From Camera Roll to real prints
How to print photos from your iPhone
Your best photos are already on your phone. Here’s how to turn them into real prints, shipped to you, without fighting AirPrint or a home printer.
- 4 steps
- No printer needed
- HEIC, JPG or PNG
Short answer
You don’t need a printer. Open the Parabo Press app, add your favorites from the Camera Roll, pick Square or Classic Prints, check the crop and border, then order. Parabo prints them and ships them to you.
Why print from iPhone (not just save to camera roll)
A photo on your phone can disappear into a thousand others. A print gives it a place in your day: on a desk, tucked into a journal or shared with someone you love. You do not need to organize your whole library first. Start with the photos you keep coming back to.
AirPrint vs a photo lab: what’s the difference?
AirPrint is for sending a photo to a compatible printer. You supply the printer, paper and ink. Ordering from a photo lab is a different route: choose your photos and print options, then have the finished prints delivered.
This guide follows that second route. With Parabo, your phone is where you choose and order your prints. The printing happens at the lab.
| AirPrint | Photo lab (Parabo) | |
|---|---|---|
| You need | A compatible printer, paper and ink | Your iPhone |
| Where it prints | At home | At the lab |
| You get | Prints from your own printer | Finished prints, delivered |
Fastest path: the Parabo Press app
Keep the process on the device that already holds your photos. Open the Parabo Press app, choose a print product and add your favorites. Square and Classic Prints are a simple place to start, with thick matte paper and sets of 20.
Step-by-step: Camera Roll to size, border and order
Choose your photos
Start with a few favorites from your Camera Roll. Use the original photos whenever possible, rather than screenshots or copies saved from social media.
Pick a print and size
Choose Square Prints for a square crop or Classic Prints for a rectangle. Think about where the prints will live, from a journal to a frame on your shelf.
Check the crop and border
Review each photo in the print shape you chose. Keep faces and other details inside the crop, then choose a white border or an edge-to-edge print.
Review and order
Check your photos, size and quantity before checkout. Add your delivery details and place your order. Parabo prints your photos and ships them to you.
Which size from your phone?
Choose for the space, then check the crop. Tiny squares fit journals and gift tags. A 4×4 square or 4×6 rectangle works well on a desk or in a gift stack. For a little more presence, try a 5.5×5.5 square or a 5×7 Classic Print.
| Size | Product | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 2.75×2.75 in | Square Prints | Journals and gift tags |
| 4×4 in | Square Prints | A desk or a gift stack |
| 4×6 in | Classic Prints | A desk or a gift stack |
| 5.5×5.5 in | Square Prints | A little more presence |
| 5×7 in | Classic Prints | A little more presence |
Our free size guide helps you match a print to where it will live. Compare the dimensions and see which Parabo product fits, without uploading a photo.
Open the photo print sizes guideHEIC, quality, and when to use originals
Parabo accepts HEIC, JPG and PNG. Whatever the format, start with the biggest original you have. Screenshots, social-media downloads and tight crops can leave you with fewer pixels to print.
Print quality depends on those pixels and the size you choose. For Square and Classic Prints, aim for 150+ pixels per inch (PPI). Enlarging the same file spreads its pixels across more paper. A blurry original will still look blurry in print, even if the file is large.
Use
- The original photo from your Camera Roll
- HEIC, JPG or PNG
- The biggest version you have
Avoid
- Screenshots
- Social-media downloads
- Tight crops of a small photo
150+ PPI
Aim for this at the printed size. Square and Classic Prints.
~300 PPI
Aim for this at the printed size. Engineer Prints (3×4 ft).
Square vs Classic for iPhone photos
Let the photo help you choose. A square crop can bring attention to a face or a detail. A rectangle can leave more room for a landscape or a group. Check the preview so the shape does not cut out something you want to keep.
Square Prints
2.75×2.75, 4×4 or 5.5×5.5 inches
A consistent shape for a photo wall, journals and little gifts.
Order square prints
Classic Prints
4×6 or 5×7 inches
Familiar rectangles for albums, simple frames and tabletop displays.
Order classic printsBoth come in sets of 20 on thick matte FSC certified paper, with a white border or an edge-to-edge finish.
Want one big print?
An Engineer Print turns one photo into a 3×4 ft wall piece on extra-light paper. That scale asks more of your file. Use a strong, high-resolution original and aim for about 300 PPI for the best results. A file saved from social media or heavily cropped may work better at a smaller size.
If your original has the resolution for a large print, explore Engineer Prints. If you are unsure, start with the size guide and consider a smaller Square or Classic Print.
From your phone to your home
Ready to print your favorites?
Choose a few photos today. Give them a place beyond your Camera Roll.