making it less ideal for preserving your phone photography exactly as you intended.
Bay Photo presents itself as a smartphone-friendly option with smaller print sizes and robust packaging. However, our tests revealed only middling print quality. In blind comparisons, participants rarely placed Bay Photo prints as their top or bottom choice, generally considering them a satisfactory but unremarkable second option. While not the worst, Bay Photo doesn’t stand out as a top recommendation for exceptional photo printing.
Price is often a key factor, and Snapfish is undeniably one of the most budget-friendly services available. Unfortunately, the low cost comes at a noticeable compromise in quality. Our 8×10 and 4×6 prints from Snapfish exhibited harsh contrast, resulting in a loss of detail in both shadows and highlights. Portrait photos also suffered from unnatural, orangish skin tones. Adding to the disappointment, the packaging for smaller prints was flimsy, offering minimal protection against damage during shipping. While the 11×14 print was shipped in a tube, the absence of internal padding led to bent edges.
Damaged photo print from Snapfish due to poor packaging during shipping, highlighting issues with online photo printing services.
Snapfish’s attempt to protect larger prints with a tube was undermined by the lack of internal padding, resulting in damage during transit. Photo: Amadou Diallo
RitzPix also struggled with packaging issues. Our 11×14 print arrived damaged due to being shipped in a flat envelope with inadequate backing. The envelope’s tight fit for the print meant that any impact during shipping easily damaged the corners. This is particularly concerning given RitzPix’s above-average shipping fee of $14.95. Better packaging, like a larger envelope or a box used by other services, could easily prevent this damage, ensuring better quality photo printing delivery.
RitzPix photo print damaged corner due to inadequate packaging, a common problem with budget online photo printing.
Inadequate packaging from RitzPix resulted in corner damage to this 11×14 print during shipping. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Similar to Snapfish, EZprints also produced prints of notably low quality. Every print had a washed-out, hazy appearance, lacking sharpness and clarity. Even areas of uniform color appeared mottled, indicating subpar photo printing processes.
Shutterfly, while being the second most expensive service we tested, delivered only average print quality. The primary issue was packaging. Smaller prints arrived in flimsy envelopes, and the 11×14 print, shipped in a tube, was significantly curled and required flattening.
Curled photo print from Shutterfly after shipping in a tube, illustrating packaging issues in online photo printing.
Shipping tubes, while protective, often result in curled prints that require flattening before display, a common issue with some online photo printing services. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Zazzle offers photo printing, but its user interface is geared towards individual, small orders. The cumbersome process of selecting print sizes for multiple photos makes it impractical for larger orders.
Flattening curled photo prints with heavy books, a necessary step after receiving prints from some online photo printing services with tube packaging.
Flattening curled prints under heavy objects like books is often needed after receiving tube-packaged photo prints from online services. Photo: Amadou Diallo
Winkflash faces numerous negative customer reviews, citing issues ranging from lost photo access due to ownership changes to poor customer service with no phone or email support available. These concerns make Winkflash a service to avoid for reliable photo printing.
FreePrints attracts attention with its offer of up to 1,000 free 4×6 prints per year (excluding shipping costs). However, the lack of detailed information on their website and the app-only ordering process raise questions about transparency and service quality. The adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is” applies here, suggesting caution when considering FreePrints for your photo printing needs.
Amazon Prints offers competitively priced 4×6 prints and seamless integration for Prime Photos users. Print quality is decent, falling in the middle range, though skin tones can lean towards orange. Packaging, however, is subpar, leading to occasional damage during shipping. While convenient for Amazon Prime members, it’s not a standout choice for top-tier photo printing.
Walmart provides a 4×5.3-inch print size that accommodates smartphone 4:3 aspect ratios without cropping. However, their overall print size selection is less comprehensive compared to leading services.
In conclusion, while numerous online photo printing services exist, quality, packaging, and user experience vary significantly. Services like Mpix, Snapfish, EZprints, and RitzPix presented notable shortcomings in our testing, highlighting the importance of carefully considering these factors beyond just price and convenience when choosing where to print your cherished photos.
