iOS Today Episode 752: Print Out Your Photos – May 15, 2025

Hosts: Micah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard
Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
Description: Leo Laporte brings some of the most interesting personalities in technology together to talk about the most important issues. Fun, relaxed, informative, and always entertaining, count on TWiT for the best tech podcasts in the world.

1. Introduction

In Episode 752 of iOS Today, hosts Micah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard delve into the increasingly nostalgic and rewarding process of transforming digital photos into physical keepsakes. The episode, recorded on April 29, 2025, explores various apps and services that make printing photos from Apple devices both easy and enjoyable.

Micah Sargent opens the discussion by highlighting the sentimental value of printed photos and the diminishing trend of home printing:

"[...] if you have a printer at home, congratulations, you're one of a shrinking number of people."

2. Social Print Studio

The first app discussed is Social Print Studio, a versatile photo printing application available on the App Store. Despite a single negative review citing technical issues (03:16), Micah shares his positive experiences with the app, emphasizing its range of products and affordability.

Key Features:

• Product Variety: Offers prints, calendars, cards, stationery, wall art, framed prints, photo books, and special gifts.

• Magnet Printing:

  • Orders produce folded photos over magnets with a protective plastic coating.
  • Prices: 6 magnets for $23, 10 for a higher price tier.
  • Micah's Insight: "They are water-resistant because they do have that coating over the top of them. And I think they are fantastic."

• Classic Square Prints:

  • Printed on thick archival paper, ideal for long-term display.
  • Use Case: Micah mentions using these prints to create interchangeable wall displays in his home.

Advantages:

• Fast Turnaround: "The turnaround time was great, so I was very happy about that."
• Frequent Sales: Users can save money by waiting for sales notifications.
• User-Friendly Interface: Easy to navigate and quick to use for efficient printing.

Usage Tips:

• Grant the app access to your photo library for seamless integration.
• Basic editing tools are available within the app for photo adjustments before printing.

3. MPIX and Google Photos Premium Print

Next, the discussion shifts to MPIX, another prominent photo printing service known for high-quality outputs.

MPIX Highlights:

• Integration with macOS Photos App: Allows users to edit and print without leaving the Photos ecosystem.
• Print Club Subscription:
  • Cost: $19/month for 19 prints.
  • Delivery: Monthly batches include individual prints and a gallery-style summary.
• Quality vs. Cost: While MPIX offers superior print quality, it comes at a higher price point compared to alternatives.

Micah then introduces Google Photos Premium Print Series as a more affordable option:

Google Photos Premium Print Series:

• Cost: $7/month for 10 prints (4x6 inches), available in matte or glossy finishes.
• Automatic Suggestions: Google Photos selects photos based on user uploads for monthly prints.
• Additional Features:
  • Each print can feature a postcard or note on the reverse side.
  • Offers print books, gallery pieces, and various gift items.

“I have so many physical prints that I would not otherwise have because of the premium print series from Google Photos.”

Comparison:

• Price Advantage: Google Photos is significantly cheaper at $7/month compared to MPIX's $19/month.
• Convenience: Direct integration with existing Google Photos libraries simplifies the printing process.

4. Shutterfly and UK Alternatives

Shutterfly is acknowledged as a longstanding player in the photo printing market, ideal for bulk orders and unique merchandise.

Shutterfly’s Strengths:

• Bulk Printing: Perfect for printing large quantities of photos.
• Custom Products: Enables printing on water bottles, mugs, puzzles, metal prints, wine glasses, and more.
• Limitations: Micah finds it less suitable for smaller, standard prints due to quality concerns but excels in innovative product offerings.

For listeners in the UK, Rosemary suggests local alternatives to ensure better quality and avoid import issues.

UK Recommendations:

• Boots:

  • A well-known chemist and drugstore chain in the UK.
  • Offers reliable photo printing services and photo books.

• Jessops:

  • Favored by Rosemary’s family for quality prints and book options.
  • Rosemary’s Note: "They don't appear to have an app, but they do produce decent quality prints and have options for photo books as well."

"If you're in the UK, definitely look for something relatively local to you just because that way you don't have to worry about paying import tariffs on any of your things."

5. Shortcuts Corner: Automating File Renaming

In the Shortcuts Corner segment, Rosemary addresses a listener request from Diana about automating file renaming in iCloud.

