12 Reasons Why You Should Still Print Photos

In this digital era printing photos can seem like an overwhelming chore. There are numerous reasons why you should still print your photos.

Today, you have the ability to take thousands of images and not worry about wasting film. Of those, you’re bound to have at least a handful worth saving, printing, displaying and gifting. The problem is that most of us are too busy! We just never seem to get around to printing any of them, not even the best ones we’ve taken.

This translates to more work later. The weight of thousands of archived images is the opposite effect we were trying to achieve by taking them. In this article you will learn about some of the reasons that you should still print your photos.

1. You don’t really own your photos until you print them

After your digital photos are taken, they are shared with you so you can view them. From there you may download them to your computer, phone, Dropbox, or Google Drive to store them. Regardless of where you’re putting your photos, if you’re not printing them, they’re not completely yours.

This is because you don’t own the platform where they’re stored. Even if you own your computer or phone, you’re probably going to update your device eventually. Ownership implies you have complete control over your photos at all times. But what happens if Apple or Google goes out of business? Will you be able to retrieve your photos from those platforms if they no longer exist?

The only method of storing images digitally that I recommend is to back up your photos onto an external hard drive. I like this drive for storing all of my personal images. This is a good way to store them digitally. But of course, the best way to ensure that you have a physical copy of your photos is to print them.

2. Technology isn’t always reliable

Regardless of how hard Google, iCloud, Dropbox, Amazon Photos, etc., work to create a flawless system, the reality is that no system is ever 100% failsafe. While we love the idea of security and permanent preservation that digital files seem to offer, the reality is that any platform can crash, or go out of business. It would be devastating to have your photo files disappear from a cloud or photo hosting site before you’ve printed them – and there’s no way to reclaim them once they’re lost. Similarly, every computer will eventually crash. So even if you store your images on your personal computer, it is a good idea to have a regular method for backing up files.

3. You aren’t really looking at your digital photos

I know there will be naysayers on this topic who claim that they dive into the depth of the images on their phone frequently. Great! If it’s working for you keep doing it! Most of us though, rarely delve into them for any length of time unless we’re fresh from a vacation, or wedding, or another special event and want to show someone who’s interested. If you don’t print them, you’re not really looking at them, and that’s a waste of great photos. I’m 100% certain that if you hang memorable photos on the wall, or have a few albums made up and place them on end tables, they’ll be looked at all the time. Digital Frames, however are the best way to enjoy digital photos regularly.

3. Albums are cherished keepsakes

Photo albums are kept, looked at, talked about and serve as a bonding tool for years, decades and by multiple generations! Did you hear that? Multiple generations! They are the things we look at when mourning a beloved family member or friend who has passed away. They’re the memories we review for anniversaries and birthdays. Photo collections are the means of introducing our children to past generations or individuals they never had the honor to meet.

When you don’t print those photographs out, document, and save them in physical form, there is no way others can appreciate them or reclaim their own memories in the future.

5. Grandparents and relatives love printed photos

Grandparents and relatives who live far away love to keep framed photos on their walls, or a simple printed photo on the fridge. Printed photographs offer a way to share our loved ones with others, and a way to feel connected with loved ones who live far away on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong digital photos are great for sharing as well, but do not underestimate the power of prints.

6. Printing and album making has never been easier

Producing professional-quality prints or albums is easier than ever with the help of affordable, online photo/album printing websites. Once the photos are uploaded, edit them and arrange them in an album however you would like! You can choose to have the prints and/or albums sent to you – or you can have them sent directly to the grandparents. It is awesome to have so many options for how to print photos.

7.You can customize the size

Viewing photos on a tiny phone screen can actually be stressful, if you pay attention to your posture and shallow breathing. When you take high-quality, high-resolution photos – you can print them in custom sizes with impressive results. Many photo book company have the option to print full page spreads across two pages, so that you can slowly take in the details of an amazing shot.

8. Consuming printed photos is completely different from digital

There is nothing like seeing your pictures coming to life and becoming prints. You may notice new details about an image that you didn’t see before. Don’t get me wrong, looking through your wedding online gallery is awesome! Posting them on social media platforms is fun too! BUT, there is nothing like seeing the story of your wedding day being told through prints or through a photo album. Flipping the pages feels completely different than scrolling, it brings you back all the memories and feelings from that day!

9. Looking at printed photos brings people together

Maybe it was the way I grew up because my early childhood was pre-digital photography. My family had a culture of photos albums and gallery walls. Guess what my siblings and I loved to do growing up? Flip through family albums together! We would spend hours talking, crying, and laughing about old memories.

Again, don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that today we can simply share a link to our family members and they’re able to look through our whole wedding gallery! I have family members that live far away and being able to send them family day-to-day happenings through text or email is so nice. But there is nothing like having your family over, showing them your family albums, and talking about the day!

10. Printed photos are great home décor

Having pictures on your walls makes a house feel like a home. They tell stories and remind family of important and happy moments in your life! With so many options for photos printed on metal, wood, canvas, etc. The sky is the limit! Decretive frames can really be a nice touch.

11. Kid’s love to see themselves with family

It’s actually a healthy developmental process for children to see themselves in their family group. It lets them know that they belong. It sparks memories that can boost self-esteem. When kiddos see themselves cradled in the arms of a loving parent they can know they are unconditionally loved. When they flip through an album with a sibling and giggle about their crazy ideas growing up, it can develop a sense of community.

12. Printed photos will last for future generations

Yes…fire, flood, and other natural disasters can wipe out printed photos…but they can also wipe out digitally stored photos. Storing digital files on various forms of media, is fairly new. If printed photos are stored properly providing there are no natural disasters, they can last for a very long time. I recommend backing up images on more than one type of medium. Print, digital, and LASTLY something like a cloud service. This covers all your basis if something were to go wrong. Print is the only medium that is highly different because it is a hard copy.