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Shutterfly vs
parabo Review

We're crazy about printed photos!
We ordered the same 10 photos from Shutterfly and parabo, scanned them all in, and created this guide just for you.

Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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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Pricing, shipping, paper quality, and other juicy details

Shutterfly logo. It exists inside an orange rectangle. The word Shutterfly is in white text, centered inside the orange rectangle. There’s a tiny registered trademark symbol on the bottom right of the text. The font is a skinnier font weight. Parabo logo. The logo is a dark grey, nearly black. The word parabo is all lower case and in a clean, handwritten style cursive. The word PRESS floats to the right of parabo in a smaller text using a sans serif font.
When we tested August 2020 August 2020
Summary While Shutterfly's prints are cheaper than many others, be careful to check their shipping costs. In our tests, other print labs like Walgreens offered much cheaper shipping, whereas Shutterfly charged $4.30 to ship 10 photos. In addition, Shutterfly scored among the lowest in quality for classic photo prints. Parabo Press produces nice quality prints on a thick cardstock. However, there's a 20-photo minimum with each print being $0.50. The lab for Parabo appears to be the same as Chatbooks, but unlike Chatbooks Parabo prints are 4x6 prints with a full bleed. In addition, the paper seems like a close match to Artifact Uprising and in comparison, Parabo is noticibly less vivid.
Print quality (local pickup) Online only Online only
Print quality (online orders)
60%

10 Photos: $6.10
$0.18 4x6s + $4.30 to ship
5-7 days
70%

10 Photos: $13.00
$0.50 4x6s + $8.00 to ship
14-17 days
Shutterfly logo. It exists inside an orange rectangle. The word Shutterfly is in white text, centered inside the orange rectangle. There’s a tiny registered trademark symbol on the bottom right of the text. The font is a skinnier font weight. Parabo logo. The logo is a dark grey, nearly black. The word parabo is all lower case and in a clean, handwritten style cursive. The word PRESS floats to the right of parabo in a smaller text using a sans serif font.
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
Shutterfly logo. It exists inside an orange rectangle. The word Shutterfly is in white text, centered inside the orange rectangle. There’s a tiny registered trademark symbol on the bottom right of the text. The font is a skinnier font weight. Parabo logo. The logo is a dark grey, nearly black. The word parabo is all lower case and in a clean, handwritten style cursive. The word PRESS floats to the right of parabo in a smaller text using a sans serif font.
Online ordering available Yes Yes
Cost per 4x6 print (online) $0.18 $0.50
Formats available online 4x6, 4x4, 5x7, Wallet(4), 8x8, 8x10, up to 20x30 4x6, 5x7, 4x4, 5.5x5.5
Finishes available online Glossy,Matte,Pearl,Cardstock Matte
Paper type for online orders Fujicolor Crystal Archive
22 millimeters thick 		Unbranded, uncoated cardstock
49 millimeters thick
Cheapest shipping option $4.30
To ship 10 photos
 $8.00
To ship 10 photos
Delivery speed for cheapest shipping option 5-7 days 14-17 days
Order online Order online

Shutterfly vs
parabo
print quality comparison

On 2/13/20, we ordered the following photos from Shutterfly. On 2/14/20, we ordered the same photos from parabo.

We scanned in both sets of prints without color correction.

Here's how Shutterfly compares to parabo.

Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.
Shutterfly (Test: Glossy)
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.
parabo (Test: Matte (cardstock))
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.

Shutterfly envelopes

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

Orange envelope with white sticker covering the left side. The sticker has a large F in the upper left: No idea what F means. Below that it reads “USPS FIRST-CLASS MAIL. ” surrounded above and below by two thin black lines. Below that is a return address: “Shutterfly Inc, Returns Team, 5005 Deans Lake Blvd Shakopee, MN 55379.” The shipping address is blurred out. Below that it reads “SHIPPER REF: 199980958.” To the right of the label is white text on the orange envelope: “#MyShutterfly.” In the lower right hand corner of the envelope is a bar code with some random numbers, positioned vertically. Envelope sitting on wood table top.
Orange envelope positioned horizontally. In the center, in large white sans-serif font it is the shutterfly logo. The logo is text-only with no other icons. At the top of the envelope a label from the other side sticks out. Envelope sitting on wood table top.

Compare Shutterfly and local labs

93%
Walmart logo. The word Walmart is in a black, bold sans-serif font. Next to it is a series of lines forming a circle. They’re yellow with rounded edges.
10 Photos: $2.50
$0.25 each
90%
CVS logo. There are three elements to the logo: A heart, CVS, and the word pharmacy. The heart is boxy, with square edges on the top opposed to a normal heart with rounded corners. The letters CVS are bold and positioned next to the heart. Below the heart and CVS is the word pharmacy in smaller text.
10 Photos: $2.30
$0.23 each
75%
Walgreens logo. It’s only the word Walgreens with no other mark. The logo is bright red and in a cursive font. The W in Walgreens is uppercase and the rest is lowercase.
10 Photos: $2.30
$0.23 each
30%
Office Depot logo. The word Office is positioned above the word Depot. The word DEPOT is all caps. The logo is a bright red, slightly on the darker side.
10 Photos: $2.90
$0.29 each

