Shutterfly Mounted Wall Art: Custom Photo Mount Service

Okay so I just helped my sister order a bunch of Shutterfly mounted prints for her new apartment last month and honestly I learned way more than I expected about their whole system, so let me dump everything I figured out.

The Actual Mounting Options They Offer

First thing – Shutterfly has like three different mounting options and they do NOT make it clear what the difference is. You’ve got the regular mounted prints which are basically your photo printed and stuck to a rigid backing board. Then there’s canvas prints which are stretched over wooden frames. And then – this is the one I actually prefer – the metal prints where they infuse the image onto aluminum sheets.

The mounted prints come in two finishes, matte or glossy. I always go matte because glossy shows every single fingerprint and if you have kids or you’re like me and touch everything constantly, it’s gonna drive you nuts. The matte finish also photographs better if you’re trying to show off your space on Instagram or whatever.

Size Options and What Actually Works

They offer everything from 5×7 up to like 30×40 which sounds amazing until you actually try to hang a 30×40 on your wall and realize how massive that is. I did a 20×30 for a client’s dining room and even THAT felt huge. My advice is always go smaller than you think you need, especially if you’re doing a gallery wall situation.

The 11×14 and 16×20 sizes are the sweet spot honestly. They’re big enough to make an impact but not so big that you need to rearrange your whole room around them. Oh and another thing – their sizes don’t always match standard frame sizes which is annoying if you ever want to switch things up later.

How to Actually Order Without Messing It Up

So the upload process seems straightforward but there’s some stuff you gotta know. First, your image resolution matters SO much more than with regular prints. I made the mistake of using an iPhone photo for a 16×20 the first time and you could see the pixelation from across the room. They don’t really stop you from uploading low-res images which seems like a design flaw to me.

Here’s what I do now:

• Check the image resolution before uploading – you want at least 1800×2400 pixels for a 12×16
• Use their editing tools MINIMALLY because they’re honestly not great
• If your photo looks good on your computer screen, brighten it by like 10% because prints always come out slightly darker
• Save your project as you go because their website logged me out once and I lost everything

The cropping tool is weird and takes some getting used to. It doesn’t always show you exactly what’s gonna get cut off. I learned this the hard way when I lost the top of someone’s head in a family photo because I didn’t zoom out enough in the preview.

The Editor Interface Thing

Their design interface is… fine? It’s not intuitive if you’re used to professional editing software but it’s better than some other services I’ve tried. You can add text which I almost never do because it usually looks cheesy, but I did use it once for a client who wanted a quote overlay and it turned out okay.

Wait I forgot to mention – they have templates which can actually be helpful if you’re doing something like a travel collage or a year-in-review type thing. I used one for my mom’s birthday present with like 6 smaller photos arranged nicely and it saved me from having to figure out the layout myself.

Material Quality Real Talk

The mounting board they use is pretty sturdy. It’s not like foam core that’s gonna bend if you look at it wrong. More like a thick cardboard situation but reinforced. My cat knocked one off the dresser – don’t ask how, she’s chaos incarnate – and it didn’t bend or crack which was impressive.

The print quality itself is really good for the price point. Colors come through vibrant, blacks are actually black not gray. I’ve compared them side by side with prints from more expensive services and yeah those are better but like… marginally? For most people hanging stuff in their house, the Shutterfly quality is totally fine.

Finish Differences You’ll Actually Notice

The matte finish has a slight texture to it which I love because it looks more expensive and artistic somehow. The glossy finish is very smooth and makes colors pop more but again, fingerprints and glare are issues. I had a glossy one in my hallway and depending on the time of day the glare from the window made it basically invisible.

One thing about the matte finish though – it shows dust more easily. Not a huge deal but if you’re particular about that stuff, just know you’ll be wiping it down occasionally.

Hanging These Things

Okay so this is gonna sound weird but the hanging hardware situation is actually pretty good. They come with these sawtooth hangers already attached to the back which is way better than having to figure it out yourself. The hangers are centered and sturdy.

For anything bigger than 11×14 I always use two nails instead of one because the sawtooth hanger lets the print tilt forward slightly if it’s only supported in the middle. Just put two nails a few inches apart and it sits flush against the wall.

I also use those 3M command strips for the smaller sizes because I move stuff around constantly and don’t want a million holes in my walls. The 8×10 and smaller work fine with the heavy duty strips.

Gallery Wall Strategy

If you’re doing a gallery wall with multiple mounted prints – and I’ve done SO many of these – order all of them at the same time. The color calibration can vary slightly between different print runs and if you order them months apart they might not match perfectly. It’s subtle but once you notice it you can’t unsee it.

Also map out your gallery wall on the floor first. Take a picture of the arrangement, then recreate it on the wall. I use painter’s tape to mark where each piece goes before I start hammering nails. Saves so much frustration and re-doing.

Pricing and When to Actually Order

Full price these are honestly kinda expensive but Shutterfly has sales literally constantly. I’ve never paid full price for anything from them. Sign up for their email list and just wait like a week, there’ll be a 40% off sale or free shipping or something.

