How to Send Us the Highest Quality Photos

Great prints start with great files. When you upload a photo directly from your phone's camera roll, it automatically attaches at full resolution, no extra steps needed. But if someone else is sharing a photo with you (a friend, family member, or photographer), how they send it matters a lot. Text messages, social media, and even some email apps will quietly shrink or compress your image, which can lead to blurry, pixelated prints.

This guide walks through how to export and share photos at their highest quality from the most common apps and platforms.

Why This Matters

Every time a photo is compressed or resized, it loses detail. Detail you can't get back. A photo that looks fine on a phone screen can look noticeably soft or blocky when printed, especially at larger sizes. To get the best results, you want the original, uncompressed file.

The golden rule: Avoid texting photos whenever possible. iMessage and MMS both compress images significantly. Use one of the methods below instead.

iPhone / Apple Photos

Sharing via AirDrop (Best Option for iPhone-to-iPhone)

AirDrop transfers the original, full-resolution file with no compression.

1. Open the Photos app and select the photo(s).
2. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up).
3. In the AirDrop row, tap the recipient's name or device.
4. The recipient accepts the transfer, and the full-quality image saves to their Photos app.

Exporting the Original File

If you need to save the image as a file (for example, to upload it to our website):

1. Open the Photos app and select the photo.
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Tap Save to Files.
4. Choose a location (such as iCloud Drive or On My iPhone) and tap Save.
5. Upload that file directly to our site.

Sharing via iCloud Link (Best for Sending to Android Users or by Email)

1. Open the Photos app and select the photo(s).
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Scroll down and tap Copy iCloud Link.
4. Wait a moment for the link to generate, then paste it into a text, email, or message.
5. The recipient can open the link and download the full-resolution original.

Important iPhone Settings to Check

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Photos (or Settings > Photos on older iOS versions).
2. Under Transfer to Mac or PC, make sure Keep Originals is selected (not Automatic, which may convert HEIC files and reduce quality).

Android / Google Photos

Sharing via Google Photos Link (Best Method)

Google Photos links share the original quality file, as long as the original was backed up.

1. Open the Google Photos app and select the photo(s).
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Tap Create link.
4. Send that link to the person who needs the file.
5. The recipient opens the link, taps the photo to view it full-size, then taps the three-dot menu and selects Download.

Exporting the Original File on Android

1. Open Google Photos and select the photo.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the upper right.
3. Tap Download (if the photo is backed up to the cloud). This saves the original to your device.
4. Alternatively, tap Share > Save to Files or Share to a cloud storage app like Google Drive.

Check Your Google Photos Backup Quality

If photos were backed up at reduced quality, the originals may not be available in the cloud.

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper right, then tap Photos settings.
3. Tap Backup and check the backup quality. Original quality preserves the full file. Storage saver compresses images.
4. If your backup is set to Storage saver, the best option is to share the photo directly from the device before it syncs, or use a file-sharing method below.

Sharing Between Platforms (iPhone ↔ Android)

When you can't AirDrop, use one of these methods to avoid compression.

Google Drive

1. Open the Google Drive app (available on both iPhone and Android).
2. Tap the + button, then tap Upload.
3. Select the photo from your camera roll.
4. Once uploaded, tap the three-dot menu next to the file and select Share or Copy link.
5. Send the link to the recipient. They can download the original file.

iCloud.com (From iPhone to Anyone)

1. Use the Copy iCloud Link method described in the iPhone section above.
2. Anyone, including Android users, can open the link in a browser and download the file.

Email (With Caution)

Email can work, but some email apps compress attachments.

• Apple Mail: When attaching a photo, if prompted for size, always choose Actual Size.
• Gmail: Attachments under 25 MB are sent at original quality. For larger files, Gmail automatically uploads to Google Drive and shares a link, which preserves quality.
• Outlook: Similar to Gmail, files under 20 MB attach directly. Choose Use original size if prompted.

Tip: If you're emailing a photo, attach the file rather than pasting it into the body of the email. Inline images are often compressed.

Sending from a Computer

Mac

1. Open the photo in Photos, Preview, or Finder.
2. If using Photos: select the image, go to File > Export > Export Unmodified Original to save the exact original file.
3. Upload that file directly to our website, or share via Google Drive, Dropbox, or email.

Windows

1. Locate the photo in File Explorer. Photos taken on the device or transferred from a phone are typically already at full resolution.
2. Right-click the image and select Properties to verify the resolution and file size. Larger file sizes generally indicate better quality.
3. Upload the original file directly, or share via Google Drive, OneDrive, or email.

From Google Photos on the Web

1. Go to photos.google.com in your browser.
2. Select the photo.
3. Click the three-dot menu in the upper right and select Download. This saves the highest-quality version available.

From iCloud Photos on the Web

1. Go to icloud.com/photos in your browser and sign in.
2. Select the photo.
3. Click the Download button (cloud icon with a down arrow). This downloads the original file.

Methods to Avoid

These common sharing methods compress your photos and should be avoided when image quality matters:

• Text messages (SMS/MMS): Heavily compresses images, often reducing them to under 1 MB regardless of the original size.
• iMessage: Better than SMS, but still applies some compression. Use AirDrop or iCloud links instead.
• Social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.): All social platforms compress uploaded images. Never download a photo from social media and submit it for printing.
• Screenshots: Taking a screenshot of a photo captures it at your screen's resolution, not the photo's original resolution. Always share the original file.
• WhatsApp: Compresses images by default. If you must use WhatsApp, send the photo as a Document rather than as a photo. This preserves the original file. To do this, tap the attachment icon, choose Document, then browse to the photo file.

Quick Reference

Still Not Sure?

When in doubt, the safest approach is to upload the photo to Google Drive or iCloud and share the download link. This guarantees the recipient gets the original file. If you have any questions about whether your file is high enough quality for your order, feel free to reach out to us. We're happy to check before printing.