Compare Shutterfly and online labs

99%
Nations Photo Lab logo. Fancy dark grey circle icon then the words NATIONS PHOTO LAB to the right in a thin, sans serif font; also dark grey.
10 Photos: $7.15
$0.32 4x6s + $3.95 to ship
5-7 days
95%
Target logo. Simple red bullseye circle on the left with the word photo to the right in all lower case. All red.
10 Photos: $4.40
$0.25 4x6s + $1.90 to ship
9-12 days
94%
Office Depot logo. The word Office is positioned above the word Depot. The word DEPOT is all caps. The logo is a bright red, slightly on the darker side.
10 Photos: $12.85
$0.29 4x6s + $9.95 to ship
7-9 days
92%
mpix logo. The logo exists inside a bright, red rectangle. All of the letters (in white) are lowercase: mpix.
10 Photos: $6.35
$0.24 4x6s + $3.95 to ship
10 days
90%
Mixbook logo. The word Mixbook takes up most of the logo. It’s in a cursive, hand-written style. Below it in all caps are the letters PHOTO CO. The logo is navy blue.
10 Photos: $4.74
$0.15 4x6s + $3.24 to ship
9-12 days
85%
Walgreens logo. It’s only the word Walgreens with no other mark. The logo is bright red and in a cursive font. The W in Walgreens is uppercase and the rest is lowercase.
10 Photos: $4.29
$0.23 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
7-9 days
85%
Winkflash logo. It’s in all lowercase. There’s a small icon to the left of the logo which appears to be a piece of square paper almost falling to the ground with a little winking face. The word wink is in a typewriter-type font and grey. The word flash (they’re together: winkflash) is a neon green color in the same font.
10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days
85%
RitzPix logo. The logo is in all caps and italicized: RITZPIX. The word Ritz is bright red. The word PIX is black. The X has a unique stylistic choice with the upper-right corner of the X floating, as if cut off.
10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days
85%
Mailpix logo. A relatively dense logo design. An icon of a smart phone with three boxes floating above it is on the left side of the logo. The boxes are teal, green, and orange. The word mailpix is all lowercase. The word mail is black and pix is teal. There’s text below mailpix but it’s so small it’s not legible.
10 Photos: $4.39
$0.24 4x6s + $1.99 to ship
10-12 days
80%
Walmart logo. The word Walmart is in a black, bold sans-serif font. Next to it is a series of lines forming a circle. They’re yellow with rounded edges.
10 Photos: $4.90
$0.09 4x6s + $4.00 to ship
7-9 days
80%
CVS logo. There are three elements to the logo: A heart, CVS, and the word pharmacy. The heart is boxy, with square edges on the top opposed to a normal heart with rounded corners. The letters CVS are bold and positioned next to the heart. Below the heart and CVS is the word pharmacy in smaller text.
10 Photos: $4.78
$0.33 4x6s + $1.48 to ship
5-9 days
80%
FreePrints logo. On the left side of the logo is a square, teal icon. There appears to be a simple butterfly icon inside the teal square. Then the word Free in green and Prints right next to the word Free (FreePrints) in the same teal color as the box and italic.
10 Photos: $2.99
$0.00 4x6s + $2.99 to ship
5-7 days
80%
Artifact Uprising logo. Very thin typeface. All grey. The words ARTIFACT and UPRISING are stacked above one another with a thin grey line between them.
10 Photos: $20.99
$1.40 4x6s + $6.99 to ship
8-12 days
75%
Snapfish logo. It contains two elements: A small fish icon and the word Snapfish. The fish is facing to the right and is teal with a grey fin. The eyeball is also grey. The word Snapfish is positioned below the fish.
10 Photos: $4.99
$0.09 4x6s + $4.09 to ship
9-12 days
70%
Amazon’s logo. The word amazon is all lowercase in black. An arrow is below the word amazon, beginning at the letter m and swooping in a dip up into the letter z. The letter z and the point of the arrow are nearly merged together.
10 Photos: $1.20
$0.12 4x6s + $0.00 to ship
5-6 days for Prime members
7-9 days without Prime
70%
Parabo logo. The logo is a dark grey, nearly black. The word parabo is all lower case and in a clean, handwritten style cursive. The word PRESS floats to the right of parabo in a smaller text using a sans serif font.
10 Photos: $13.00
$0.50 4x6s + $8.00 to ship
14-17 days
65%
York photo logo. The logo is in all caps. The word YORK takes up the entire width of the logo. Below it are 3 small squares (below the YO) and PHOTO.COM. The logo has a bevel effect and is a combination of orange and yellow.
10 Photos: $2.64
$0.09 4x6s + $1.74 to ship
3-10 days
45%
chatbooks logo. The font is similar to that used by Apple, a bold sans-serif font. It’s all lowercase. To the top right of the word chatbooks, above the s, are two turquoise chat bubbles.
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

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