Digital photo frames are so boring… but I have a solution

I’ve just reviewed the Pix-Star Lux 17-inch photo frame and two things struck me about it above all else. The first is that it’s very, very big, measuring (as the name suggests) 17 inches across the diagonal. To put that in context, that’s a little more than an A3 sheet of paper, so if you were considering buying one of the best A3 printers to display your prints, this could be an intriguing alternative way to show off your entire portfolio.

The second is that the surrounding bezel is really quite fancy, with a contoured design that flies in the face of the minimalist thin-black-bezel-with-paper-like-white-inset ethos that every other frame I’ve reviewed recently seems to have. My buying guide to the best digital photo frames is full of them.

Hats off to Pix-Star, I say. After all, when buying a traditional (non-electronic) photo frame to pop your prints into, it’s the design of the frame that will be the main buying criterion. My own shelves are full of ornate carved wooden frames, glitzy gold ones, ones with mirrored mosaic tiles surrounding the print, you name it.

But then again, what determines a tasteful frame is, well, a matter of taste. What one person might consider a beautiful design worthy of pride of place on their mantelpiece might have the opposite effect on another, which probably goes a long way to explain why most digital photo frame makers err on the side of caution and decide to keep things simple.

I have a solution: a frame within a frame. Surely it would be an easy matter to have a range of clip-on outer frames that a digital photo frame sits within? They could be sold as accessories, or a selection could be bundled with a digital photo frame for the user to customize to their heart's desire. Samsung does this with its The Frame range of TVs – which can also function as wall-mounted digital photo frames. But this option simly isn't available on smaller frames so far…

In the meantime, if you're fed up of boring 'classic' photo frames, the Pix-Star Lux 17-inch is the one to get.

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Want to show off your photos, but don't like digital frames? Take a look at the best photo books and best photo printing online services, or make your own physical prints with the best photo printers.