Reasons Why You Should Print Your Photos

Today I am sharing four reasons why you should print your photos. I am also going to share one reason why we don’t print our photos.

This is a question I get a lot. Clients, friends, relatives, neighbors, perfect strangers ask:

Why do you bother printing? I can just look at my _____________ (fill in the blank.) I love getting questions about photography, especially printing! I am hoping by the end of this you will want to print more of your images too.

Reason no. 1

The joy of looking at a print or piece of artwork:

We consume so much information on our phones, tablets, and computers. We scroll and scroll, flipping through our devices and seeing much of the content for only a split second. Never really stopping to see the thousands of photos on our phones. When we print and display our images in our home, it causes us to stop and enjoy the moment. I cannot tell you how many times I have had clients cry when they see their printed images.

Also, have you ever stared at the family photo on your desk and smiled?

Reason no. 2

Printing says to the person(s) in the photo I love and value you

When you print your photos or create an album, you are secretly saying I want to remember this moment forever. We are taught that books are special, to respect books, and to value the content they hold. When we decorate our homes with personalized artwork, we can put just about anything on our walls. But, when we decorate with personalize artwork we are telling those around us what we value most, them. When I created my children’s baby books I never knew how much enjoyment they would get from viewing these albums. They constantly want me to retell the stories that go along with them.

Reason no. 3

Creating a legacy worth remembering

Long after I am gone, my kids will still have all of the photographs, the albums, and the stories. They will look at these pages and relive the memories with their mom and dad, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. We are creating our legacy with these tangible goods for our future generations. A love note they can read over and over.

Reason no. 4

Protect your images

Now, it is my deepest hope that you never go through the next thing I am describing. But if there were a fire in your home or you had to evacuate, what would you grab first. Rarely is it the CD of digital negatives you never printed, it is almost always the photo albums.

Or what about when your computer, hard drive or external hard drive fails. (I come across this far more often than the first situation.) Every time I print, my files are held on another site (check to see, every photo lab has a different policy.) What if your printed images were still on your lab’s site even after a total loss?

Something that many people may not know:

Digital files can deteriorate over time. Technology changes and years from now there is no guarantee future devices will be able to read the file.

Reason no. 5 (And one reason why we don’t print)

Time

We all think that we are going to get around to printing our images some day. But the process of creating an album or wall gallery can be overwhelming, so we avoid it. We get stuck in making such a big decision and investment with our time, money, and knowing what the final product is going look like.

Why I have my clients print their photos:

Increase level of enjoyment
Helping my clients create a home filled with loving memories
When you family see photos of themselves, they know you value them
My quality labs use ink and materials that last 100+ years, I know these prints will outlast any technology changes
I take away the uncertainty of what to do with all of these beautiful family heirlooms

Why you should print your photographs