Scrapbooking has gone digital in a big way. Even many paper scrapbookers are doing combination or hybrid pages that include digital layouts and dimensional embellishments. A traditional scrapbook page is 12 x 12 inches, which can’t be printed on most standard home printers or at most photo print shops, pharmacies or discount stores. This article will give you a great resource list of five places to print 12 x 12 inch digital layouts.
When looking for places to print 12 x 12 layouts you want to consider a few different factors to evaluate what is best for you. Most oversize printers use traditional photo printing techniques that offer crisp clear images just like your regular 4 x 6 prints and are printed on regular photo paper, usually with a choice of a glossy or matte finish. Some printers for 12 x 12 inch pages use laser printing, which may not give as crisp an image as you typically see in photo printing, but this may be fine especially for hybrid and craft projects since these prints are often cheaper. Also look at all the size options as a printer may offer 12 x 18 inch printing, but not 12 x 12 inch printing. You can place your 12 x 12 inch layout on a 12 x 18 inch page in your favorite scrapbooking software. Don’t forget to use the extra space on the page. You could add two 6 x 6 inch layouts or a couple of 4 x 6 inch prints.
Costco Warehouse offers printing in a variety of sizes, included 12 x 12 inch and 12 x 18 inch. Both sizes are $2.99 per page. You can usually have these printed in the store for pick-up or online for mail order. They use traditional photo printing and you can download their printer color key to your computer for more exact matching. If you have them printed in the local warehouse, they prints will be kept flat. If you use the mail order service, they are shipped rolled in a tube. My personal preference for quality and service is the in-store printing. Check our www.costco.com for more information and a location near you. You do have to have a Costco Warehouse Membership to use their photo printing services.
Scrapbook Pictures is a great online service for printing 12 x 12 inch digital layouts that caters to the scrapbook community, offering a variety of standard scrapbook page sizes, including 12 x 12 inch, 8 x 8 inch and 6 x 6 inch. You upload your pictures to the site and they are mailed to you in about 2 weeks. The standard price for a 12 x 12 inch print is $3.49, but they often offer sales and bulk printing specials that can bring the price as low as $1.99 a print. Scrapbook pictures also offers color correction services, online cropping and matting. For more information on their 12 x 12 printing services, visit www.scrapbookpictures.com.
White House Custom Color is a full service professional photograph lab and printer that prints 12 x 12 digital layouts. Their primary market is professional photographers, but they have become a favorite with many scrapbookers as they produce absolutely beautiful prints. Prices for 12 x 12 inch prints start at $4.15, but this price includes 2-day UPS shipping in the contiguous United States. White House Custom Color also offers photo and correction services at an hourly rate and can color correct a file for a minimal charge. The site is a little more complex to navigate, but well worth the results. For more information, visit www.whcc.com.
Scrapbooks To Share is another online site catering to scrapbookers looking for a place to print 12 x 12 digital layouts. They offer four different paper choices, with photo paper starting at $4 per page. Shipping is $6 for an unlimited number of 12 x 12 inch prints. Some of the other papers are less expensive, but you may want to order a sample set first to see which you prefer before printing a large batch. Scrapbooks to share is also a great place to have a traditional paper scrapbook scanned and duplicated. For more information, visit their website at www.sbtoshare.com.
My Pic Tales is one of the newest options for online printing of 12 x 12 digital layouts. My Pic Tales originally started offering photobooks, but recently added single prints to their product selection. My Pic Tales uses a laser printing process and the pictures are printed on a slightly glossy cardstock, similar to photo papers. The price for a single 12 x 12 inch print is just $1 each and shipping charges vary based on your location. Many scrapbookers use My Pic Tales for crafting and hybrid projects, where the crispness of the photo isn’t as crucial. They are also an economical option for printing calendars and other gifts where you may need to print a large number of pages. For more information, visit their website at www.mypictales.com.
