Instagram has become quite a phenomenon in the past few years, with millions of photos being posted to it every day. Its users range from from serious, professional photographers with expensive and complicated DSLR cameras to casual, out-and-about snappers with smartphones always at the ready. Although acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram has thus far remained a free site, without registration fees or even ads (yet). However, a few companies have found ways to capitalize on the huge success of Instagram, and one of those companies is United Kingdom-based StickyGram. StickyGram uses your own Instagram photos to create photo magnets and ships them to you.
Click on any image to view a larger version.
Background
I’ve had an Instagram account since shortly after the site opened, but I didn’t get around to using it much until the fall of 2012. I’ve enjoyed snapping quick photos with my iPhone 4S, applying a filter and sharing them with other folks. The combination of creative and social aspects has been fun for me. When I heard about StickyGram, I thought I’d give it a try and have some of my favorite Instagram photos made into magnets to stick on our ‘fridge at home or on my desk cabinets at work.
Ordering Process
The Stickygram ordering process is simple and straightforward. First, visit the StickyGram web site, and once there, log into your Instagram account through the StickyGram site. StickyGram will then access your Instagram photo gallery and display your photos to you, and you will select the ones that you want to include on a sheet of photo magnets. You can continue to select photos for as many sheets as you would like, with each sheet containing 9 photos. Each sheet is $14.99US, with free worldwide shipping. You then enter your payment information and check out. Easy peasy. I placed an order for two sheets of photo magnets.
Packaging
The StickyGram photo magnets arrived in a simple envelope from the UK.
Contents
Inside the envelope were the two sheets of photo magnets that I had ordered, plus a small card showing the order.
The photos are printed on a standard thin and flexible magnetic backing and are pre-scored along the edges to allow for easy separation. Each one is strong enough to hold at least one, possibly up to three 8.5″ X 11″ sheets of paper on your ‘fridge, but any more than that would be pushing it.
The photo magnets are a matte or satin but not glossy finish, similar to if they had been printed with a laser printer. I think the matte, non-glossy finish may somewhat limit the photo quality, but glossy finish might increase the price.
The photo magnets are 50mm x 50mm square, which is just shy of 2 inches by 2 inches, and roughly the size that they appear on an iPhone’s screen.
The photos have good color and quite good resolution. If you look very closely at them, you can see some pixelation, but this is somewhat dependent on the quality of the images that are in your Instagram gallery in the first place. From a few feet away, they look quite good.
The StickyGram site estimates 5-12 working days for receipt of orders to North America, and mine arrived on the 5th or 6th working day, so quite quickly.
Conclusion
StickyGram is a service that uses the photos in your Instagram account to create a sheet of nine 2″ X 2″ photo magnets and ships them to you. StickyGram is onto something here. The ordering process from their site is simple, the reasonably-priced product arrives quickly, and is quite good quality. If you are an Instagram user, at only $14.99 per sheet of nine magnets, I would recommend giving StickyGram a try.
Product Information
| Price: | $14.99 per sheet of nine photo magnets |
| Manufacturer: | StickyGram |
| Requirements: |
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| Pros: |
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Filed in categories: Camera Gear, Reviews
Tagged: Instagram, Photo printing
StickyGram Instagram Photo Magnets review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 20, 2013 at 11:00 am.
Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/03/20/stickygram-instagram-photo-magnets-review/
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