We take SO many pictures nowadays but actually printing and organizing them is a whole other story. I love the idea of organizing them into beautifully-made photo books. No more printing out pictures and putting them into albums, these days you can make a professional quality photo album all with the click of a mouse. I’ve used a few different websites but am always looking for new and innovative ones, so I rounded up a few of my tried and true sites as well as ones I’ve heard good things about and like to try.
Shutterfly
I think one of the best things about Shutterfly is its consistency and affordability. You can always rely on them to produce good quality products in a fairly short period of time. There are also tons of promotional codes out there which means huge cost savings for the customer. For example, there’s currently a 50 percent off coupon code for hardcover photo books which just so happens to be the kind I’m working on for my daughter’s book so I chose to go with Shutterfly for this project. I’ve made several photo books with their service in the past and have always been satisfied with the results.
I also love the option of the “Make My Book” service, where for $9.99 Shutterfly designers will make your book for you. You can also tweak/make any changes you like but you simply upload your pictures and 3 days later you get a completed photo book. I’m not gonna lie I’m so pressed for time that I may try this option out! I still have to organize all my photos which is proving to be challenging but should be easier than making a whole photo book from scratch!
Pinhole Press
I absolutely love Pinhole Press! I’ve ordered several different items from them including photo books and the quality is fantastic. They’re definitely a bit pricier than Shutterfly but they also do promotions often enough where you can save some money. I love that they offer a wide selection of beautiful products, for example I’ve made the signature hardcover photo book and the results were stunning. The layflat is another great option that can really highlight stunning photography. I also recently created their custom board book of names and faces and I LOVE it.
Artifact Uprising
I first stumbled upon Artifact Uprising when a photographer I followed on Instagram mentioned them. I figured if a professional photographer was recommending them, they had to be good. And I was right. These photo books are gorgeous They even have an Instagram photo book, perfect for putting those little squares into print. I’ve personally made the softcover photo book and I was impressed with the picture quality.
Depending how many photos you’d like and what size book, there are different price points available. However, it’s safe to say that these can definitely be pricey, but the result is professional quality photo books that will truly stand the test of time.
Mpix
This is a brand I was introduced to recently. I haven’t yet made any of their photo books, but glancing at the website I see several great options, including an economy photo book which starts at only $19.99. The accordion style mini photobook would be a fun gift idea as well.
Walgreens Photo
Another tried and true and most of all super affordable option is Walgreens. This is definitely who I turn to when I need prints or photo gifts in a pinch and fast! They have so many great photo-related products and they even have a same day pickup option if you need your photo book done super fast! Now of course such a fast turnaround means you are going to have to sacrifice a bit on quality, but if time is of the essence I can definitely recommend checking them out!
Recently
Updated to add this one after a friend mentioned it. I haven’t tried it but from the sounds of it, this would be a game changer for procrastinators like me. Recently describes itself as the mobile-to-magazine app. Basically, you pay for either a monthly magazine ($9.99 a month) or quarterly ($12.99 a quarter) to turn your plain old iPhone photos into beautifully printed magazine photos. All you have to do is download the app: bit.ly/getRecentl then sign up in the Settings Men, click ‘PUBLISH’ once a month or quarterly your choice and voila, you’ll receive a magazine in the mail! They’re printed exclusively on heavy stock Mohawk Paper and each magazine is 7″ x 10″ and can include up to 100 photos. Signing up as I type this!
Having a daughter has motivated me more than ever to not only capture these precious memories but highlight and show them off as well. We may have thousands and thousands of photos on our camera roll but there’s still no comparison to seeing those beautiful moments captured in print. What sources do you turn to for photo books? I’d love to hear!
Photo via Unsplash
2 Comments
Shannon
May 26, 2017 at 7:30 amAh, this is a good list, too. It’s something that’s been on my mind since having my baby. I did a baby book for her first year, but going forward I think I’d rather do a photobook. I’ve used Shutterfly before (and like it), and have heard of all of them except for Pinhole Press and Recently. The board books on Pinhole Press look darling! I’ve also seen good reviews for Blurb.
Kasia
May 27, 2017 at 9:49 amThe board books are my absolute favorite!! Especially if family is far away, I love that my daughter can get to know my side of the family through this book despite the fact that they live so far! Ditto on the photobook! I’m just about done with my daughter’s first year on Shutterfly (ended up breaking it down into two books because I had wayyy to many photos!) I also have this idea of making an annual “yearbook” for our family to at least have some physical prints of the millions of photos we take 🙂 Plus would be so fun to look back on! Now just have to stay motivated 😉