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Mixbook vs
Nations Photo Lab Review

We're crazy about printed photos!
We ordered the same 10 photos from Mixbook and Nations Photo Lab (the highest quality lab in all our tests), scanned them all in, and created this guide just for you.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scan of a printed photo of a appy grandpa smiling in front of a birthday cake. The cake has numbered wax numbers in it on the right, facing the grandpa reading, “94.” The cake is square with white and green frosting with 3 other candles on the left (his right) side of the cake. The old man has a grey, well-manicured beard and is wearing glasses (they’re highly magnified with his eyes slightly enlarged) and smiling bright. He’s holding up one hand in celebration. He’s wearing a multicolored flower lei and a blue shirt. Behind him is a woman with a huge smile, actively laughing, wearing a flowered tank top and a man, in his 30s, also smiling and with a beard wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and green pants. They’re all standing in what appears to be a living room and having a wonderful time.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scan of a printed photo of a appy grandpa smiling in front of a birthday cake. The cake has numbered wax numbers in it on the right, facing the grandpa reading, “94.” The cake is square with white and green frosting with 3 other candles on the left (his right) side of the cake. The old man has a grey, well-manicured beard and is wearing glasses (they’re highly magnified with his eyes slightly enlarged) and smiling bright. He’s holding up one hand in celebration. He’s wearing a multicolored flower lei and a blue shirt. Behind him is a woman with a huge smile, actively laughing, wearing a flowered tank top and a man, in his 30s, also smiling and with a beard wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and green pants. They’re all standing in what appears to be a living room and having a wonderful time.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scan of a photo: Beautiful icelandic landscape featuring a couple walking towards the right, centered in the photo. She’s leading him and they’re holding hands and she looks back and gazes into his eyes. She’s wearing black pants, leather boots, and a long navy sweater with a red shirt under it. He’s wearing a leather jacket, grey shirt, blue pants, and casual green leather sneakers. There’s stark contrast between the rocky and green mossy area they’re walking on and the hill behind them which has a white, almost-snowy overlay. The hillside is half covered in snow.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scan of a photo: Beautiful icelandic landscape featuring a couple walking towards the right, centered in the photo. She’s leading him and they’re holding hands and she looks back and gazes into his eyes. She’s wearing black pants, leather boots, and a long navy sweater with a red shirt under it. He’s wearing a leather jacket, grey shirt, blue pants, and casual green leather sneakers. There’s stark contrast between the rocky and green mossy area they’re walking on and the hill behind them which has a white, almost-snowy overlay. The hillside is half covered in snow.

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Or see the full review

Pricing, shipping, paper quality, and other juicy details


When we tested	August 2020	August 2020
Summary	Mixbook is one of the middle-of-the-road results in our reviews. While the clarity of the prints is good, our prints came with slightly bent corners. The Kodak paper is also a more basic version of Kodak paper, vs Kodak Professional paper used by some other labs.	Nation's is the #1 lab for the highest quality prints. Their photos are obviously the highest quality among all the labs we tested.
Print quality (local pickup)	Online only	Online only
Print quality (online orders)	90% 10 Photos: $4.74 $0.15 4x6s + $3.24 to ship 9-12 days	99% 10 Photos: $7.15 $0.32 4x6s + $3.95 to ship 5-7 days

Local pickup available	No	No
Cost per 4x6 print (local pickup)	Online only	Online only
Formats available for pickup	Online only	Online only
Finishes available for pickup	Online only	Online only
Paper type for pickup orders	Online only	Online only
Pickup speed	Online only	Online only
	Online only	Online only

Online ordering available	Yes	Yes
Cost per 4x6 print (online)	$0.15	$0.32
Formats available online	4x6, 5x5, 5x7, 8x10	Virtually all sizes 4x4 to 30x45
Finishes available online	Glossy	Glossy,lustre,metallic,linen
Paper type for online orders	Kodak Paper 21 millimeters thick	KodakProfessional Endura 24 millimeters thick
Cheapest shipping option	$3.24 To ship 10 photos	$3.95 To ship 10 photos
Delivery speed for cheapest shipping option	9-12 days	5-7 days
	Order online	Order online

Mixbook vs
Nations Photo Lab
print quality comparison

On 2/13/20, we ordered the following photos from Mixbook. On 2/13/20, we ordered the same photos from Nations Photo Lab.

We scanned in both sets of prints without color correction.

