The best photo calendars not only help you keep on top of important dates, birthdays and special occasions, but they're also a great way of exhibiting your favorite photos. There are plenty of styles to choose from including family planners, photo calendars and daily appointment calendars. We've put together a list of the best photo calendar printing services to help you get a head start on your next calendar.
A personalized calendar is a great way of noting down important dates and sharing your favorite memories. They make brilliant presents, they're easy to make and they're surprisingly affordable!
If you're a design whuzz you can make one from scratch or if you're less creatively inclined there are usually a wide range of templates to choose from. Most sites have an online editor where you can easily upload or import images from Google Drive, Facebook, Instagram or Flickr. A few of the services listed below recommend you download purpose-made software but if you're not tech-savvy don't worry, there is an online editing option. There are lots of styles, sizes and designs to choose from but the hardest bit will be selecting the best photos to include!
If you're wondering where to go to get the best photo calendar printed don't worry, we've put together a list rounding up the best companies that offer this service. Prices vary depending on size and style and many of the companies below will have optional extras such as better quality paper.
To find out the best photo calendar printing services in 2023, read below.
The best photo calendars in 2023
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Easiest to use
We were very impressed with Mixbook's photo calendar service. Creating your calendar is super easy, just select the photos you wish yo upload and start arranging them on your calendar using a drag-and-drop system. You can adjust brightness, saturation and the crop of your image using a simple set of editing tools or even apply a filter or individual date box.
Most of the calendars included on this list don't have back covered but the calendars from Mixbook do which is a big yes from us - the more images you can include the better. There is a wide range of fonts and color schemes to choose from and pretty much everything can be customized to suit you. One of the things that we did find frustrating was that after using a photo it's removed from the photos window so you can't reuse an image without uploading it again.
Considering it was shipping from the US to the UK, the photo calendar arrived pretty quickly - which is perfect if you've got some last-minute ordering to do before Christmas.
The quality of the calendar was also very good. All of the images printed sharply and clearly, and all the colors were true to life as well. The paper felt reassuringly heavy and the design of the calendar section itself was nice and clean with plenty of space to write.
• Order a calendar from Mixbook
Best for customization
A close contender to Mixbook's No.1 photo calendar crown, Snapfish's offering has ultimate customization power and a plethora of templates and designs to dizzy and delight you. From delicate seasonal illustrations to specially designed family-orientated templates, Snapfish is the perfect company to choose if you're looking to print family snapshots.
However, what makes Snapfish such a strong option for family photos also lets it down for more serious photographers. Our only real problem with Snapfish is that amidst all the various templates and illustrated designs it can be difficult to create a simple and clean calendar that lets the focus shine on the photos themselves. While you can fudge the effect you want through customizing the design, this is what nudges Snapfish to our number two slot.
That being said, we really did enjoy using Snapfish's calendar service. One of the small touches that we particularly liked was the fact that you can add a photo to a particular date box and then add a stylishly designed caption on top - such as "The day we first met" or "Helen's birthday", etc.
All in all, Snapfish is easy to use and has plenty of customization options - if only there was a really beautifully designed classic option for more serious photographers, and Snapfish would have grabbed our number one slot.
• Order a calendar from Snapfish
Best for convenience
If you're a US customer looking for convenience and supreme customization, Walmart may very well be your best bet. Super easy to use, Walmart's photo calendar service allows you to begin creating your calendar while your images are still uploading in the side window (which is very helpful when you're uploading multiple shots).
One of the best things about Walmart's service is that you have a ton of design and layout options to choose from. While we only created wall calendars for each of the services we tried, Walmart even offers desk and easel options for those who want to take their calendar to the next level.
Some fun little quirks that we particularly like are that you can add photos to the dates squares, you can edit the back cover of the calendar and you can add text anywhere you like on the calendar as well. One of the best parts of the text tool is that you can choose exactly what shade you'd like to write it by controlling the Hue, Saturation and Lightness sliders.
Overall, Walmart offers an easy-to-use service with a good range of designs and layouts, and plenty of customization options. If you live in the US, it's definitely worth trying out Walmart's photo calendar service.
• Order a calendar from Walmart
Best for simple calendars
Social Print Studio is the place to go to if you want a clean, simple, streamlined process without any superfluous frills. While you don't have many options regarding calendar format or size (okay, you have precisely one singular option…), what you are able to work with is beautifully designed.
Besides a weird quirk where you have to upload the photo for the cover and the images for the inside pages separately, Social Print Studio's system is really easy to use. While their website automatically fills each month's photo for you, you can easily change the order by clicking two frames to make the shots within them swap.
Unfortunately, unlike Mixbook's service, you're unable to add a photo to the back of the calendar as well. However, you are able to choose whether you want national holidays in your calendar - although be aware that you can only select US holidays.
Overall, Social Print Service is a great option if you're not too bothered about customizing your calendar with lots of extra options.
• Order a calendar from Social Print Studio
Best value
If you're looking for a budget-friendly photo calendar printing service, Vistaprint has you covered. Prices start from $15.99 for a mini wall calendar and go up to $44.99 for an extra-large wall calendar.
The editing software looks very similar to any other photo calendar design software. There is a sidebar that contains all the tools and images you would need to create your masterpiece. You can add frames and masks to your pictures if you feel like jazzing up your images up and you can also select different layouts to display your images.
You can whether you want to have a plain colored background or a textured effect such as sand, snow or wood. If you're including lots of images it's probably best to go for something a bit simpler so that your images are the main attraction.
Considering these calendars are so well priced, there are a lot of customizable options that mean you can design every aspect of the calendar. Delivery is charged depending on how much you spend. Standard delivery starts at $5.99 and takes 8-10 working days while express delivery starts at $20.99 and takes just four working days.
FAQs
What paper should I choose?
When creating a personalized calendar you will likely be given several options of paper for printing on. While the cheapest may be the most appealing to your bank account, splashing out a little extra can give a much more high-end look to the final product.
It's much easier to write on matte paper than glossy so if there's a section for noting down dates it might be worth going for matte instead but if it's all about the photos glossy or lustre can give a really nice shiny finish.
What different types of calendar are there?
Desk Calendar - a small calendar perfect for someone's desk showing a picture and days of the month
Wall Calendar - They come with an easily hangable binding and usually you can choose from a single or double-page option
Kitchen Calendar - Perfect for busy families as there's room for dotting down important diary dates, events and schedules
