Okay, so, I’m kind of a snob when it comes to having photos printed. I can’t just fall for any run of the mill drug store print lab, I need the real deal! I need to know that chemistry was used to make these memories 2D! It’s a weird bastardization of digital phone photography and quality archival photographic prints, I know, and I get it. I can’t help but loving a real photo though. They feel better, and they look better.
I’ve gotten into the very good habit of an every-6-month-photo-print-sesh. I’m insanely paranoid about losing all my photographic keepsakes to a failed hard drive or broken phone. Seriously, the thought of losing precious memories almost kills me, the anxiety is already coming on just thinking about it. Plus, I like the sensation of flipping through something tactile, and I love the texture of a photo with a nice luster finish.
Not only do I have fear losing digital files but I also fear outdated technology. I can imagine the kids being adults and digging through stacks of photos wanting to show their kids what it was like when they were growing up. I don’t want to be the old grandma who makes the grandkids wait patiently as she fires up the 35 year old hard drive just to show off a few ancient files. Having photos printed just makes sense. Photography as we know it know, has been around for almost 200 years, and just like I like a good analog vinyl record, photography is at it’s best when it’s done analog too. Light reacting to paper coated in emulsion, reacting to chemistry is just magic, duh.
Since the dawn of me taking so many GD photos on my iphone, I have always had my photos printed at the Hipstamatic Print Lab. They were one of the first to offer square formatted printing, AND they print the stuff on Fuji Crystal archival paper with photo chemicals, this is the real deal!
The Histamatic Print Lab was started by the same folks who brought you the hipstamatic photo app, (the precursor to Instagram) offering different lenses and film styles (aka filters). I also totally love how the hipstamatic crew has branded themselves. The design of their packaging and website is super cool and there is something pretty special about receiving these cool kraft paper screen printed (so analog) packages in the mail. Although they love printing hipstamatic photos (their bread and butter) they don’t mind printing your Instagrams too ;) Just make sure to have your photos formated to exact squares.
I’d be curious to know where your favorite place to have your instagrams printed is? I’ve just always stuck with what works, but I’d be down for trying something new.
This post was not sponsored, I love the Hipstamatic Print Lab, and I think you should too.
I’m so with you on your print philosophy.
I love this as well, I also just used Mosaic to order my first book of Instagram photos we will see how that goes.
Oh, cool. I just checked out their site, the books look pretty awesome. You’ll have to let me know how your book turns out.
This winter, I read an article in Martha Stewart Living about printing your photos and making simple memory books. It inspired me to do it and I loaded up on ikea notebooks, but I had no idea there was an easy and neat solution to printing instagrams. I love my instagrams and I want to use them to make one of these: http://www.marthastewart.com/966143/memory-keeper
Thanks for the tip on HipstaMart!
Ah yeah, that is such a sweet idea, you’ll have to follow through on it. You should really try out these guys for your instagrams, you won’t be disappointed.
I just did my first order from Prinstagram and they are pretty fabulous.
I just looked at prinstagram the other day when I was debating over trying something new. I ended up going with what I knew was safe (I do the same things at restaurants too). It’s good to hear that you are happy with your prints! It also sounds very nice to be able to order from your phone.
Thanks for the tip!
You can’t beat Print Lab’s prices + shipping ($9.99 vs. $12.99 for 24 4×4 prints and $1.67 to ship rather than almost $8… outrageous shipping prices for stuff like this is my #1 pet peeve) but I’ve been trying for days and can’t get PhotoLab to upload my Instagram photos. They’re uploaded to my computer from my iPhone, saved as jpeg files and are of appropriate dimensions. The problem seems to be the Print Lab site.
So I coughed up the $1.99 and downloaded the Hipstamatic app on my phone, since you can apparently order prints directly through the phone and, of course, you can’t upload photos from your camera roll. Which every other photo app on my iPhone is capable of. So now I’m just waiting to hear back from Print Lab support. Grr….
prices are Print Lab vs. Prinstagram. whoops!
Kelley, That’s a total bummer, I hope you get it figured out soon. I’ve had problems with the old hipstamart site in the past, the new one seemed to work pretty well for me.
You do have to choose the exact amount of photos you want to be printed. I think they put the images into a grid, expose a large piece of pape, and cut it down to 4×4 size. Anyway, because of that you have to make sure you are only selecting 9, 24, or 96 prints. No more, no less.
Good Luck!!