4.5 Out of 5

Shutterfly.com is an easy-to-use online photo printing service.  They specialize in printing digital photos uploaded from your computer to their website, but they also have an option for sending in rolls of film.

Using the Site
One of the most beneficial aspects of Shutterfly’s service is how convenient it is for printing photos.  Opening an account is free, and comes with some free prints just for signing up.  After the free prints are used up, you can expect to pay about 19¢ per 4×6 print (Our first order contained 27 prints, and all were free).  There are prepaid options, though, that can lower the cost per print.  When you open your account, the site will ask you if you want to start uploading photos, taking you through a step-by-step process to make it quick and easy.  Once your pictures are up, you can view them or upload some more.  You can choose between uploading new photos into the same album or into a new one.

After you have all the photos you want on the site, there are tons of things you can do with them.  You can invite others (by email) to view them on your site, or you can set up a “collection.”  A collection is like having your own photo website.  You can make your collection public (anyone who comes across it can view it) or private (only those you have invited or given the password to may view it).  You can also use your pictures to create unique gifts, like coffee mugs, t-shirts, mouse pads, and more.

Shutterfly also has some free editing tools: effects like black-and-white or soft focus, red-eye removal, cropping, and adding borders and messages.  If you want to keep your photos organized on your computer, you can download Shutterfly Studio.  This program makes it easy to organize, edit, upload, and order prints.

Shutterfly has a “free unlimited” online storage policy.  According to their help site, users may store as many photos online as they wish, and they will not be deleted by anyone except the user (a.k.a. – you). 

Ordering Prints

Of course, one of the most important services that Shutterfly offers is printing and delivering your photos.  The website makes the process fairly easy: click on the “Order Prints” tab at the top of the page; select which photos you want to order; choose options like size, quantity, and matte or glossy finish; and then finalize your order with payment options.
There are three different shipping options provided: standard (3-5 business days), 2-day, and overnight.  We placed an order for 27 prints on a Thursday, with standard shipping, and received it on Monday.  Since our first prints were free, we only paid for the shipping cost, $2.46.  The prints were packaged in a sturdy cardboard envelope with “PHOTOS: DO NOT BEND” labeled on the front, with the prints in a lighter, inner cardboard envelope.

Print Quality
The prints we received were just as we had ordered them: 27 prints, cropped to 4×6 (to fit into standard picture frames).  The photos were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper, and the prints were excellent quality.  There were, however, two things to note: 1) The color of the prints were tinted red.  This was not immediately apparent; we only noticed it after closely comparing them to other prints of the same photos.  2) The cropping was a little tighter than it appeared on the website. 

Overall, we were very pleased with the prints we received, since the cropping and color shift were only noticed upon close examination.  We spent more time cooing over the photos of my nephew than expressing any concern over them.

Conclusion

Online Service & Sharing:   5 Out of 5
Print Quality: 4 Out of 5
Overall: 4.5 Out of 5

The service provided by Shutterfly is good quality at low prices.  The service is easy to use, and lets you do more with your photos than has been previously possible.  We recommend Shutterfly to anyone who wants more from their digital photos, including quality prints, online sharing, and unique gifts. Signup Now for Shutterfly & Get 15 Free Prints.