Walgreens Photo is low-priced compared with many of the other photo card services we evaluated. The image quality isn’t the best, but this company can get your photo orders to you quickly, which makes it ideal when you’re in a rush. Just be prepared to address and mail the envelopes yourself, as Walgreens Photo doesn’t offer a mailing service.
For $35 (including taxes and shipping), you can get as many as 20 cards on matte photo paper. If you order a pack of cards on the least expensive photo paper, it costs only 99 cents per card. For comparison, of the services we reviewed, the average cost per card for a pack of 15 cards was $1.82. The more cards you add to your order, the less expensive it is per card. The standard shipping for Walgreens cards is about $10. This service also charges tax, but it didn’t total more than $1.50 for our order. The shipping and tax prices depend on the state you live in and your distance from a Walgreens Photo printer. If you want to save even more on your card purchase, check out Amazon Prints.
We purchased two 20-card packs: one on matte photo paper and one on 85 lb cardstock. The cardstock cards looked green and pale compared to the actual images we submitted, and the images were a bit grainy. Although we appreciated that the backs of the cards had a matching wooden background, the coloring didn’t seem right. The Walgreens logo was printed on the backside, in white.
The colors on the matte photo paper printed more accurately, and the wooden background looked more vibrant and festive. However, the fine text at the bottom of the page hardly showed up, and some of the darker parts of the images looked really murky. The photos weren’t grainy, but they did look a bit blurry. Overall, the cards and the accompanying envelopes were lower-quality than many of the others, but they’d suffice in a pinch.
When you create your cards, the Walgreens Photo interface warns you if your images are too small to print. In addition to the matte photo paper and cardstock options we chose, you can select glossy photo paper or premium cardstock. You’ll find foil-finish cards and plenty of designs to choose from. However, this service does not create custom postage stamps or print recipients’ addresses, so you’ll need to address and mail the cards yourself. The envelopes come only in white.
Although Walgreens Photo covers more holidays than many other lower-end services, it doesn’t include as many as our top picks, and it doesn’t offer ornament cards.
You cannot order individual cards; the minimum number you can purchase is 20. If you need your order in a hurry, you can choose same-day pickup for select themes or pay $9.99 for express shipping. If you have questions about your order or the creation process, you can contact a Walgreens associate via phone, email or chat. You’ll also find info on the FAQs page.
Walgreens Photo isn’t the best service for image quality, but this service prints quickly and offers plenty of themes and festive holiday graphics. Considering the low price, it’s not a bad choice for anyone on a budget.