Here's how Mixbook compares to Nations Photo Lab.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scan of a printed photo of a appy grandpa smiling in front of a birthday cake. The cake has numbered wax numbers in it on the right, facing the grandpa reading, “94.” The cake is square with white and green frosting with 3 other candles on the left (his right) side of the cake. The old man has a grey, well-manicured beard and is wearing glasses (they’re highly magnified with his eyes slightly enlarged) and smiling bright. He’s holding up one hand in celebration. He’s wearing a multicolored flower lei and a blue shirt. Behind him is a woman with a huge smile, actively laughing, wearing a flowered tank top and a man, in his 30s, also smiling and with a beard wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and green pants. They’re all standing in what appears to be a living room and having a wonderful time.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scan of a printed photo of a appy grandpa smiling in front of a birthday cake. The cake has numbered wax numbers in it on the right, facing the grandpa reading, “94.” The cake is square with white and green frosting with 3 other candles on the left (his right) side of the cake. The old man has a grey, well-manicured beard and is wearing glasses (they’re highly magnified with his eyes slightly enlarged) and smiling bright. He’s holding up one hand in celebration. He’s wearing a multicolored flower lei and a blue shirt. Behind him is a woman with a huge smile, actively laughing, wearing a flowered tank top and a man, in his 30s, also smiling and with a beard wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and green pants. They’re all standing in what appears to be a living room and having a wonderful time.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scan of a photo: Beautiful icelandic landscape featuring a couple walking towards the right, centered in the photo. She’s leading him and they’re holding hands and she looks back and gazes into his eyes. She’s wearing black pants, leather boots, and a long navy sweater with a red shirt under it. He’s wearing a leather jacket, grey shirt, blue pants, and casual green leather sneakers. There’s stark contrast between the rocky and green mossy area they’re walking on and the hill behind them which has a white, almost-snowy overlay. The hillside is half covered in snow.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scan of a photo: Beautiful icelandic landscape featuring a couple walking towards the right, centered in the photo. She’s leading him and they’re holding hands and she looks back and gazes into his eyes. She’s wearing black pants, leather boots, and a long navy sweater with a red shirt under it. He’s wearing a leather jacket, grey shirt, blue pants, and casual green leather sneakers. There’s stark contrast between the rocky and green mossy area they’re walking on and the hill behind them which has a white, almost-snowy overlay. The hillside is half covered in snow.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scan of a photo of adults and two kids in a fun portrait. They’re all wearing winter coats. The
adults are wearing winter hats. On the left is a young, beautiful, brunette woman smiling big, wearing a light brown winter hat with a leather patch. A cute little girl is to her right, they’re all close together, wearing a pink puffy jacket with a white bow in her dirty blonde hair. Next to the girl is a man wearing a blue winter hat and a navy puff jacket, his tongue slightly sticking out and his beard a brown-red. To the man’s right is a boy, a few years older than the girl, wearing a red puffy jacket and a flannel under it, his tongue fully out and his eyes wide. They’re all having a blast.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scan of a photo of adults and two kids in a fun portrait. They’re all wearing winter coats. The
adults are wearing winter hats. On the left is a young, beautiful, brunette woman smiling big, wearing a light brown winter hat with a leather patch. A cute little girl is to her right, they’re all close together, wearing a pink puffy jacket with a white bow in her dirty blonde hair. Next to the girl is a man wearing a blue winter hat and a navy puff jacket, his tongue slightly sticking out and his beard a brown-red. To the man’s right is a boy, a few years older than the girl, wearing a red puffy jacket and a flannel under it, his tongue fully out and his eyes wide. They’re all having a blast.

Mixbook (Test: )

Two grandparents and they’re grandkids. The grandfather is sitting on a brown, floral lounge chair with the two kids on his lap. The little girl is on his left, as if she’s trying to escape, wearing a red dress and white tights and red bow in her hair. The boy is wearing a red flannel. The grandmother leans into the photo with her hand on the right side of the chair. The grandfather is wearing blue jeans and a red flannel shirt and glasses with a thick black rim. Behind them is a cream colored living room door and to its right is a window. It appears to be around the holidays as there are two sets of blue, ceramic angels sitting on the window as well as a white, wood star. Through the window outside it’s dark outside and there’s a few white holiday lights illuminating a tree. There’s also a tropical fern just to the right of the image and a mirror and what appears to be the photographer in it.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Two grandparents and they’re grandkids. The grandfather is sitting on a brown, floral lounge chair with the two kids on his lap. The little girl is on his left, as if she’s trying to escape, wearing a red dress and white tights and red bow in her hair. The boy is wearing a red flannel. The grandmother leans into the photo with her hand on the right side of the chair. The grandfather is wearing blue jeans and a red flannel shirt and glasses with a thick black rim. Behind them is a cream colored living room door and to its right is a window. It appears to be around the holidays as there are two sets of blue, ceramic angels sitting on the window as well as a white, wood star. Through the window outside it’s dark outside and there’s a few white holiday lights illuminating a tree. There’s also a tropical fern just to the right of the image and a mirror and what appears to be the photographer in it.

