Casual Connect is an event dedicated to casual videogames, but you’ll often run into more than just game developers and PR people. One such attendee was Cal Morrell of Avenquest Software and Photo Affections. They’ve created a remarkable photo printing app for Windows Phone 8 that photography fans (especially Lumia 1020 owners) are going to love called FreePrints.
We sat down with Cal, who walked us through FreePrints’ features and the process of optimizing the app for Windows Phone 8. Note that this app is currently available only in the United States, but we do have good news for international users (and our hands on video footage) after the break!
From your phone to reality
FreePrints is a free Windows Phone 8 app that allows you to select photographs from a variety of sources and then have them professionally printed and shipped to your door.
The first time you use the app you’ll go through a quick tutorial that explains how the app works. Then it’s time to set up your account and start linking your various picture hosting accounts to the app.
FreePrints can edit and print images from a wide variety of sources:
- Your Windows Phone
- Dropbox
- Flickr
- Picasa
- SkyDrive
The beautiful thing about this app is that you can combine images from all of those places into a single order. Just select the photos you want from a source, press Back on your phone, and then select another source to keep adding pictures to the order. Wherever you are in the app, you’ll see the total number of pictures in your shopping cart at the top-right corner of the screen.
Ordering process
After choosing the pictures you’d like to have printed, FreePrints gives you the option to crop and rotate the individual images. Users can select from numerous print sizes: 4 x 6 inches, 5 x 5 (Instagram ratio), 8 x 10, and many more, all the way up to 20 x 30.
Once you’ve got your order lined up, you can choose between standard shipping (5-13 days) and expedited (4-6 days). The FreePrints app accepts credit cards and PayPal as payment.
Your photographs will arrive by mail shortly thereafter. Photo Affections is a reputable printing service and the pictures they deliver will be of the highest quality, not the rush jobs you’d get from a one-hour printing place. They won’t fade and will last for years when stored in an acid-free album.
Free prints for a year!
To promote the FreePrints service, all users get 85 free 4 x 6 prints per month. Your free prints must be unique – you can’t print the same image twice for free. You’ll only pay for shipping, and the FreePrints shipping prices are actually lower than what Photo Affections charges on their website.
Users can also earn extra free prints by sharing the app with their friends or posting about it on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, you can sign up with my invite code pacevedo1 to hook me up with a free print. Why not, right?
Get it now (or soon)
Do the couple in the picture have pets now? Are they even still together??
Avenquest has worked closely with Microsoft to optimize FreePrints for Windows Phone 8. If you want physical prints of your photos, this app has a lot to offer. It’s currently available only in the US, but will launch in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany soon as well. Hopefully more countries will follow!
FreePrints – Windows Phone 8 – 5 MB – Free – Store Link
The Cyber Monday keyboard deals you need to know about
Getting your hands on a new keyboard is exciting for PC users, and thanks to Black Friday, it's more affordable than ever before. Here's a look at the best Black Friday keyboard deals available now.
Review: Immortals Fenyx Rising a late Game of the Year contender
Immortals Fenyx Rising skyrocketed to the top of my Game of the Year list, and I think it's something a lot of people will really like.
Review: Empire of Sin combines genres to let you take over 1920s Chicago
Empire of Sin, the wildly ambitious gangster simulator from Romero Games, combines aspects of Civilization, XCOM, and a Tycoon game to let you take over 1920s Chicago. All those disparate pieces work together surprisingly well for a flavorful and complex test of strategy.
Make the most of your Surface Pen and Slim Pen with these awesome apps
To really maximize the ability of the Surface Pen and Slim Pen, there are some essential apps you should check out. We've rounded up the best right here for a variety of purposes.