If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty it’s that seeing a printed picture on a wall gives a completely different type of satisfaction than seeing it digitally. However, making just the perfect print is not as straightforward as one would think. Getting the perfect photo is not possible without doing a bit more beforehand, which is why it’s highly recommended to use an app to prepare pictures for printing.
The fact that smartphone usage is increasing is pretty oblivious. The reality is that our devices are becoming more and more intelligent and constantly improving. There are many reasons why smartphone printing makes for a more efficient and overall better printing process, some of the main ones being:
- Convenience
- Connectivity
- Speed
Although smartphone printing may never entirely replace traditional printers or need for industrial printers, like UV printers, the option to print directly from your phone as well as the plethora of available apps to prepare pictures for printing provide great convenience to us that we should take advantage of more.
There are many photo printing apps out there on the market for both Android and Apple users. And, depending on how much you take photography seriously, there are different prices and app quality you should look out for.
At last, thanks to modern photo printing services, we can get physical backups of just about anything and we do not need to worry whether or not our phone and all of the precious memories in it will get lost, stolen, or broken beyond repair.
#1 Shutterfly
Shutterfly is one of the most popular and successful photo printing apps on the market right now. It is available for both Apple and Android users which makes it the most universal and convenient option. Moreover, the storage space is unlimited, and the best part about it it’s that it’s completely free.
There is also a Shutterfly calendar, photo book, and photo card. The prices of these services depend on a variety of things. For instance, an 8 x 8-inch hardcover book starts at $29.98 while a softcover book ranges from $19.98 to $24.98 for an 8 x 8-inch softcover book.
All in all, the Shutterfly app is very user-friendly with a nice interface. It’s very easy to upload and print images and there are many great features that have been added and upgraded, so it’s worth trying it out.
#2 Mpix
If you are looking for the best overall photo printing experience, Mpix might be the perfect option for you. This app is suitable both for android and iPhone geeks and it has an exquisite interface, which lists out all the different things one can do with their photo.
The simple interface does not overwhelm you with deal offers like Shutterfly does which is a big plus. Unlike some other photo printing apps, Mpix requires you to open an account before you can start your order, which is not a bad thing since it can help you keep track of your orders.
#3 Polaroid Zip
Polaroid Zip is an app also available for both apple and android users that allows you to edit, print, and share your favorite images, meaning this is not only a printing app. Additionally, you can connect the Polaroid Zip to your social media accounts and customize your photos with various filters and borders to make your photos look more fun.
#4 Snapfish
When it comes to Snapfish, this photo printing app comes with tons of options, and for people with some basic photo printing needs this app is great. If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty it’s that Snapfish uses a more modern and powerful web interface and delivers better-looking images at lower prices than Shutterfly does.
#5 FreePrints
Generally, there can not be a more popular app to print photos directly from your phone than FreePrints, as it is ranked as the first photo printing app. Some of the editing capabilities include rotating, cropping, and black and white filters. This app offers up to 1000 free 4” x 6’ prints per year, plus shipping. The app itself is free to download.
FreePrints make it extremely simple to select your photos from a variety of places such as OneDrve, Google Drive, Dropbox, Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, Google Photos, and more. For your first order, you get 10 free 4×6 prints and free shipping. Afterward, you get 85 free 4×6 prints monthly, which is a pretty good deal.
Finally, if you like the convenience and simplicity photo printing apps can get you, then perhaps FreePrints is just the right app for you.