7 Reasons Why You Should Print Your Photos {and where to do it}

Written by Steph @ Living Surrendered, Contributing Writer

When was the last time you got some photos printed? Maybe it’s been a while and you’re realizing you need to back up your iPhone while you’re at it. You’re not alone. Smart phones make it easy to snap, post, and share about our lives in milliseconds. But, what about printing the photos you love to share?

I’m a photo collector. Not a collector of random framed art, but a person who captures photos everywhere I go. I like to think of it as collecting moments… mostly in my iPhone. But, I do carry my DSLR with me too.

It’s surprising that I’m this way, because my family isn’t the biggest on taking photos and most of them avoid being on camera like the plague. I guess this is what caused me to want to capture every moment I could. I literally have tens of thousands of photos from years of hitting the shutter button and exploring new places. But I didn’t want them to just stay locked up in my iphone, computer or cardboard boxes. I wanted them on display!

So, I started making my own photo books a few years ago when I discovered Shutterfly and other sites that let you design your own. I made a photo book for every trip and major event in my life. I also started making yearbooks that illustrated what was happening in our lives that past year, collage walls of artistic shots I took and hanging gallery wraps. I have many of the photo books in my living room book shelf and they are often pulled out and looked through during visits with family.

One of the reasons I love to digital scrapbook is that they are neatly designed and preserved in professionally printed book. No glue, glitter or ruined originals. They are stored online for reprints if something happened to them (like a fire) or if Grandma sees your book and wants a copy.

So, if you haven’t ordered any prints recently… here are 7 reasons why you should!

1. It’s the most personal way to decorate your home

Updating your picture frames even twice a year brings a fresh look to your home. It’s a great way to show off your photography, show of those adorable kids (or pets!) and give you a visual of the happy moments your family enjoys.

2. Having a hard copy is essential

Iphones, cameras and websites are great, but they are not fail-proof. I usually back my photos up to an external hard drive, a website, a DVD and get copies printed. If one fails, I have other options. I actually back my photos up from my cell phone to the Shutterfly app just in case. What if you lost your phone before backing it up?

3. Sharing with family

Some of my family know that when an important day is coming up, I will be there with my camera… and I will make a photo book or have them printed in some way. They know that I will be gifting some sort of photo creation. These gifts are awesome because they are personal and unique to each occasion.

4. You can get creative

Whether it is a photo book, canvas or gallery in your home, the options are endless. I love being able to tailor each project to my home. I love seeing unique wall art made from snapshots in people’s homes. It also gives me a reason to get crafty and try some of those Pinterest ideas I see every day!

5. Having only professional prints on the walls is expensive and boring

How often do you get family portraits done? Not often, if you’re like most families. That doesn’t mean the candid photos can’t be hung. And honestly, they will probably strike up more conversations than the brown-backdrop-studio shot you had done 4 years ago.

6. They are inspiration

Having photos hung in your home serve the purpose of reminding you of a memory or to inspire you for the future. I love to hang photos of my family, but also places I’ve been or would love to travel to. Use them to inspire you!

7. Evoking emotion with the real deal

There’s something awesome about holding the print and remembering the day it was taken. There’s nothing like a hard copy to hold, pass around and archive. It’s also the best way to scan a copy. You can’t scan a copy of a photo book and get good results.

 

Ready to print some memories? Here are a few of my favorite tried-and-true sites (not affiliated, just really love them!):

Photo books:

• Shutterfly – This site is the most user-friendly out there. It’s loaded with beautiful designs, pre-made templates and endless design options. If you create an account, they will send you coupons for discounted photo books or even free books often. I have ordered many, many books from them and have yet to be disappointed.
• Blurb – This site allows you to create photo books of your Instagram photos. It’s fantastic and fun!
• MyPublisher – This site is less user-friendly, but still offers quite a few options. Their prices tend to be a bit higher but they run special deals all the time, like buy 1 get 2 free.
• Snapfish – This is another budget friendly site with plenty of options. I don’t prefer the restrictions on design (I’m a designer at heart) so this is not my favorite site. But, most people aren’t looking to do the things I want to, making this a great site for people who want easy, pre-made options.

Print sites:

• Shutterfly – Again shutterfly is a fantastic site for prints because they offer storage of your albums, the ability to import from Facebook and the ability to share albums with your friends and family who are also on Shutterfly. And again, they send coupons often.
• CPQ – If you’re looking to have some professional quality prints done for very reasonable prices, this site is one of my go-to sites. It takes an initial set up, test print order and account confirmation, but after that it’s a gem. I shoot with my DSLR camera a lot and want high-res images that are high quality when printed. Using this site I get exactly that. They too run specials often (Like BOGO on gallery wraps)!
• Easy Canvas Prints – This site is the most budget friendly for gallery wrap prints. I recently ordered a 24×36 photo of our wedding photo and got it for $55 with shipping. That is ridiculously cheap… and yes, the quality was perfect for hanging. They run specials constantly and offer a variety of sizes, options and layouts.
• StickyGram – This site is pretty awesome. They sell a grid of 9 Instagram photo magnets for $15. This is a great way to pop your favorite Insta photos on your fridge.

Anyone else a camera fanatic like me? What are your favorite ways to display your memories?