One of the biggest benefits of online photo development is the ability to easily & quickly upload, backup, store, edit, and share your photos -- not to mention all of the awesome products you can put your photos on from photobooks to mugs and more.
Since its launch in April 2000, Snapfish has attracted over 3 million users, making it one of the leading online photo service. When you send film into Snapfish, you receive a full set of prints on Kodak paper and a password-protected online album you can then use to edit, organize and share their photos. Their easy to use services - like uploading, storing, editing and sharing are free and all photos are printed on Kodak paper.
Sign up:Sign up for a free account and get free digital prints!
Development time: 1 week. Cost: As low as 15c each
Digital photos can be uploaded immediately. The process is easy and intuitive. Photos are then printed on quality photo paper and you generally receive them within 3-4 days of shipment.
Overall quality of pics is excellent. Prints that I have received have always been excellent quality. No smudging, great colors, and crisp, clear images (unless I took bad pictures of course). According to Popular Photography magazine, "Print image quality was some of the best we received."
The leading online photo developer, Shutterfly has been around since 1999. Shutterfly prints all photos on Fuji Crystal Archive paper and you receive password-protected online album where you can edit, organize and share your photos. Shutterfly has won numerous awards and at the top of their of the industry.
While Shutterfly is more known for it's digital services, film users can also take advantage of their development. The biggest benefit for film users are that they can edit their photos prior to ordering and they only pay for those prints that they want.
At 39c per print, Shutterfly is a bit more expensive than Snapfish, but the benefits they offer justify the extra costs. However, you can prepay for prints, dropping the price to as low as 25c per print, making it a bit more competitive.
Sign up: Sign up for a free account and receive 15 free 4x6 prints.
Development Time: 1 week. Cost: As low as 25c each
Photos can be uploaded immediately using their website or a free downloadable application. I've had a few problems uploading photos directly to their website and feel that the downloadable application is a bit easier to use (though it is a bit more advanced). Once uploaded, you can edit your photos by changing them to black & white or sepia, removing red-eye, cropping, and adding frames. Photos are then printed on quality photo paper and you generally receive them within 3-4 days of shipment.
Overall quality is excellent. Photos are crisp and clear with a glossy or matte finish.
Additional services:
They offer a wide variety of products that your photos can be printed on. Plus You can get reprints of various sizes and formats, from wallet to poster size. Their photobooks are amazing and one of my favorite products that they offer!
Shutterfly also allows you to easily order prints for multiple addresses, so that you can send copies to friends and family. You can also send friends and family to your online photo album to view and order prints.
