Are you looking to create some unique artworks with your photos? From designing to printing, find out about my experience creating photo gifts with MYPICTURE.co.uk.
One of the aspects of travel blogging that I love the most is the photography. It’s so wonderful to have the job of capturing the planet’s natural beauty in unique images, that in turn have the power to transport you guys to that destination. I adore snapping pictures for this blog and my social media, and I often hear that they help you plan and research your trips.
The sad part? These days most photos are destined to stay on a hard drive or phone. Well, that doesn’t have to be their fate! MYPICTURE.co.uk offer a range of photo-based products, from stunning photo books and canvases, to mugs, cushions and even Christmas baubles! I was invited to test out their products, and create some unique photo gifts of my own.
We’ve just returned from an epic month-long trip to Vietnam and Thailand. We were lucky enough to visit some of the most beautiful places in each country! One of the things that made it extra special was the fact we were exploring with our 8-month-old son, Cooper. It was our biggest trip as a family yet, and it was jam-packed full of amazing moments and mini milestones.
From seeing the sunrise in Halong Bay and eating our bodyweight in tasty Vietnamese food in Hoi An, to island escapes in Thailand, there were so many special memories. I returned home with thousands of photos from that month away. It felt sad to only look back at them on a phone or computer – I wanted physical copies!
So, I decided to use MYPICTURE.co.uk to create a few photo gifts from the trip. I’ve been delighted with the results! If you’ve been on an amazing trip and are thinking of making a photo book or creating some wall prints to immortalise it, I’ll be sharing a little about how the process works and a few tips for the best results.
Designing a photo book with MYPICTURE.co.uk
The MYPICTURE.co.uk website is very easy to use. From the homepage you’ll see all the different products you can design. I was amazed by how many options there were! You can add your photos to everything from canvases and calendars, to photo books, mugs, cushions and even jigsaw puzzles!
I started by creating my Vietnam and Thailand photo book. Once you begin the design process, you’ll see a range of categories along the top of the screen. These include holidays, kids, family and romance. I selected holidays and it offered me a selection of templates for my photo book. I really liked the ‘map of the world’ template, which had a tasteful map illustration as the background for the pages. The photos also had a white frame around, similar to that of a Polaroid.
Once I’d selected the template, it was time to choose the size of the book and the print quality. I chose the digital print quality as I wanted the best for these special memories! I also picked to print in portrait as I knew a lot of the photos from my trip were taken in that orientation. It’s definitely worth thinking about that when you’re choosing the orientation of your book.
I selected an A4 hardcover book, but it’s worth bearing in mind there are cheaper options if you’d prefer a soft cover, booklet or ring binder style. These books come with 24 pages as standard, but you can add extras for a small cost per page.
Then it was time to upload my photos and design the pages of my photo book. I created one folder on my laptop with all the pictures in, then uploaded that to the website. I think this is the easiest way to do things, so you’re not uploading photos individually. Once they’re all in your library, you can drop them into the frames on each page.
If you’re designing any photo products I’d highly recommend uploading your images in the highest resolution possible. This will guarantee the best print finish and avoid any graininess or pixelation.
I customised the design of my Vietnam and Thailand photo book by adding some graphics, the place names in text, and changing the layout (to have more than 1 photo on some pages). I also had so many gorgeous photos to include, that I chose to add a few extra pages to my photo book.
The book arrived in under a week and I’m so pleased with the results! The print quality and design feel really high end. The colours are really vibrant – just as they were when I was in the destinations! As I flicked through the pages, I felt quite emotional looking back at all the special moments we shared in Asia. I know this photo book is an item I’ll look back at for years to come.
Designing wall prints with MYPICTURE.co.uk
As I enjoyed designing my photo book so much, I couldn’t resist creating a few other products too! I loved the look of the MIXPIX Photo Tiles. These are 20 x 20 cm lightfoam tiles which come with a magnetic hanging system (hurrah for no nails in the wall!) They have a nice depth to them and I loved the look of the designs on the website, where they show a large wall space with lots of these photo tiles hung in a grid system.
I decided to order a set of four, using my favourite images from our time in Asia. They come printed with a white border and a black frame. For a reasonable price and no DIY skills, I think this is a really effective way to add travel prints to your walls at home.
As I wanted to truly test out the service and quality, I also ordered a couple of framed 20 x 20 cm photos. Not only was the quality of the printing outstanding, but the white frames I selected look smart too. I think these would make gorgeous gifts… in fact, one is going to my mum soon (I hope she’s not reading this or it’ll spoil the surprise!)
Novelty photo gifts from MYPICTURE.co.uk
I’m a sucker for a novelty gift! When I saw I could create a photo bauble, I couldn’t resist but add this to my order. For a small cost, I’d have something cute and unique for the tree each Christmas! I picked my favourite photo of our son from when he was just a few months old, and added that to the order.
I love this idea! That as Cooper grows up and helps to decorate the Christmas tree, there will be this little memory of him as a baby. How adorable is that?
My thoughts on using MYPICTURE.co.uk
I was really impressed with the functionality of the website. From uploading to designing, the process was simple and intuitive. It was also easy to create multiple items using the same photos uploaded to my account.
In terms of pricing, I thought the items were very reasonable, particularly as there are often offers available. I’ve even got a discount for you below, so be sure to take advantage of that if you’re ordering soon!
Another thing I really liked was how each of the products was dispatched when it was ready. This meant a few items arrived within days of ordering. So quick!
All items arrived in sturdy packaging. Each item was wrapped in protective plastic, with a little sticker saying ‘Made with love in Cologne’. There was even a hand-written card with some of them, saying ‘We hope you enjoy reminiscing about your precious memories. How lovely to have such a personal touch! I thought that was very sweet.
Get 15% off with a MYPICTURE Discount Code
I really enjoyed the process of creating my photo gifts and I’m really happy with the results. If you’d like to turn some of your favourite memories into photo gifts, I’ve got a great discount for you.
Just use the code CHLOE15 when you check out and you’ll get an extra 15% off all products on MYPICTURE.co.uk. You can use this code as many times as you like throughout the year, and it’s valid on top of any active sales too. You can use it up until 31.12.2024. Have fun shopping – I certainly did!