If there’s one thing about photography that I tell people over and over again, it’s this: photos don’t belong on your hard drive. Photos belong in your hands and in your home. Photos should be on display. You can never have too many photos up in your home.

TL;DR: Print your photos, people!

When ordering prints, it can be hard to know where to start. The amount of diverse print products out there can be a little bit overwhelming. And when you’re looking at products online, it can be hard to judge the quality.

That’s where I come in as your trusty photographer friend! I order a LOT of print products. Here’s a list of my favorite products this year. These are great for display in your home or as gifts for family and friends - especially grandparents. (I’m not affiliated with any of these companies. These are all just products that I have purchased and love.)

Spoiler Alert: If you think you might be getting a gift from me this year, and you want to be surprised, please don’t read any further. ;)

Social Print Studio

I’m a little obsessed with Social Print Studio. They’re an awesome, independent, boutique printing company based here in the Bay Area. Their products are of an exceptional quality, they are extremely reasonably priced, and their customer service is fantastic. My favorites:

Poster - this is the first product I ever ordered from them. A few of these framed posters hang in our home and new visitors always spend a few minutes admiring them. You can upload photos straight from Instagram (or your desktop) and they have a few different sizes. You can also vary the number of photos you include.
Wall Calendar - I’m old timey, and I love having a wall calendar hanging in my home. I order a couple of these as gifts every year, and always include one for myself. (Hint hint - these make great gifts for grandparents.)
Square Magnets - These magnets are large and sturdy, and hold things well on the refrigerator (I hate flimsy magnets.). They’re also incredibly cute. They come in two sizes (2”x2” or 3”x3”). At $15 for a set of six, they make a great, non-traditional stocking stuffer.

Parabo Press

I found Parabo Press about two years ago, and they quickly became one of my go-to spots for printing. I’ve been really happy with the quality of their products.

Fine Art Print - My favorite thing that I’ve ordered from them is the Fine Art Print. They’re printed on pure white, archival, matte paper and they come in a variety of sizes. I really love the large ones - a stunning image printed at 16” x 20” or 20” x 24” can make a great statement as a display piece. Pair it with a Wood Rail for hanging as an interesting alternative to a traditional frame.

Artifact Uprising

Artifact Uprising is a favorite company of lots of photographers. They’re a great design company with a simple aesthetic. You can’t go wrong with most of their products.

Wood Block & Prints - I love these photo prints that come with a wood block for display. The prints are done on thick, textured paper with a border. I love that you can rotate the photos. I got one of these sets for my mom a few years ago, and my kids love to switch the photos every time they’re at her house.

Wooden Photo Ledge - This is the only product on the list that I don’t actually own. But it’s also on my list of things that I want. I just haven’t found a good spot in our home to hang one (or several). Once I do, it will be mine!

ZNO

A photographer friend introduced me to ZNO earlier this year. She shot a documentary session for us, and gifted us one of their albums. I was sold on it immediately.

Layflat Photo Album - I love photo books that lay flat. You don’t lose any of the image quality or composition between the pages. The ZNO albums have nice, thick pages with really rich colors. They have a variety of album sizes and cover options too.

Pro tip: ZNO offers discounts and specials pretty frequently, so keep your eyes open.

Pinhole Press

I haven’t ordered a ton of products from Pinhole Press, but I like what I’ve seen so far.

“All About…” Photo Book - I found these “All About Me” photo books last summer. The kids and I created “All About Dad” photo books as Father’s Day gifts for their dad. We had a ton of fun doing it, and the books are adorable. It was a great way for little kids to make a customized, long-lasting gift for a parent or relative. They helped picked the photos and wrote their favorite things about their dad. The books turned out really great!