How do I print 4×6 photos from iPhone?
You had a blast at your recent birthday dinner. You ate the best steak in town with your closest friends and probably had a little too much wine. The best thing? You captured all those moments with your iPhone. But how do you print 4×6 photos from iPhone?
Below, we’ll talk about how to print 4×6 photos from iPhone, good photo-printing apps for iPhone, and other related stuff about printing iPhone photos.
Table of Contents
How to print 4×6 photos from iPhone
You can print 4×6 iPhone photos in two ways: on your own (with the help of AirPrint and your AirPrint- or Apple Print-enabled printer) or through printing apps/services. If you prefer to DIY, just follow these steps.
- Make sure you have an AirPrint capable printer like this wireless Brother printer, scanner, and copier in one. You can also try this wireless Victure photo printer that comes with 40 free photo papers. You can check here if your printer is AirPrint-enabled.
- Next, open the app that has the photos you want to print (ex. Your Photos app).
- Tap the app’s share button and find the print button.
- Click the “Select Printer” option. After that, select an AirPrint-enabled printer device.
- Tinker around the settings such as the number of copies and pages.
- After making sure the settings are right, you can now click “Print”.
- The Print Center app will show your Print Order item, which is your photos.
- To cancel the printing, simply tap on the Print Order item. This will show the Print Summary.
- At the bottom, you will see a “Cancel” button. Click to cancel.
By the way, what is AirPrint?
First introduced in 2010, AirPrint is Apple’s wireless printing service that allows iPads and iPhones to print photos. Basically, this technology lets your iPhone or iPad “talk” to a photo printer without even needing another device such as a laptop. You can even find AirPrint in other apps besides the Photos—you can also print photos from your Safari, Mail, and iBooks.
With Airprint, you can send photos directly to a printer or to any computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux) for printing. You can use AirPrint whether you have a WiFi or an Ethernet connection. AirPrint does not also require particular drivers. Third-party solutions, such as Netgear Genie and Printopia Pro, allow people and organizations to access printers via AirPrint.
Related: How to Take Amazing Beach Pictures with an iPhone
Apps that can help you print photos from iPhone
Meanwhile, what should you do if you don’t have a printer or if your printer isn’t AirPrint-capable? There’s a solution to that—without you splurging on a new printer. Below are a few apps you can use to print iPhone photos.
1. Shutterfly
Shutterfly tops our list with their unlimited prints and unlimited storage. So, you can definitely print as many photos as you want! Their 4×4 and 4×6 photos are free, while anything above those sizes starts with $0.79 per photo. Every month in Shutterfly, you can get a free 6×6 photo book. According to avid users, quality is what they love the most about Shutterfly. You can download the Shutterfly app for free on your iPhone.
2. Freeprints
Freeprints is another highly rated app that ships your printed photos to your doorstep. You can use Freeprints to print as many as 85 4×6 photos from your iPhone or iPad in a month for free. Handling and shipping fee starts at $1.99. With that amount, you can get extra 4×6 photos and resize up to 20×30 photos. As for the type of paper, you can choose from matte or glossy. Freeprints is well-liked among iPhone users because they can use it to conveniently print photos from their social media.
3. Print Studio
With many accolades such as being featured on “App of the Day” by the App Store, it’s no wonder why Print Studio is a delightful printing app. From pragmatic projects such as large format prints to tear-away calendars, you can almost print anything with Print Studio on your iPhone. Plus, printing photos is not that complicated. Just select any of their print products, upload your photos to their app, and then wait for your prints to arrive in the mail.
4. Snapfish
Another snappy printing app you can trust is Snapfish. You can order more than 100 4×6 photos on Snapfish every month. In their app, you can upload a bunch of photos from your social media, iCloud, or Photos app. After that, you can mix and match them using their collection of collage and album layouts. Even better, you can order photos of different sizes—from wallet size pics to larger 20×30 photos. The Snapfish app currently supports the latest iOS 13 and Apple Pay.
5. Printastic
Tagged as one of the “Best New Apps of 2015”, Printastic ships customizable photo books to excited families who want to keep their memories forever. Anyone can upload photos from their social media, dropbox, or gallery and organize them into creative collages and photo books. These books, especially, have stunning hardcovers that can include up to 200 pages. Printastic also delivers its printed products worldwide.
Related questions about printing photos from iPhone
What to do if iPhone photos are not sending to the printer?
First, restart the printer. Make sure that the printer’s WiFi button is switched on. After that, check if your WiFi is also working. Your iPhone and your AirPrint-enabled printer should be using one WiFi connection. Also, a handful of AirPrint printers require you to turn on their AirPrint option on their Setup menu. So, make sure that’s switched on, too. If it’s not working, you can refer to the manual or call the manufacturer.
What is the best size to send photos by email on the iPhone?
That depends on what happens after you send them. If you’re just sending them for reference, we suggest changing their sizes using resizing apps or the built-in resizing options on your mail app. Meanwhile, if you’re sending them to be printed, we recommend sending the photos at the highest resolution—anything bigger than 1000 pixels will do.
How to send iPhone photos with high resolution?
When you send high-resolution photos from your iPhone via email, it often shrinks them into 800×600, especially when you tap the mail button from the options. The solution to this is to just copy your photo and paste it in your email body section. This way, the resolution will stay the same. You can now send photos beyond 1000 pixels.
The key to printing high-quality iPhone photos
Want to print high-quality photos? Just remember this important factor: the pixels. If your photo has a large amount of pixels, then you can print it in a large format and still get a high-quality output.
On the other hand, if your photo has a small amount of pixels, then you can’t print in a large format. Otherwise, the result will be a pixelated, ugly image. You don’t want that, right? So, just remember that easy fact: the more pixels your photo has, the higher photo quality you will get.
Moreover, experts suggest retaining the original photo size and avoid unnecessary cropping for higher quality printed photos.
Creative iPhone photo project ideas
Now that you know these things about printing iPhone photos, maybe you can try one or two of these creative photo projects with your iPhone. Who knows? Maybe sooner or later, you’ll have a dozen framed gorgeous shots in your house or in your apartment.
1. A to Z photo book.
In one year, take photos that represent each of the letters of the Alphabet. You can make anything or anyone your subject—as long as they can translate that they represent that particular letter. It would also be fun to add a theme—you can go seasonal, minimal, or monochromatic, even. You can then compile them all in a memorable 4×6 photo album.
2. 365 project. With a twist.
Ah, the classic but demanding photo project! In one year, again, you should be able to take creative or expressive photos every day. Each photo has to tell a story. Sounds simple, but this concept is a cliche by now. Why not put a twist? You can create a secret theme and the first person who guesses the theme by the first ten photos win a prize.
3. Objects of the night.
Tired of the unchallenging daylight photography? You can take a dozen photos of objects you find interesting during the night. There should be no people in the photo— only inanimate things that tell stories. If you want it to be extra challenging, you can even write a short story in less than 100 words to accompany the photo! Just don’t forget to bring a clip-on light for your iPhone. If you don’t have one, we suggest you get this universal clip-on spotlight by iTech.
Conclusion
Just because we can easily upload our photos on social media doesn’t mean that printing them is hard. With the help of AirPrint and the great photo-printing apps we mentioned, you can print 4×6 photos from iPhone. You can have tangible reminders of your good memories.