In the digital era, you have the ability to take hundreds of pictures without wasting film. Of those, you’re bound to have at least a handful worth saving, printing, displaying and gifting. The problem is that most of us are so busy, we never get around to printing any of them, not even the best ones we’ve taken.

Not only does it mean more work down the road to sort through thousands of archived images, it also means we’re no longer displaying and sharing some of life’s personal and most precious moments.

10 Reasons to Print Your Favorite Photos Right Now

1. JPEG files (.jpg) can deteriorate over time.

Most non-pro photographers are unaware that the quality of JPEGs (.jpg) files can degrade over time. This occurs in many programs when you use the “save as” feature because the software automatically compresses the file. Also, JPEG images are slightly degraded every time you open, edit and save them again. Thus, the clearest image you’re likely to have is the one first rendered and saved on your camera, phone, cloud, etc. Printing it now means printing the highest-quality version of your photographs.

2. Technology is not perfect.

Regardless of how hard the folks at Google, iCloud, Dropbox, etc., work to create a failsafe system, the reality is that no system is ever 100% failsafe. While we love the idea of security and permanent preservation that digital files seem to offer, the reality is any platform can crash, or go out of business, or hike their prices beyond what you can afford. It would be devastating to have your photo files disappear from a cloud or photo hosting site before you’ve printed them – and there’s no way to reclaim them once they’re lost.

3. Your computer will crash

Similarly, every computer will eventually crash. So, as with #2, if you haven’t printed the photos before that happens – or before properly backing them up – they disappear into the ethers.

4. You’re not really looking at them

You know who delights in looking at photos of themselves on your phone over and over again? Your kids! Ironically, we adults rarely delve into them for any length of time unless we’re fresh from a vacation, or wedding, or another special event and want to show someone who’s interested. If you don’t print them, you’re not really looking at them, and that’s a waste of great photos. I’m 100% certain that if any you hang memorable photos on the wall, or have a few albums made up for the family room end tables, they’ll be looked at all the time.

5. Albums are valuable memory holders and keepers

Photo albums are kept, looked at, talked about and serve as a bonding tool for years, decades and by multiple generations. They are the things we look at when mourning a beloved family member or friend who’s passed away, they’re the memories we review for anniversaries and birthdays, and photo collections are the means of introducing our children to past generations or individuals they never had the honor to meet.

When you don’t print those photographs out, document them and save them in physical form, there is no way others can appreciate them or reclaim their own memories in the future.

6. Grandparents and relatives love physical photos

Most of us only have easy access to the photos we’ve taken ourselves. But grandparents and relatives who live far away love to keep framed photos on their walls, or a simple printed photo on the fridge. Printed photographs offer a way to share our loved ones with others, and a way to feel connected with loved ones who live far away on a daily basis.

7. You have the ability to create a smart, picture-perfect collection

Since you do have hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of photos in your archives, a few hours of organizing allows you to create a very smart, efficient and picture-perfect collection by year, by a series of years, etc. Didn’t do such a great job keeping up the baby books (especially after Child #2 comes along)? You can make up for that by sorting through the archives and assembling personalized albums for each child instead. They’ll love them! (and their future partners will love them too!)

8. Printing and album-making has never been easier

Producing professional-quality prints or albums is easier than ever with the help of affordable, online photo/album printing websites (Snapfish, Shutterfly, Nations Photo, Canvas Pop, etc.). Once the photos are uploaded, edit them and arrange them in creative displays – including captions or not. You can choose to have the prints and/or albums sent to you – or you can have them sent directly to the grandparents – easy-breezy!

9. You can customize the final photo size

When you take high-quality, high-resolution photos – you can print them in custom sizes with impressive results. Have a spectacular shot of your child under the water? Of your newborn’s sweet little toes? Of the dog catching a ball in mid-air? Print it large and be amazed. Have an unbelievably precious picture? Consider having it printed on canvas to showcase its artistic appeal.

10. Photos can be edited to perfection!

Last but most certainly not least, even the most basic digital photo programs give you the opportunity to edit photos to perfection, making up for anything the immediate moment lacked. You can adjust lighting, color saturation, add cool effects, eliminate red-eyes, etc. Who doesn’t want to print out their best picture ever?

Are you worried you won’t be able to capture photos of your pregnancy or newborn that are worth printing? Contact me here at Lemonshoots. We specialize in artistic, beautiful and emotionally compelling photos in printed form. We work with the best labs in the world to provide you with the highest-quality albums, prints and wall art of your most precious moments, so you can enjoy them for generations to come.

10 Reasons Why You Really Should Print Digital Photos