Editor’s Key Takeaways: Top Online Services for Professional Photo Prints
Printing your digital photos offers a unique way to view and present your work that digital formats can’t match. While regular home printers may not suffice for high-quality prints, several online services provide professional results. Here are the top recommended online photo printing companies:
- Nations Photo Lab: Known for canvas wraps, metal prints, and gallery blocks. High detail and color accuracy, with multiple paper options. New customers get 25% off using code NEW25.
- Printique: Offers professional quality with digital C-type technology and a variety of finishes like glossy, luster, and metallic.
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Introduction
With so many options for digital hosting and sharing, many photographers don’t spend the time or money to make physical prints of their images anymore. Why bother making a print when you can view albums of your work online or browse neatly organized folders on your computer?
However, printing your digital photos allows you to view your work in a different way. It also provides you with a tangible product you can give to your clients, display in galleries, or even just hang on your walls.
Getting true pro-quality, however, probably means you’ll need to do more than just print from your regular home printer. If you don’t have a fancy photo scanner/printer, there are plenty of online professional photo printing services that can do it all for you. Here are our favorites!
Best Online Photo Printing Companies:
1. Nations Photo Lab
Top-quality printing services and features like premium paper and finishing. Prices are reasonable and there are always great discounts and coupons available.
Canvas wraps, metal prints, and gallery blocks – Nations Photo Lab has it all.
When ordering prints, there are a number of options to choose from, depending on size to the paper types you want. Nations Photo Lab’s image quality is also very high and shows a significant amount of detail at any size.
Prices here are very reasonable and the site frequently offers discounts on particular photo products. New customers can get 25% off on their first order when using the coupon code NEW25.
Customer support is reliable and friendly and ordering from the site is quick and easy.
Nations Photo Lab is great for photographers looking for excellent prints at a decent price, especially portraits, as its reputation for color rendering is fantastic.
2. Printique
Digital C-Type photo prints on silver halide photo paper and emulsion printing. This is a premium service at an affordable price.
At Printique, you’ll get professional quality photo prints using digital C-type technology and emulsion printing on silver halide photo paper.
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The sizes and options available are substantial, including a variety of finishing options like glossy, luster, matte, metallic, and silk. And the company specializes in printing large images and custom sizes, so you’ll always get what you want.
The uploading and ordering process is super easy. You simply upload the photos you want to print from your computer or phone. Then select your preferred printing features and Printique’s printing lab will do the rest.
3. Shutterfly
A favorite amongst pro and hobbyist photographers alike, and the most popular on-demand online photo printing service. The prices here are more affordable than any other printer on the list.
Shutterfly is one of the largest, most firmly established on-demand photo print shops out there (and for good reason).
You don’t have to be a tech-savvy genius to get a fantastic print. This site is specifically designed for users to easily place and execute orders. Just upload your favorite images and Shutterfly will guide you through the rest of the ordering process.
What’s more, getting a large batch of images can be a bargain. Prices start out low – 4×6″ prints can cost as little as $0.15! And since the site sells at such a high volume, the company is able to offer fantastic sales to knock down the price even more.
Shutterfly also offers the advantage of choosing from a huge selection of products. If you don’t want to stick to run-of-the-mill paper prints, you can convert your photographs to anything from mousepads to dish towels.
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One thing that sets Shutterfly above most of the competition is its convenience. If you need prints faster than a mail carrier can provide, this is the service for you. Local chain stores such as Target, CVS, and Walgreens Photo work with Shutterfly to produce photos within hours, which can then be picked up at any time.
Initially, we were skeptical about how such a large operation could maintain quality standards. However, in our in-depth Shutterfly photo prints review, the test prints came out beautifully. The color was a tad off, but the tonality and sharpness were on point.
Sure, Shutterfly may not be perfect. But the quality of prints you receive for the cost is hard to pass up.
4. Canvaspop
Quite possibly the best in the industry when it comes to framing and canvas prints. The custom framing options available provide a touch of elegance to any photo.
If you’re looking for a professional printer that can frame your prints, then Canvaspop may be the best choice.
Even though they are more known for their high-quality canvas prints (in fact, Canvaspop is our pick amongst the best canvas printers), they also excel in printing your photos on premium 255gsm fine art paper and ship them to you in a fully mounted frame ready to hang on your wall.
Their frames are handmade and come in three different wood vinyl coatings: black, white, or espresso. The glass is clear, low-glare plexiglass and you can decide if you want to add a white border or not. In terms of size, you can choose from many custom and standard picture frame sizes.
The framed photo prints by Canvaspop are not cheap, but that’s for a reason: a designer will adjust and optimize your image (contrast & sharpness) so it looks perfect before it’s sent for printing (you can even get a digital proof at an additional cost).
Plus, each framed art print that ships out of their North American facility is hand-inspected by a professional craftsman to ensure you get a perfectly framed photo.
*Make sure to check out the Canvaspop coupons and deals section for special discounts.
5. Xpozer
A smart and elegant solution to the challenges of hanging large photos. The vivid satin print material and forever frame are engineered to fit together perfectly.
Xpozer prints are currently revolutionizing the way we display our photo prints.
The innovative Dutch company, which now sells across the US, has developed a lightweight, compact, and reusable mounting system. The frame is combined with a high-quality vivid satin finish print medium (which is flexible and strong).
The photo prints are a great option for pro photographers. We have tried and tested Xpozer and can highly recommend them, especially if you are planning to do your own photo exhibitions.
