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Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there’s actually a world of molecules and tactile shapes outside the digital world. Every once in a while, you might even want to take one of the fancy images you see on your shiny screen and transmogrify it into a physical object. In the old days, this was called “printing.”<\/p>\n
There are a million ways to get your digital image into the physical world. The nice part is, you almost never even need to leave your house to do it.<\/p>\n
If you’re serious and you want to print more than just a few copies of something, there are hundreds of print services to choose from. Digital printers have made it easier to print smaller runs of postcards, brochures, or business cards – but for the real professional touch, it’s still best to go with offset printing.<\/p>\n
Here’s a list of online printing services that I’ve worked with in the past. They’re all more or less the same with some variations in products and pricing.<\/p>\n
America’s Printer<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n PS Print<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n PrintFirm<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 48 Hour Print<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Modern Postcard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 4 by 6<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n iPhoto iPrintFromHome<\/strong><\/a> Blurb.com QOOP Cafe Press<\/a><\/strong> Zazzle<\/strong> Spreadshirt<\/strong><\/a>Small quantities. Keepsakes. Swag. Etc.<\/h4>\n
\n<\/a>If you’re a Mac user, \u00a0look no further than your pre-installed copy of iPhoto. Send your photos to Apple within the app, and they’ll send you back some very elegant keepsakes such as books, greeting cards, or calendars. (P.S. – Your image doesn’t have to be a photo of your dog – it can be a complete hi-resolution layout that was made in another program and imported into iPhoto as a JPG).<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThese guys specialize in high quality art prints for artists and professional photographers. They’ll send you a paper sampler and calibration kit so there won’t be any surprises.
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Download their free software and use it to create a coffee-table book for you and your friends.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>QOOP will also print in a variety of formats including wrapping paper, and the mini photobooks which are particularly cool.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nUpload your image to Cafe Press and print it out on just about anything – aprons, bumper-stickers, water-bottles, whatever. It’s a little pricey if you want more than a dozen copies but maybe your design is so cool, you can sell it in their online store (which is full of stuff by people who also think their designs are cool).<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Similar to Cafe Press but with a few other products to choose from \u2013 like iPhone cases, skateboards, and postage stamps.<\/p>\n
\nFor small quantities of t-shirts, try these guys.<\/p>\n