It’s no secret that I’ve been on a bit of a budget while decorating this house. One way that I’ve been saving money is with art. What I’ve been doing is buying thrift store frames and then adding printable art. You know, prints that you can download online and then get printed locally (here’s a list of my favorite sources). But the question is- where to print printable art?
I’ve always had a printing service I love, but I’ve struggled to find one after moving here. Truthfully, I’m still mourning when there was a super affordable print shop next store to my son’s preschool where I could quickly print exactly what I needed for cheap. Now, I’m feeling lost. I figure that I’m not alone so I thought I’d do my best to figure it out and share what I find out!
The beauty of printable wall art is that is probably the best way to get beautiful art on a budget. There are millions of options online so you can find something meaningful fo you. Printable art on Etsy can be less than $5 and then, depending on how you print it, you can have art on your wall in one day for less than $10! Here’s over 20 options so you can find the best fit.
Also, thank you to my Instagram followers who commented with their favorites, I’ll put them in here too.
How do I print printable wall art?
Option 1- put you images you want printed on a USB jump drive and take them in person to a local print shop. Pros- you’ll have your order fast and you can get a good price. Cons- you have to wait for your art to print while you’re in the store.
Option 2- order your images online and then drive in person to a local print shop. Pros- you’ll have your order fast and you can get a good price plus the wait should be minimal in the store. Cons- you have to leave the house.
Option 3- order your images online and then ship them to your home. Pros- no leaving the house. Cons- you have to pay for shipping and it takes longer to get your print.
Option 4- print items at home on your personal printer. Pros- no leaving the house and you’ll have instant art. Cons- ink and a printer can be expensive. You’ll be limited by the paper size and type that you have at home.
where to print printable art- in person
I’m an impatient person (lol), so I love being to order prints online (or email the file over) to my local print shops. Then, they’re ready by the time I arrive! It’s a quick turn over and the price is usually affordable too.
I thought I’d compare their prices for an 8×10 photo color print (unless noted otherwise) to keep things simple and easy to compare. This is the price that is listed for me, though it might vary by region. Please note, that rates can always change.
I also included the price for lamination where it’s available because I like to laminate printables that I cross off/ fill out so I can use them over and over.
alphagraphics
I couldn’t find prices online with Alphagraphics (whyyy?! I hate surprise rates). But it does look like if you find your closest location online, you can send the file over to print and call to get pricing.
Costco
$1.79 for an 8×10 that’ll be available same day. Costco was recommended quite a bit, so if you have a membership, check it out.
cvs
$3.99 for an 8×10 that’ll be available same day. I tried them out for one of my prints and the customer service wasn’t great. I had a lot of people message me saying that their quality is bad. Personally, I didn’t notice that, but heard it enough that I thought I should include a warning. You can use the Quick PhotoPrint phone app to order prints from CVS.
fedex office
$1.24 for an 8×10 on 80 lb. card stock. To laminate 8×10 card stock print is $1.99 more. To have it printed and shipped in one day is $9.99. FedEx Office is where I usually go to print stuff on card stock or plain paper when I don’t have a trusted place. There’s been one is every city I’ve lived in. The quality is good, but I remember thinking the prices were expensive.
I’ve never ordered online before, but I think I’ll try it because this price for an 8×10 is SO good and waiting in the store for printing and not knowing what the price will be is not my favorite.
Office Depot / Office Max
$0.74 for an 8×10 on 80 lb. card stock. To laminate 8×10 card stock print is $2.49 more. To have it printed and shipped in 4 business days is $9.95. Again, this price is so good! I’ll have to consider printing at Office Depot / Office Max (especially since there’s a location right by Home Depot- aka where I am all the time).
staples
$0.82 for an 8×10 on 60 lb. card stock. To laminate 8×10 card stock print is $1.99 more. To have it printed and shipped in 8 business days is $9.95. Staples prices are good if you have one close to you.
target
$2.89 for an 8×10. A few people suggested printing at Target, which sounds great because I love a good Target run. But my local store doesn’t have this option so it looks like only a handful of Targets have it. But it might be worth checking out!
ups store
$0.77 for an 8×10 on 60 lb. card stock. To laminate 8×10 card stock print is $1.99 more. I couldn’t see an option to have it shipped, but you can order online. UPS Store is one of the most affordable options. A great one especially if there’s a convenient location to you.
Walgreens
$3.99 for an 8×10 on photo paper. Available same day- usually within an hour. You can order online with Walgreens so it’s pretty painless. They also have the option to do bigger prints same day too (like an 11×14).