Apart from being the perfect solution for pro photographers, this printing service is also ideal for enthusiasts and hobby photographers.
Providing a reusable frame also makes Xpozer a very economical option. If you print your photo on canvas or metal, you can’t change it later on. But with Xpozer you can just order a new print and switch it with your old picture on your mounting system.
To see how Xpozer works, have a look at the video:
Xpozer: Frame + Swappable Prints
Your photo on the wall with Xpozer Frame and Swappable Prints.
6. Saal Digital
A Hahnemühle certified studio, they offer an array of high-quality materials for professional prints. Their free software download makes it easy to save photos and make design changes when ordering.
Use coupon code PHOTOWORKOUT for $20 off. (This coupon code only works with a minimum order of $39.95.)
Saal Digital produces some absolutely stunning results. As a Hahnemühle certified studio, they offer an array of high-quality materials to choose from.
Any image that you’d like to print can easily be transferred from Google, Dropbox, Facebook, or other online storage locations. If you have a large project with multiple photos to print, they can be saved and stored on Saal Digital’s free software so you can work at your own speed. From there, Saal can produce orders in as little as 1-2 business days and ship finished products across the globe.
Serious photographers will love Saal’s extra efforts to ensure the most accurate results possible. This includes custom ICC print profiles available for download to ensure accurate color proofing. Regardless of what type of paper you choose, you can feel confident that the final print’s colors match those in your original file exactly.
Although Saal is pricier than some of the bargain brands, the professional standards they employ make it well worth it. What’s more, even at the higher end of the spectrum, prints are rather affordable.
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Art prints aren’t Saal’s only specialty. The Saal photo book line is also created with the utmost care and attention to detail. And, thanks to the free software download, you can design a piece that’s completely customized from start to finish.
*Use code PHOTOWORKOUT for $20 OFF. (This coupon code only works with a minimum order of $39.95.)
7. ProDPI
As a professional photographer, this is quite possibly the best site to ensure gallery-quality prints. You’ll need to create an account, but the services are stellar.
ProDPI caters to professional photographers, artists, and other creatives in the modern world. That being said, even an amateur photographer can get some stunning prints from this professional printing company.
The company offers very reasonable rates both for printing and shipping within the United States. Plus, if you’re in a hurry to get your prints, there’s even an expedited shipping option.
Image quality from this service has also been rated very highly. That means, as a professional photographer, you can feel confident ordering single prints or multiple pro prints for clients or galleries.
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The only real drawback to this site is its actual website, which is not terribly user-friendly and requires a bit of practice to navigate successfully.
Still, because of the beautiful prints and lower rates, it’s worth the effort.
8. Mpix
Mpix is a top choice, boasting over 150,000 5-star reviews. While the services can be a bit pricey, the customization options and printing quality make up for it.
With a huge range of products, Mpix provides tons of options for photographers who are looking to market themselves or satisfy demanding clients.
There are custom framing and mounting options, as well as a choice of three professional-grade paper types. Shipping is very quick and reliable, and customer service is prompt and helpful.
This site is geared toward the consumer, not the professional. But the main disadvantage here is the price, as Mpix’s rates are considerably higher than many other print services.
The image quality is very good though, especially with black and white prints. You’ll be able to enjoy a full range of monochromatic shades while retaining detail in your highlights and shadows.
9. Bay Photo
New customers can get 25% off their first order. Plus, there are often other deals available, and you have the choice between Full Color Correction or Economy No Color Correction to make it even more affordable.
Providing a great balance between price and quality, Bay Photo is a reliable option for professional photo printing.
New customers will receive 25% off their first order, which is a great incentive for anyone looking to try them out. They also have plenty of regular sales and specials customers can take advantage of.
Bay Photo also provides reliable shipping options and fantastic customer support, making this company worth the slightly higher rates you’ll pay for your prints.
The packaging is also top-notch and offers a significant advantage, as shipping can sometimes cause prints from other suppliers to bend or wrinkle.
10. Miller’s Professional Imaging
You’ll get stunning prints delivered quickly and packaged beautifully. There are plenty of options to choose from to get the photos you want.
With beautiful packaging, quick shipping, and beautiful prints, Miller’s professional photo printing services are a great way to impress your clients.
Miller’s is the professional, high-end version of Mpix, and does charge a bit more than some other print services. The site requires you to set up an account before you can place your first order, but then you’re all set.
There’s a nice variety of photo products here, but it’s not as overwhelming as many of the other options. These are more common and classic products that you might expect from a professional photo print service.
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The site also has a unique “toolkit,” which provides additional resources for photographers looking to expand their product offerings.
By entrusting your images to this professional photo print service, you can place your order and feel confident that you’ll get the high-quality finished product that you’re looking for.
High-Quality Photo Printing
There are several other sites that may boast lower prices or quicker turnaround times, but the online photo printing services listed here provide reliable, beautiful prints at reasonable rates.
For normal photo prints, we recommend Nations Photo Lab (the best in terms of price-to-quality ratio and print options) and Shutterfly (a good budget option). These are the stand-out options, but the others on the list are all high-quality professional photo printing providers.
If you’re looking for framed photo prints, then Canvaspop should be your first choice. If you intend to mount and un-mount your photo prints frequently, you should opt for Xpozer, which offers pro-lab-quality prints along with an easy-to-set-up frame system.
With these top 10 professional online photo printing services, you can trust that your images will be printed to the highest standards. Don’t miss out on showcasing your work in the best possible quality.
