Thanks to smartphones, around 1.2 trillion photos were taken last year and it’s estimated that another 1.7 trillion will be taken in 2018. Where are all these photos? Lost in the cloud, buried in photo galleries, stuck in Facebook and Instagram feeds or clogging up your Google Drive. But printed or framed? Likely not. So why, after all the incredible photos, don’t more people print and display their memories? Maybe If they knew how, had the time and there was a dead simple way, they would. Enter PrintMates.
PrintMates is a San Diego, CA based company that has successfully engineered a seamless process to transition photos from their digital beginnings into the physical world, to decorate and beautify living spaces. In a time when everything is online, PrintMates adds a refreshingly easy way for you to bring photos to life. As Frank Yates, Founder of PrintMates puts it, “you capture, we print, you cherish. It’s very easy.”
Some 400 million photos are posted daily to apps like Facebook & Instagram so the company is well positioned to capitalize on our selfie-obsessed culture. “You can connect and easily print from your social media feeds or directly through your phone’s camera roll,” says Yates. The photos are then made tangible through a premium product line that is produced on an array of mediums like aluminum, maple wood, canvas, professional photo paper and more.
Smartphones account for 90% of all photos shared online and research done by the company showed that the average person takes 150 photos each month of kids, pets, vacations and other life events. PrintMates wanted to create unique displays that stood out in the home. Options like the rustic wood frame featuring locally-sourced California driftwood are a big hit. Breathtaking panoramas are produced directly onto scratch-resistant aluminum or wood and complete with a floating display. Traditional prints are done with an optional white border for a retro-inspired feel. Other highlights include timeless black frames, stretched canvas, custom greeting & postcards, lustre-finished magnets, and pin buttons. PrintMates is available now.