Mixbook (Test: )

Two happy dog owners and their black lab, all three of them with their tongues out. The happy dog is sandwiched between the two owners, his long tongue mostly pink with a couple black spots. On the left is a man with a short, red beard wearing a NASA baseball cap and large sunglasses; a black frame with magenta lenses. He’s wearing a t-shirt and a backpack. The woman on the right is wearing similar glasses except with a blue frame and light blue lenses. Her shirt is multi-colored lines with a slight turtleneck. Her backpack is a light blue. Her hair is tied back with a purple head wrap. The man’s hand is on the dog’s chest, near a brown leather collar and grey tick collar. The three of them are standing in what appears to be a forest and oh-so-happy.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Two happy dog owners and their black lab, all three of them with their tongues out. The happy dog is sandwiched between the two owners, his long tongue mostly pink with a couple black spots. On the left is a man with a short, red beard wearing a NASA baseball cap and large sunglasses; a black frame with magenta lenses. He’s wearing a t-shirt and a backpack. The woman on the right is wearing similar glasses except with a blue frame and light blue lenses. Her shirt is multi-colored lines with a slight turtleneck. Her backpack is a light blue. Her hair is tied back with a purple head wrap. The man’s hand is on the dog’s chest, near a brown leather collar and grey tick collar. The three of them are standing in what appears to be a forest and oh-so-happy.

Mixbook (Test: )

An old man sitting in a brown plastic adirondack chair, on a makeshift deck with green shrubbery behind him. There’s an identical empty adirondack chair behind him with brown flip flops sitting at its base. The old man is wearing a green, baggy striped shirt and baggy slacks. His socks are also long and slightly baggy. He’s wearing a watch of some kind, glasses with a gold frame, and a faded baseball hat. He’s wearing modern athletic running shoes and they’re blue and yellow. A walking cane leans on the chair. He’s smiling and happy to be there.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

An old man sitting in a brown plastic adirondack chair, on a makeshift deck with green shrubbery behind him. There’s an identical empty adirondack chair behind him with brown flip flops sitting at its base. The old man is wearing a green, baggy striped shirt and baggy slacks. His socks are also long and slightly baggy. He’s wearing a watch of some kind, glasses with a gold frame, and a faded baseball hat. He’s wearing modern athletic running shoes and they’re blue and yellow. A walking cane leans on the chair. He’s smiling and happy to be there.

Mixbook (Test: )

A happy black lab. He’s sitting on a rocky beach. The dog is wearing a red collar as well as a grey tick collar below it. He’s also wearing a black and silver body harness. His tongue sticks way out and hangs to the right towards the water. He has big floppy ears. His right eye is pointed directly at the camera, obediently looking at his owner and looking great for the camera. Behind him is lucious grass growing on the edge of the beach. The ocean is in the distance and it’s a calm, low tide.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

A happy black lab. He’s sitting on a rocky beach. The dog is wearing a red collar as well as a grey tick collar below it. He’s also wearing a black and silver body harness. His tongue sticks way out and hangs to the right towards the water. He has big floppy ears. His right eye is pointed directly at the camera, obediently looking at his owner and looking great for the camera. Behind him is lucious grass growing on the edge of the beach. The ocean is in the distance and it’s a calm, low tide.

Mixbook (Test: )

A regal red cardinal sitting on a branch. It’s a male cardinal, as female cardinals are a different color. He has handsome, black feathers around his face and a bright orange, triangular beak. He has almost a backward mohawk. His eye is a black, oblong and he’s facing with the right side of his body to the camera. His tail sticks straight backwards. Only the bird and branch are visible in the photo, all else is blurred out.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

A regal red cardinal sitting on a branch. It’s a male cardinal, as female cardinals are a different color. He has handsome, black feathers around his face and a bright orange, triangular beak. He has almost a backward mohawk. His eye is a black, oblong and he’s facing with the right side of his body to the camera. His tail sticks straight backwards. Only the bird and branch are visible in the photo, all else is blurred out.

