Best Reviewed
Digital Photo Printing
- Best online photo printing service Snapfish *Est. $0
- Best printing service for photo gifts Shutterfly *Est. $0
- Online photo printing with most flexible delivery options Walmart Photo Center *Est. $0
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Best printing service for photo gifts
- More than 500 free photo borders
- Wide variety of photo gifts
- Can print dates and names on back of photos for free
- Variety of print sizes available
- Organized sharing system
- Mixed reviews for print quality
- Expensive prints
Reviews say Shutterfly is one of the best online photo printing sites because it has a huge variety of photo gifts to choose from, with exclusive options such as storybooks that feature popular children's characters. Reviewers also praise its simple user interface and wealth of creative options, including more than 500 free borders. Shutterfly can also customize photos with captions on the front and notes on the back. Photos are printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper in glossy or matte finishes. In-store delivery options at Target, Walgreens and CVS are available, although store prices apply to digital photo prints picked up there. Reviews note that Shutterfly's services are more expensive than most. For less expensive prints with excellent quality, reviewers suggest Snapfish (*Est. 9 cents per print).
Reviews at Information Week and PCMag.com compare a number of online photo printing services, including Shutterfly. In a reader poll on Lifehacker.com, Shutterfly earns the second-place spot out of more than 4,300 votes. Good Housekeeping compares 14 digital photo printing websites by evaluating the quality of printed photo books. DigitalPhotos101.com offers a chart comparing eight services and includes an individual review of Shutterfly, and Katherine Boehret at The Wall Street Journal takes an early look at Shutterfly's photo-sharing site, Shutterfly Share, which has since merged with the general site. Finally, Sean Kerner for TomsGuide.com analyzes the usability and features of Shutterfly Studio, the free offline client associated with Shutterfly.
Our Sources
Shutterfly earns 16 percent of more than 4,300 votes in this reader poll on Lifehacker.com. Shutterfly is said to offer "the most polished organizing and sharing system of the sites featured here today."
Review: Five Best Photo-Printing Sites, Jason Fitzpatrick, Jan. 17, 2010
Reviewer Don Reisinger rates four digital photo printing services on print quality, price and ease of use. He cites Shutterfly as a service with a wide variety of options, although he finds that print quality is in the middle of the tested group.
Review: Online Digital Print Services Buyer's Guide, Don Reisinger, July 19, 2008
Tony Hoffman reviews 13 digital photo printing services in this thorough review, including Shutterfly. He notes that prints are consistently good and have nice color and detail. He also comments that "ordering was a breeze" and, like other reviewers, he appreciates the wide variety of gift options.
Review: Photo-Printing Services, Tony Hoffman, Dec. 20, 2006
4. Good HousekeepingDetails/Subscribe
Good Housekeeping evaluates 14 digital photo printing websites in terms of photo-book quality. Shutterfly comes out on top in this roundup, scoring "near or at the top of almost every test."
Review: Best Web Site Photo Books, Editors of Good Housekeeping, Not Dated
5. Slate.com
Shutterfly comes out on top of this review of six different online digital printing services. Reviewer Ulrich Boser orders a photo book from each service, and rates them on user experience as well as the quality of the images and photo book received. Boser says he is impressed by the many options offered by Shutterfly and the clarity and quality of prints.
Review: Picture Perfect: Which Photo Sites Create the Best Albums, Ulrich Boser, June 6, 2006
This enthusiast website includes ratings for eight digital photo printing services. A detailed list of features is included for each service and reviews are available by clicking on a provider's name. Shutterfly's photo quality ties with first-place Snapfish.
Review: The Best Online Photo Processors, Editors of DigitalPhotos101.com
Katherine Boehret discusses the pros and cons of Shutterfly's new photo sharing site, Shutterfly Share, which has since merged with the general site.
Review: Shutterfly Makes Shared Photos More Welcoming, Katherine Boehret, July 30, 2008
Kerner reviews five online photo sharing sites in terms of their editing, sharing and printing options. Although no clear winner is picked, this review delves into the more technical aspects of the software usability of each of the five sites reviewed.
Review: Show and Tell with Online Photo Sharing, Sean Kerner, July 11, 2007
Digital Photo Printing Runners Up:
3 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