Listener Request: Diana seeks a shortcut to identify every file in a specific iCloud folder and move the last word of each file name to the front, separated by a period. For example:

• From: "My Book Title - John Doe"
• To: "Doe. My Book Title - John"

Rosemary’s Solution:

• Step-by-Step Creation:

  1. Get Folder Contents: Access all files within the specified iCloud folder.
  2. Repeat Loop: Iterate through each file.
  3. Split Text: Separate the file name into a list to identify the last word.
  4. Rearrange Text: Move the last word to the front and concatenate with the remaining title.
  5. Rename File: Apply the new name format to each file.

• Notable Quote:

  "No regular expression required, which is a little bit simpler just to, you know, save us a little time and explaining what regular expressions are." (20:03)

Micah’s Commentary: He expresses initial skepticism but acknowledges the practicality of Rosemary’s approach:

"I am shook. I didn't think this was possible."

Discussion Highlights:

• Efficiency: Solving the problem without complex regular expressions simplifies the process.
• Encouragement: Micah and Rosemary encourage listeners to share detailed examples for more effective problem-solving.

6. Caps: Picks of the Week

The Caps segment features the hosts’ personal tech picks, showcasing useful applications and gadgets.

Rosemary’s Pick: Eco Worthy 12V Foldable Solar Panel

• Product Description:

  • Features: 100-watt portable solar panel, foldable with dual angles (30° and 40°) for optimal sun exposure.
  • Durability: Waterproof design with secure connectors to prevent water ingress.
  • Portability: Lightweight and easy to carry, suitable for camping and outdoor activities.

• Use Case: Rosemary pairs the solar panel with a Jackery battery pack to recharge devices while camping.

  "It's intended for portable camping and is quite small and portable."

• Practical Insights:

  • Adapters: Micah notes the importance of using the correct adapters for compatibility.
  • Versatility: Can serve as a backup power option during outages or for keeping essential devices running.

Micah’s Pick: Daze – Event Countdown App

• App Overview:

  • Functionality: Customizable countdowns for personal events, displayed as home screen widgets.
  • Customization: Users can select photos from their library or sources like Unsplash, adjust event styles, fonts, and colors.
  • Subscription: Free with in-app purchases available for additional features.

• Demonstration: Micah showcases creating multiple countdowns, including birthdays and visits, highlighting the app’s ease of use and aesthetic flexibility.

  "I have a little grab handle right here. It unfolds to be twice this size because this is folks, it's a 100 watt solar panel and this is a portable solar panel."

• User Experience:

  • Visual Appeal: Offers visually pleasing widgets that blend seamlessly with the iOS home screen.
  • Practical Utility: Helps users stay informed about upcoming events with customizable time displays down to seconds.

7. Conclusion and Community Engagement

Wrapping up the episode, Micah and Rosemary invite listeners to share their favorite photo printing apps and methods. They emphasize the importance of community input in discovering new tools and enhancing user experiences.

Call to Action:

• Feedback: "Let us know by getting in touch. iostoday@twit.tv is how you do."
• Support: Encourages listeners to join the TWiT Club for ad-free content and exclusive benefits.

Final Remarks: The hosts reiterate their enthusiasm for helping listeners make the most of their Apple devices, particularly in preserving memories through physical prints. They sign off by promoting their online presence and upcoming content, ensuring listeners remain connected and engaged.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Micah Sargent (03:16): "I have used Photo Print Studio in two ways. One is for the magnet option... And the other option that I printed were these classic square photo prints."

• Micah Sargent (13:22): "So one of the ones I want to mention actually is a chemist slash drugstore store called Boots..."

• Rosemary Orchard (20:01): "So that's all you need to do. So, you know, once this is done, so our rename thing is there, we're just going to make sure that we save that file just to make sure it's been updated and then we're done."

• Micah Sargent (24:03): "I love a regular expression, but it's fine because regular expressions, when I first started learning about them, made things very difficult and frustrating."

Stay Connected

Rosemary Orchard:

• Website: rosemary.com
• Discord: Members Only Discord Server for live chats and discussions.

Micah Sargent:

• Handles: @icasargent on various social media platforms
• Website: Chihuahua Coffee

Support the Show:
Join the TWiT Club for $7/month or $84/year to access ad-free episodes, bonus content, and exclusive community events.

Thank you for tuning into iOS Today. Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where Micah and Rosemary continue to explore the latest in Apple technologies and beyond.