Walmart
$2.84 for an 8×10 that’ll be ready in an hour. Walmart also has large scale same day printing available. If you want it shipped, it’s $1.79 for an 8×10 plus $4.00 shipped. This is mostly where I’ve been getting my art printed and I like how fast they are and the quality is fine.
where to print printable art- online
amazon print
For an 8×10, it costs $1.79 for the print and it’s free to ship if you’re a Prime member. You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Amazon print. This is by far the most affordable way to order prints online! I haven’t tried it, but probably will now! They have options for smaller photo prints too if you need a few pictures printed.
artifact uprising
For an 8×10, it costs $20 for the print plus $8 to ship. You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Artifact Uprising. This is a shop you’d go to if you need something special- like a personalized calendar on a brass stand. High end and beautiful.
bay photo lab
For an 8×10, it costs $3.50 for the print plus it’s free to ship (if it fits in an 11×14 envelope). You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Bay Photo Lab. It looks like they always offer 25% off your first order if you want to check them out. They specialize in prints only, so this is a great option! I did find the website a little hard to navigate.
finer works
For an 8×10, it costs $7 for the print plus $5.95 to ship. You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Finer Works. I personally found this website a little clunky to use (it wasn’t super user friendly).
mpix
For an 8×10, it costs $2.99 for the print plus $3.99 to ship. You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Mpix. I’ve never used them, but this was by far the most suggest online print shop.
nation’s photo lab
For an 8×10, it costs $2.78 for the print plus $3.95 to ship. You’ll get your print in 11-13 business days from Nation’s Photo Lab. The review I read on this shop said- “The best combination of quality, prints, options and service.”
next day flyers
I couldn’t fine any photo prints, just a 16×20 canvas that’s $38. Or you can buy flyers from Vista Print in quantity of 25. Next Day Flyers does same day or next day printing so they’re fast.
paint addict
For an 8×10, it costs $4.80 for the print plus $6.99 to ship. Paint Addict is all about printing high quality, artistic pieces. They have options like printing on wood or canvas and is more for having a pretty custom piece.
poster jack
For an 8×10, it costs $3.99 for the print plus $9.99 to ship. Poster Jack didn’t specify how long shipping would take. They have a bunch of beautiful printing options (like printing on metal or canvas).
snapfish
For an 8×10, it costs $2.99 for the print plus $1.99 to ship. Snapfish has an 11 day turnaround for it’s cheap printing, But that price is great if you’re not in a hurry!
shutterfly
For an 8×10, it costs $3.56 for the print plus $2.99 to ship. Shutterfly has a 5-11 turnaround for economy printing. Side note, I needed a few birthday cards printed this year and I found some on Etsy and then had Shutterfly print them and mail them out to a few friends and family members. It was SO convenient- I loved it!
vista print
I couldn’t fine any photo prints, just an 8×10 canvas that’s $38. Or you can buy flyers from Vista Print in quantity of 25.
White House custom color
An 8×10 is $2.30. Shipping is $5 with a 1-2 day turnaround. White House Custom Color is a great shop if you want high quality prints and to support a family run business.
What type of paper do you recommend for printable wall art?
In general, there are two types of paper that work great fo printing wall art. I personally suggest printing on 80 lb card stock– I think that looks the most high end. Secondly, photo paper is a good option, especially if you’re printing a photo image. If possible, select the matte photo paper for a less shiny look.
WHERE DO I FIND AFFORDABLE PRINTABLE ART?
The number one place I suggest looking is Etsy. I share my very favorite Etsy printable art here. I also highly suggest shopping Juniper Print Shop for beautiful, curated, affordable downloadable art.
so where should I print if I want a good price?
Ok, here’s my takeaway- printing in person at a print shop (UPS, Staples, Office Depot, or FedEx) is the best price and you’ll get it the quickest. But that does mean you have to leave your house and pick them up which can be a pain. These prices (a $1 or less) are for printing on card stock- which is great for printable art.
My suggestion would be to choose a place that is close to you or another store you frequent to make it as easy and efficient as possible to pick up. I highly suggest to order online so it’s quick to grab your order (you don’t have to sit around while they print it). If you need photo prints on photo paper, Walmart or Target has the best prices with the fastest turnaround.
There’s a ton of options for ordering online, but the printing and shipping time is usually slow and you pay to ship it. Shipping usually adds to the cost, but it can be worth it for convenience, especially if you aren’t in a hurry. The next time I want an online print, I’m going to try Amazon Print because the price is the best for ordering online and shipping.
If you don’t care about price and want something beautiful and special, there’s a lot of options here. That wasn’t really what I was focusing on with this post, but there’s some gorgeous online print shops that are high end with cool products.
Of course, if you have a printer at home, this is a great option! I don’t- when I had one I’d print one or two things and then not use it and the ink would dry out. So it wasn’t smart for me to buy expensive ink. Now, I just print online or in person at one of these shops.
Last note, I had to create an account and pretty much check out at each location to make these comparisons. I am now accidentally signed up for a bunch of junk mail- so watch out for that. 🤦🏻♀️
Art, to me, is what makes a home. Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful art that tells your story and brings your space to life. Be thoughtful in what you select- find something that makes you smile or pulls a space together. It can be meaningful AND affordable.
This was a long post, but I sure hope that it’s helpful for finding the perfect place to print your printable art. Do you have any questions? This this help you feel more confident when it comes time to ordering prints? I personally feel much better prepared to get a good price now that I know all of these options!
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