Ease of Use - Ordering Process:  

The step-by-step ordering process at Snapfish is quite simple. We feel just about anyone will be able to upload and order pictures easily.

During the ordering process, we like that Snapfish suggested we change our print size to “trueDigital” size to better suit our digital photos. Typically, digital images are more square than traditional film and do not fit on photo paper without cropping. Snapfish suggested we change to a 4 x 5.3 print size to minimize the need for cropping.

Quality of Prints:  

To test for quality, we sent the same photos to all of the digital photo printing services we reviewed. No one company performed perfectly, but Snapfish was about as close as you can get. Picture quality varied depending on the type of photograph, even within the same company. None of the companies we evaluated received a perfect quality score.

The photos printed from Snapfish were well developed and the average user would probably have few complaints.

• Sunset: Our sunset photograph came out clear; however, the models in the picture seemed just a tad dark. We would have liked Snapfish to brighten up the photo just a little bit. The colors in the sunset and on the water came out well. Take a look at our comparative shots from Snapfish.

• Black and White: Comparatively, our black and white photo came out with the most variation from all of the companies. The black and white photo returned from Snapfish was clean but a little light. It seemed there may have been a little too much yellow used during developing. Take a look at our comparative shots from Snapfish.

• Aerial: Our picture of the London skyline was taken on a cloudy day. Snapfish was able to clean up most of the shot and make the buildings look clean and crisp. However, we did notice there may be more yellow in this print than some of our other services. Take a look at our comparative shots from Snapfish.

Note: To check quality, we took each set of prints received from the online photo developer and laid them down side-by-side for comparison.

Service and Site Features:  

Snapfish is one of the few services we evaluated that included video upload as well as digital photographs. They also have an easy-to-use photo uploader application that allows you to upload your photos to their site in bulk. This application is required if you are going to upload video. Video support is a subscription-based service costing $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year.

Snapfish accepts payment via all major credit cards. Snapfish is also one of the few digital photo printing services that offers PayPal as a payment option.

You can also upload photos taken with a cell phone through your phone’s email.

The Snapfish PictureMover is a free software program that will detect when your camera or memory card is inserted into your computer and will automatically upload all your images directly to Snapfish. It will also send copies to your computer. PictureMover does not include any editing functions and is not compatible with Mac.

Snapfish includes free webware editing tools that allow you to make some minor adjustments to your pictures like remove red eye, rotate, add boarders and change tint. You can also add captions that will be printed on the back side of your prints.

Through this service, you also receive free online album sharing and group room hosting. Sharing allows you to post pictures online to "share" with family and friends. Album sharing permits those you grant access to order prints of your posted photos directly from Snapfish. Through sharing, you can also send one of your pictures to a cell phone. (This service is not available with Verizon Wireless). Group rooms are similar to sharing, but they allow for multiple users to post albums and leave messages. 

Snapfish has a comprehensive selection of photo-based gifts. Though not the largest selection we evaluated, it was definitely one of the most practical, offering cards, calendars, mugs, apparel, stationary and more. Additionally, Snapfish has added a digital photo slideshow called a "Snapshow" that you can customize and share via email with those close to you.

At an additional cost, you can choose to have your images sent to a local Walgreens, Meijer, Staples or a photo kiosk, where you can pick them up yourself.  Pricing is subject to local prices, not Snapfish prices.

In order for your account to remain active, you have to purchase something from Snapfish at least once a year. Otherwise, your account and photos will be deleted.

Our prints arrived in 4 days, well within Snapfish’s standard delivery and comparative to the rest of the evaluated services. The prints were sent in a standard paper photo folder with a piece of cardboard reinforcement and shipped in a lightweight paper envelope. Although our photographs arrived without incident, we would have liked Snapfish to have more heavy-duty packaging.

On a previous occasion, our prints were lost in the mail. After contacting Snapfish on the phone, our prints were reprinted and shipped UPS 2-day shipping at no cost to us.

Technical Support:  

Snapfish provides all the standard support features you would expect from an online service; You may contact them via mail, phone and email. Their support lines are open Monday to Friday from 9 A.M. to 11 P.M. EST and Saturday and Sunday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. EST. A FAQs section is available with a list of helpful topics and features. Additionally, Snapfish provides a live chat option during their normal business hours.

Snapfish is a well-known and respected photo printing service. We like the simple interface, additional features like mobile upload and in-store pickup, and we were happy with the way our prints turned out. Additionally, shipping is reasonable. However, we would like to see them offer hi-res photos for free, ship in more durable packaging and maybe lower the cost of a photo CD. Check out our other top ranked digital photo printing services for additional options.