How to Get Chatbooks Prints

One of my favorite companies just announced a new product... Chatbooks is now offering Prints!

Chatbooks prints come in packs of 5 as a $2 add-on to an Instagram series subscription. You can opt-in to receiving prints when you sign up for a new subscription or you can activate it through email if you are an existing subscriber.

So, every time a new book comes in your subscription, you get a pack of 5 prints from the pictures in that book for just $2! It's a great deal for high-quality paper prints.

If you want to order other prints, whether they are in an old photo book or not, you can also get 10 prints for $5, and add additional prints for 50 cents each.

The prints themselves are 5x5 inch square on thick card stock. They have a white border all the way around, so the actual image is a bit smaller. If you're wondering, the technical details are 120 lb paper, smooth finish, acid-free, and archival quality.

The print quality is the same as the books, which I've found is very good if I'm uploading well-lit pictures that aren't overly filtered.

I seriously love Chatbooks and have a great relationship with the brand, so I put together this primer of details for you.

How to Choose Your Chatbooks Bonus Prints

Chatbooks automatically picks photos to make into prints, so you don't have to! Of course, you can always re-pick which pictures get made into prints yourself, but sometimes it's nice to have them choose if you have decision paralysis. 🙂

Plus, Chatbooks has a special "recipe" that takes into account the likes and comments on each post, so they usually do a pretty good job picking which prints you'll love!

If you already get Chatbooks delivered to you:

If you are a previous subscriber, you have two options: you can order prints from all your past books at once, or you can start here and go forward. Either way, you'll pay $2 for 5 prints per volume in your series.

If you want to get a nice stack of images from your previous volumes, their app is already set up for that. If you just want to start getting the prints going forward, then you'll need to email Chatbooks support to cancel the other prints. (You can't cherry-pick prints from only some of your past volumes though - it's all or nothing in the initial launch.)

You have to click on an email in your inbox to activate prints in your Chatbooks account. Check your inbox - if you don't have it, then email support and they'll get you going. I had to email them for mine but they fixed it in minutes!

Click on your subscription in the app, and go to "Edit Book" for your most recent, unshipped book. You won't be able to choose prints from this book yet, but that's how you get into your locked books. 

Scroll up to the previously ordered books that are grayed out, and you'll see the letter P in the corner of some of your images. This icon means this image is included in your initial Bonus Prints order!

To change or swap these images, simply tap on the three dots on the top right, and tap "remove from print pack." Then, go tap a pic you do want a print of, and tap to "add to print pack" or "include in bonus prints," depending on your phone.

And that's it!

If the image you uploaded was not square, then you have the choice to crop it or force a rectangular image with white borders into a square print.

I've done both, depending on the picture and if the layout was important. To edit the crop, you have to remove and re-add the picture to your print pack to get the crop options. They pop up when you try to add any picture and then you can reposition your square print area.

Just use the regular motions with your fingers to move the crop box accordingly: tap and slide to reposition, and then pinch to zoom in and out.

FYI: You can't pick prints for the book you're currently adding pictures to until it hits 60 images. But that's the way you get into your locked books to choose old prints since your initial order is more of a back-order.

If you just got a book in the mail, you'll need to add one more image to start your next volume, and then you'll be able to edit your prints.

If you've never ordered Chatbooks before:

First, download the Chatbooks app from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store for Android users. You can also access it online at chatbooks.com.

Then make an account and start an Instagram series. You'll need to connect your Instagram and/or Facebook and let it upload all the images you've posted already.

Of course, you can still edit which prints you want. Just click the edit button under the cover of each volume and look for the P in the corner of some of your images. This indicates it's been preselected to be one of your Bonus Prints. You can click on each image to deselect it from your print pack, and then tap on a new image and add it to your print pack. Easy peasy!

Feel free to adjust your crop on rectangular images as you go - you can either keep the square crop or have more of a white border around rectangular images.

Your First Order of Prints and What Happens on Future Chatbooks Orders

If you choose to do a "catch up" order from volumes you already have on your shelf, then your prints are mailed to you separately. They come at turtle speed, which means they are slow and untrackable, but hey - it's free!

From now on, whenever you hit 60 pages in a book you'll get an email with a 3-day warning before your book ships. That's when you choose and confirm your prints!

And if you don't get around to it, rest assured the Chatbooks algorithm will pick good ones for you. I always love the ones they pick for me!

Then, your print pack comes packaged with your book each time you have a volume mailed to you. The prints are super fun to have!

Now that you've got your prints... what do you do with them?

If you're getting 5 new Chatbooks Bonus Prints each time you get a new photo book, it won't take long before you've got a nice (always growing) stack of adorable pictures. So what do you do with all of those prints?

Here's a list of 7 great ideas of how to use all of your gorgeous new prints!

1. Make a photo wall collage.

A collage wall adds a nice, personal touch to your home. You can hang them up in any shape: a grid, a huge heart, or a border around the room. A collage wall is a fun way to show off tons of your favorite photos!

You can also make temporary wall collages for specific dates or events. Want to make your kid feel extra special on their birthday? Make them a fun print collage with your favorite pictures of them. You can leave it up just for the day, or celebrate them all week long!

2. Make a travel wall.

If you travel a lot, a cute way to show off your adventures is to display a large world map, and pin your prints around the edges or near each country.

3. Make a photo garland with twine, wire, or fairy lights.

I'm sure you've seen this idea - it's been popular for a long time, and with good reason. It’s adorable!

Use twine, string, wire, or fairy lights (whatever you prefer), and then use clothespins to secure your prints and make your beautiful photo garland. You can do just one row, or criss-cross the garlands down the wall to make multiple photo garlands.

4. Make a photo garland frame.

Want a fancier version of a garland? Polish it up by using an empty photo frame. Add two or three rows of wire to a sturdy frame, and then use clothespins to hang the photos inside.

5. Turn them into magnets.

Want to spice up those magnets all over your fridge? Use spray adhesive to mount the photos on foam core. Add a dab of hot glue on the back to attach a magnet. Voila! You have adorable customized magnets.

6. Use them for a kids photo album or quiet book.

I’ve made several family photo books for my kids before by just sliding some prints in a normal photo album. They love to look through the pictures and see their family members. It’s great for quiet time or to keep their attention in waiting rooms or church.

7. Turn them into coasters.

Tired of your boring old coasters? Glue these prints to cheap tile samples and just paint over them with a thin layer of mod podge. Now you’ve got adorable coasters with your favorite faces on them!

---

And there you have it! That's everything you need to know about Chatbooks Bonus Prints!

What to learn more about Chatbooks? Check out these posts!

17 Reasons We Love Chatbooks
5 Ways to Use Chatbooks Right Now