We’re all taking more photos than ever before, but no-one can see them on your hard drive! If you’re looking for a high-quality, thoughtful present this Christmas, why not consider a photobook / album?
Smart-phones have ensured that we never leave the house without a camera, and yet a side effect of our smart technology use is that we don’t print photographs any more. Most of us are guilty of storing photos on our phones or computers; but when was the last time you filled a photo album or even held a printed photograph?
Advertisement
There are so many options for photo printing nowadays and it is increasingly affordable, making it really worth your while to print!
Certain pharmacies and department stores have self-service photo printing machines and there are a wide selection of websites which allow you to choose your prints and get them delivered to your door.
Having tried various sources, the best value, quality and service was found at www.photobox.ie.
Setting up an account was free and took less than 2 minutes. Once in, uploading photos to the site could not have been easier. It is simply a case of sourcing the pictures on your computer and hitting upload. From there, the customer is given the opportunity to select finishing touches, and then hit order.
Delivery time was less than a week and the final photos were stunning.
The photos were delivered in small boxes which are great for storing the pictures and ensures photos don’t get damaged during delivery. A number of the photo printing sites offer a certain number of prints free upon sign up, and this is the case with PhotoBox.ie (50 free prints).
If having individual photos printed doesn’t really appeal to you, there are other options that will get the photos off your devices and in view! The small canvases from PhotoBox.ie make for great gifts, as do the personalised calendars.
Apple computers come loaded with iPhoto software which gives users the option of making photo-books and calendars using their photographs. This type of service is available on sites such as www.photobox.ie and www.snapfish.ie, but the finished products from Apple were of higher quality, though much more expensive.
If none of the above sound like the right option for you to show off your pictures, there is another digital gift option that will ensure photos get seen and that is a digital photo frame. These frames allows the user to insert an SD card loaded up with images and it alternates the images at various time intervals. They can also be programmed to stay on the one image if desired. These frames are available from around €40 and are great for showcasing your images.
Irish company Pictorium Photoshop has an excellent range of personalised photo-gifts, starting from just €10. These include mugs, mousemats and iPhone covers. They are certainly worth checking out: www.pictorium.ie.
