How to print from Google Photos

How to print from Google Photos

How to print from Google Photos? A lot of people keep hoping that Google would one day allow them to print their own photos from their homes. For many users, it’s a bad idea not to have the print option available.

Google has shut down its photo hosting platforms like Google+ and Picasa which previously allowed you to download and print your photos. But getting some physically printed photos doesn’t have to be hard.

You can download your photos to your computer and order prints. Google has now merged all your images into the Google Photos service. While it closely functions like Picasa and Google+, you aren’t able to order your prints online anymore.

If you want to get your photos printed, you need to download them from Google Photos and then send them to a printing service. You can print your photos on either Snapfish or Walgreens Photo app by choosing and ordering your pictures from Google Photos.

Table of Contents

  1. How to print from Google Photos
    1. Extracting your downloaded photos
    2. Time to order your prints
    3. Upload your photos
    4. Picking up your photo prints
  2. Wrap Up

How to print from Google Photos

Follow the steps below to print from Google Photos:

  • Log in to your Gmail account. That will take you to the main page;
  • You will find a square grid of dots in the upper right-hand corner. Click it;
  • There you will find a variety of apps including Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Photos among others;
  • Select the Google Photos app from the menu. You’ll see a display of your photos categorized by date. Placing the cursor near the scroll bar, you can see the date when the photo was taken;
  • Choose the photos you want to download.

You can also print from an album:

  • To find your album, tap on the “Albums” tab on the left side of the page;
  • You can download one or many pictures from there. To download an individual photo, click the “checkmark button” in the corner of the picture you want to select. You can also click on each additional photo you want to add to your list. To select multiple photos at once, hold the Shift Button, and click to select;
  • Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner and select download;
  • Your photos will download as a file named “Photo.zip”.

In the case you want to download all the photos in an album at once, you can also do it by opening the album you want to download everything off:

  • Click on the “three-dot icon” in the upper right corner and select “Download all”;
  • This downloads all the photos in the album under AlbumName.zip.

Extracting your downloaded photos

You need to extract the photos you have downloaded from the zipped folder.

It’s very straightforward, just follow the steps below:

  • Open your download folder and locate Photos.ZIP or Album Name.ZIP;
  • Double-click to open the file. It will open the content of the ZIP file in a new window;
  • Click “Extract”. Your photos have now been unzipped to a new folder;
  • Open the folder with your downloaded photos.

Time to order your prints

There is a wide variety of online photo printing services you can order your photos from. You can pick a service of your choice from Shutterfly, Walgreens, Snapfish, and a lot of other popular service points.

You will need to create an account with the printing service you have chosen. Most of these services are usually free.

Upload your photos

After you have extracted your photos, follow these steps:

  • Sign in to the account of the photo printing service you have chosen;
  • Click on the “Upload” or “Add photos” button (depending on the app) to add the photos you want to print;

Note: Your printing service may also allow you to “drag and drop” your photos from your computer into the upload page.

On the other hand, you might be prompted to browse your computer for photos. You’ll find those photos under the “Downloads” folder. Note that your files might take a while to transfer if you’re uploading many photos at once.

Note: Don’t leave the page until you’re notified that the photos have been uploaded successfully.

  • Select the type of print you prefer. Here you can preview, and make edits and you will be given a wide range of options for sizes and quantity. From standard photos, and wallet photos to canvas, wall prints, etc. You can have what fits your need;
  • Click “Next” and that will take you to a pickup location. Enter your location and select a nearby participating store;
  • Select location and place orders. Alternatively, you can have your prints posted to you at a fee especially if you’re living in a rural area where transport is unreliable;
  • Enter your payment information and submit your order. Your printer specifies the pickup time.

Picking up your photo prints

When your photos are ready, you will receive an email notification from Google Photos.

Wrap Up

While it’s really a nice idea to have digital photos saved in the cloud, it’s fun to have some hard copies too.

Printing your Google Photos is an awesome way to have some framed photos or something beautiful to put in your family photo album.

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