Printing Photo Books in Australia: My Five Favourite Printers

Printing photo books in Australia comes with its own quirks — the dollar conversion, the shipping, and printers you have never heard of in the US. Creative Team member Michelle James shares the five Australian printers she trusts.

This week, aA Creative Team member Michelle James shares her hard-won guide to printing photo books in Australia. Indeed, she has ordered from every printer on this list, so these are real recommendations from real books on her shelf. Over to Michelle.

To begin with, options for printing photo books in Australia are different from what you will find in the United States. Partly, that is the dollar conversion, which can make a US printer cost-prohibitive by the time your book crosses the Pacific. In addition, the cost and availability of international shipping matter — indeed, sometimes the postage costs more than the book itself.

Quick Jump — Table of Contents

• → Why Printing Photo Books in Australia Is Different
• → 1. Mixbook — Best Quality
• → 2. Blurb — Best All-Rounder
• → 3. PhotoBooks R Us — Best Voucher Value
• → 4. Big W Photos — Best Budget Pick
• → 5. Snapfish Australia — Most Economical
• → Final Thoughts on Printing Photo Books in Australia

Why Printing Photo Books in Australia Is Different

Fortunately, we have excellent local options. Because I have printed many photobooks here in Australia, I can tell you that while the experience varies from printer to printer, the process itself is broadly similar. First, you design your pages — most digital scrapbookers work at 12×12 (30×30cm). Then you export finished JPGs and upload them. After that, it simply comes down to price, paper, and where the book ships from. If you are new to that part, my guide on how to print digital scrapbook pages walks through it.

Of course, when you read a US guide to the best photo book printing services, the prices look wonderful — until you convert them and add freight. Therefore it pays to know the printers who price in Australian dollars and print locally. Below, then, are my five favourites, and every one of them has helpful, responsive customer service.

Printer 01 — Best Quality

Mixbook

First up, Mixbook prints beautiful photo books and, in my experience, offers the best quality of my five favourites. You will find it at mixbook.com, where prices are shown in Australian dollars. To make a book, you use their online editor and then upload the JPGs of your finished pages.

• → Specials: First, sign up for the newsletter and watch the top of the site, because discounts of up to around 45% appear regularly.
• → Spine: In addition, Mixbook prints your title on the spine, though with a limited choice of fonts.
• → Upgrades: For a fee, you can also upgrade the paper or choose a lay-flat album.
• → Page count: Notably, standard books run up to around 399 pages and lay-flat about 99, while the minimum is just 10 — which makes Mixbook lovely for small books too.
• → Shipping: Finally, at the time of writing, a 12×12 book ships for about $14.95 standard or $20.95 express.

Overall, Mixbook is my absolute favourite for quality. However, the price is the catch — it is the most expensive of the five, so I save it for the books I most want to last.

Printer 02 — Best All-Rounder

Printing photo books in Australia: Blurb

Next, Blurb is a wonderful option, because it pairs professional quality with a reasonable price. The Australian storefront sits at au.blurb.com, priced in Australian dollars. Instead of an online editor, Blurb gives you a free downloadable program called BookWright, which is extremely easy to use.

• → Workflow: For instance, you can add pages as you make them, then send the whole book to print in a single upload when you are happy.
• → Specials: Meanwhile, the newsletter and home page carry regular deals, usually between 30 and 50% off.
• → Spine & upgrades: In addition, Blurb prints the title on the spine, and for a small charge you can upgrade the paper or choose lay-flat.
• → Page count: Specifically, standard paper runs up to around 440 pages, the heavier stocks about 240, and lay-flat roughly 110, while the minimum is 20.
• → Shipping: Best of all, it is very reasonable — around $14.29 standard or $21.99 express for one 12×12 book at the time of writing.

Ultimately, Blurb is my personal favourite. Not only does it produce beautiful books at a mid-range cost, but the BookWright workflow also suits the way I build a book page by page.

Printer 03 — Best Voucher Value

PhotoBooks R Us

Thirdly, PhotoBooks R Us is Australian owned and operated, and therefore an excellent option for quality printing at a lower price. As with the others, you create your book in a free downloadable program and then upload your finished JPGs.

• → Vouchers are the trick: Specifically, their best prices come from buying a pre-paid voucher for the size you plan to make. Because these are heavily discounted — currently up to around 84% off the recommended retail price — they are the way to save.
• → Timing: So subscribe to the newsletter for the best voucher deals, and remember you then have three months from purchase to upload your book.
• → Spine: However, they do not print your title on the spine.
• → Upgrades: On the plus side, you can upgrade to higher-quality paper and to lay-flat, and they print a 12×12 (30×30cm) hardcover.
• → Pages & shipping: Finally, a 12×12 holds up to around 240 pages, the minimum is 20, and shipping is included in the voucher price — so there is nothing further to pay when you order.

Printer 04 — Best Budget Pick

Big W Photos

Fourthly, Big W Photos was the first printer I used in Australia, and it still offers excellent value — especially for the budget-conscious or for gift albums. You will find it at bigwphotos.com.au, where you import your finished JPGs through their online editor.

• → Specials: First, subscribe to the newsletter for their best prices. “Buy Now, Create Later” is the deal to wait for, because it brings significant savings plus three months to build your book.
• → Formats: Notably, since I first wrote this, Big W has expanded — they now offer hardcover books and a Premium Layflat range, so the lay-flat option I once wished for is finally here. Even so, do check their current spine-printing options when you order.
• → Page count: Roughly, a 12×12 hardcover holds around 120 pages, while the premium padded hardcover holds about 100, with a minimum of 20.
• → Shipping: Better still, delivery to your nearest Big W store is free, or home delivery runs about $7.95 standard or $24.95 express.

Printer 05 — Most Economical

Snapfish Australia

Finally, Snapfish Australia is the economical choice, and therefore a suitable pick for all kinds of printed albums. Once again, you import your finished JPGs through a free online editor.

• → Specials: First, the newsletter is where the deals live, because Snapfish regularly runs up to 60% off the total price.
• → Spine: In addition, Snapfish does print your title on the spine.
• → Choices: Moreover, there are three paper finishes and four cover styles to pick from.
• → Page count: Specifically, a 12×12 hardcover holds up to around 150 pages, with a minimum of 20.
• → Shipping: Best of all, it is very economical — around $5.95 standard or $9.95 express.

Final Thoughts on Printing Photo Books in Australia

Overall, there are many quality options for printing photo books in Australia, and these are my top five. Because I have printed with every one of them, I can honestly say I have been happy with the results each time — indeed, they range from top-quality paper right down to budget-friendly deals from a more economical printer.

To sum up, Blurb is my personal favourite for beautiful books at a mid-range cost. Mixbook, meanwhile, is the finest quality, though it costs more. Finally, PhotoBooks R Us, Big W Photos, and Snapfish Australia are all strong choices when you are watching the budget or making gift albums.

Most of all, do print your work. So enjoy creating your digital scrapbooking and photo artistry, and then finish the process by holding it in your hands. After all, printing is the final step, and an integral one. Indeed, it is so rewarding to open a box and find your pages made real.

Printing outside Australia? For a start, have a look at my roundup of the best photo book printing services, and then the companion guide to photo book sizes and formats. New to all of this? In that case, start with digital scrapbooking for beginners.