They also do this thing where if you’re a new customer you get a better deal, so my sister created a new account with a different email to get the new customer discount. Is that against the rules? Maybe, but it worked.

The shipping costs can add up especially for larger sizes, so if you’re ordering multiple things do it all at once. I think shipping was like $9 for one print but only $12 for three prints which makes no sense but whatever.

Turnaround Time Reality Check

They say 5-7 business days for production plus shipping time. In my experience it’s usually closer to the 7 day mark. I ordered some on a Wednesday and they didn’t ship until the following Tuesday. So if you need something for a specific date, order at least two weeks ahead to be safe.

The tracking information is good though, and everything I’ve ordered has arrived in perfect condition. The packaging is really protective with foam corners and everything wrapped individually.

What Photos Actually Work Best

This is where my art curator brain kicks in – not every photo translates well to a large mounted print. High contrast images with clear subjects work best. Landscape photos, portraits with good lighting, architectural shots, close-ups of flowers or food.

What doesn’t work: busy scenes with tons of small details, photos taken in low light even if they look okay on your phone, anything with a lot of motion blur, selfies unless they’re really well composed.

I was watching The Great British Baking Show while sorting through photos for a client project – totally unrelated but it made me think about composition – and realized that the photos that work best for mounting have a clear focal point just like a good plated dessert. Everything else is supporting the main subject.

Color Considerations

Colors will look different printed than they do on your screen. This is just reality with any printing service. Blues tend to come out a bit darker, reds can be more vibrant. If you have a photo with a very specific color scheme that needs to match your room perfectly, order a small test print first.

I did this for a client who needed to match a specific shade of gray in her bedroom and the first print was too warm-toned so we adjusted it, ordered another sample, and then went ahead with the full size. Cost like an extra $12 but saved her from having a $60 print that didn’t work.

Comparing to Other Services Real Quick

I’ve also used Snapfish, Nations Photo Lab, and Artifact Uprising for mounted prints. Shutterfly falls right in the middle quality-wise but has the best sales. Nations Photo Lab is higher quality but more expensive and their interface is annoying. Artifact Uprising is beautiful but you’re paying a premium for the aesthetic packaging and marketing.

For most people doing prints for their own home, Shutterfly is the best value. For client work where I need absolute top quality, I go elsewhere. It’s all about knowing what you actually need versus what’s nice to have.

The Custom Shapes Thing

Oh wait I forgot to mention they also do custom shapes now – circles, ovals, hearts. I haven’t tried these personally because they feel a bit gimmicky to me but I could see them working for a kids room or maybe a really specific aesthetic. The circle ones might be cool for a series of portraits.

Just remember that if you’re doing a non-rectangular shape you need to plan your composition around that shape when you’re taking or choosing the photo. You can’t just crop a regular photo into a circle and expect it to look intentional.

Actual Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To

Ordered a mounted print of a beach sunset that looked amazing on my laptop but came out way too dark because I didn’t account for the brightness difference. Now I always do a brightness adjustment before ordering.

Used the auto-enhance feature thinking it would help and it made skin tones look orange and weird. Their auto tools are not sophisticated enough, just do manual adjustments.

Didn’t measure the wall space properly and ordered a print that was too big for the spot I wanted it. Measure twice, order once.

Forgot to rotate a photo that was sideways before ordering and it arrived sideways. You can’t rotate the mount after it’s made so now I have a sideways photo.

Tried to rush the process during a busy week and didn’t notice that one of the photos in a multi-photo order was super blurry until it arrived. Take your time reviewing everything.

Customer Service Experience

I’ve had to contact their customer service twice – once for a print that arrived damaged and once because I accidentally ordered the wrong size. Both times they were pretty helpful. The damaged print was replaced for free with expedited shipping. The wrong size situation was my fault but they gave me a discount code for the correct size which was nice of them.

Their chat support is faster than email. Email took like a day to get a response, chat was maybe 10 minutes of waiting.

Styling These Once They’re Up

Since I’m always thinking about how things look in a space – the mounted prints work best when they’re not the only element on a wall. I like to pair them with some dimensional objects like a small shelf, a mirror, or some wall sconces. Flat wall with just flat prints can look a bit boring.

For a more casual vibe, lean smaller mounted prints on shelves or mantels instead of hanging them. Layer them with other objects. This works especially well if you like to change things up frequently because you’re not committing to nail holes.

The mounted prints also work great in less obvious spots – bathroom walls, walk-in closets, home offices, behind a door in a bedroom. Don’t just default to living room and hallway.

Lighting makes a huge difference too. If you have a piece you really love, put a picture light above it or make sure there’s good ambient lighting nearby. A beautiful print in a dark corner isn’t doing anyone any favors.

Okay I think that’s everything I learned from my deep dive into Shutterfly mounted prints. It’s honestly a solid option if you go in knowing what to expect and how to navigate their system. Just wait for a sale, double-check your image quality, and don’t rush the design process.