“Where should I order prints from?” is a common question that people have.
The truth is, not all photo prints are created equal. Color accuracy, paper quality, cropping, and even packaging can vary widely from retailer to retailer. So instead of guessing, I decided to put it to the test. I ordered the same photo from multiple popular photo retailers to see which one truly delivered the best results. What I discovered confirmed why choosing the right print source matters more than most people realize.
I ordered prints from CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, Shutterfly, Forever, Mpix and Printique.
Here are my honest thoughts.
For the "instant" photos- CVS, Walmart and Walgreens- the speed was fast and the price was low due to no shipping fees. As you can imagine, the coloring was overly saturated and the images lost some detail. Most photographers do not recommend printing photos from either of these places due to those reasons. Many times, the professional editing that is done to the digital image does not translate well to these printers which results in strange looking colors and ultimately wasted prints.
Next, let's talk about Shutterfly and Forever. Both are similar in print price. Shutterfly's shipping price was slightly higher and took over a week to arrive. Forever shipped and delivered within a few days. Because I am a Forever Ambassador, I do know they share the same print supplier. Overall, the print quality between the two was very similar. I would have to say Forever was the winner here since it cost less for shipping and the order arrived much faster.
The next tier would be Mpix and Printque. I could say possibly the lesser known commercial retailers of the print world. The definite overall winner (in my opinion) with print quality was Mpix. Mpix is the commercial branch of Miller's which many professional photographers use. The only negative about Mpix was the higher shipping fee. It was the most expensive out of all of them. However, we're only talking about a few dollars more and the order arrived within two days. Don't let the slightly higher shipping fees stop you from ordering from them!
After comparing each print side by side, one thing became very clear, convenience doesn’t always equal quality. Some prints looked fine at first glance, but when examined closely, details were lost, colors were off, or the paper felt flimsy. Where you'll really notice this is in the skin tones of professionally taken photos, so please take note of that if wanting to print your professionally taken photographs.
The winner, in my opinion, was Mpix! Color quality, detail and accuracy were the best. The paper quality also outmatched the others.
This experiment reinforced why I’m so intentional about guiding my clients toward the right printing solutions. Your photos aren’t just images; they’re memories, milestones, and stories meant to be held, shared, and passed down. Taking the extra step to choose a quality print partner ensures those moments are preserved the way they deserve to be.