Mixbook (Test: )

Two Icelandic puffin birds. The bird on the right is most visible. He’s facing to the left. The bird on the left side of the photo is facing right, but he’s tucked down sitting on the ground and looking out towards the ocean in the distance. The photographer is shooting through green and tan grass. The right side bird has a large, orange, yellow, and black beak and a cute whie and black face. His head is mostly black feathers, which wrap around to his back. His chest is white. The birds are unique looking, almost like penguins.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Two Icelandic puffin birds. The bird on the right is most visible. He’s facing to the left. The bird on the left side of the photo is facing right, but he’s tucked down sitting on the ground and looking out towards the ocean in the distance. The photographer is shooting through green and tan grass. The right side bird has a large, orange, yellow, and black beak and a cute whie and black face. His head is mostly black feathers, which wrap around to his back. His chest is white. The birds are unique looking, almost like penguins.

Mixbook (Test: )

Scanned photo of birthday balloons. The photo is zoomed in with 95% of the photo being balloons. It’s positioned vertically. There are 6 balloons in the photo. Upper-left: Yellow, upper-right: Dark blue/purple, then orange, teal, magenta, and blue. All of the balloons have curly orange ribbons.

Nations Photo Lab (Test: Lustre)

Scanned photo of birthday balloons. The photo is zoomed in with 95% of the photo being balloons. It’s positioned vertically. There are 6 balloons in the photo. Upper-left: Yellow, upper-right: Dark blue/purple, then orange, teal, magenta, and blue. All of the balloons have curly orange ribbons.

Mixbook envelopes

When you order photos from Mixbook, here's what you can
expect the envelope to look like.

A vertically positioned white wallet envelope with a mailing label on the front. The top left corner of the label has Mixbook.com’s return address. It says: “Mixbook.com, Mixbook.com, 726 Main Street, Redwood City, CA 94063.” Right across the address is the postage stamp that reads “P.S. LIGHTWEIGHT, U.S. POSTAGE PAID, UPS MAIL INNOVATIONS eVS.” Under is the shipping address text with a big “SHIP TO:” text, in front of that is the digitally blurred out shipping address. There is a long box, with two parts, the left part has a blurred out QR code. The right part has text that reads “UPS MAIL INNOVATIONS,” under this some blurred letters and numbers, and under this is the text: “COST CENTER: MXBR.” Right under are some tiny texts that say “PSGL 19.0 Z105SL.” A thick line separates the part that has the tracking number that says “USPS TRACKING # eVS” with a blurred out barcode and tracking number. At the bottom of the shipping label is another sticker with a blurred out QR code and a rectangle that has lines that separate different texts. In the box, there is a large “11,” and other small texts that read “11-CL,” “I-X,” “076,” “02360,” “02,” “11-wG13,” “13,” “112,” “021520,” “4578493,” and, “10537559.” The envelope has some slight creases and stains on it. Envelope sitting on wood table top.

A vertically positioned white wallet sealed envelope, with its flap by the left-hand side, and small incisions at the edges of the flap. Envelope sitting on wood table top.

Compare Mixbook and local labs

10 Photos: $2.50
$0.25 each

10 Photos: $2.30
$0.23 each

10 Photos: $2.30
$0.23 each

10 Photos: $2.90
$0.29 each

Compare Mixbook and online labs

10 Photos: $7.15
$0.32 4x6s + $3.95 to ship
5-7 days

10 Photos: $4.40
$0.25 4x6s + $1.90 to ship
9-12 days

10 Photos: $12.85
$0.29 4x6s + $9.95 to ship
7-9 days

10 Photos: $6.35
$0.24 4x6s + $3.95 to ship
10 days

10 Photos: $4.29
$0.23 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
7-9 days

10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days

10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days

10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days

10 Photos: $4.90
$0.09 4x6s + $4.00 to ship
7-9 days

10 Photos: $4.78
$0.33 4x6s + $1.48 to ship
5-9 days

10 Photos: $2.99
$0.00 4x6s + $2.99 to ship
5-7 days

10 Photos: $20.99
$1.40 4x6s + $6.99 to ship
8-12 days

10 Photos: $4.99
$0.09 4x6s + $4.09 to ship
9-12 days

10 Photos: $1.20
$0.12 4x6s + $0.00 to ship
5-6 days for Prime members
7-9 days without Prime

10 Photos: $13.00
$0.50 4x6s + $8.00 to ship
14-17 days

10 Photos: $2.64
$0.09 4x6s + $1.74 to ship
3-10 days

10 Photos: $6.10
$0.18 4x6s + $4.30 to ship
5-7 days

10 Photos: $6.99
$0.50 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
9-12 days

4x6 photo tips

How to Send 4×6 Photos In the Mail
How Big is a 4x6 Photo?

Photo credits

Atlantic puffin photo by @miss_ohara
Cardinal photo by @drphotomoto