David Pogue's Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Way Beyond Paper

These days, digital photos have found their way onto all kinds of things besides printed paper. For example, Snapfish and Shutterfly alone invite you to slap your photos onto mugs, Christmas ornaments, mouse pads, stickers, diaper bags, key rings, luggage tags, canvas "paintings," notepads, address stickers, posters, purses, aprons, keepsake boxes, desk organizers, playing cards, pillowcases, photo ties, dog collars, bottles of wine, stationery, magnets, towels, t-shirts, tote bags, bracelets, jigsaw puzzles, place mats, serving trays, clocks, coasters, cutting boards (cutting boards!?), and a lot more.

Here are some especially cool examples that your lucky recipients will never, ever forget:

• Photo stamps. You can have your own photos made into actual, valid, legitimate U.S. mail postage stamps. (Snapfish offers this feature, for example.)

  

• Photo blankets. For about $100, you can turn a great photo into an 5 x 7-foot throw blanket (at right on the facing page—definitely not to scale). The photo is actually woven into the blanket — not just printed on.

  Shutterfly and Snapfish offer the blankets, but there's a greater variety of types, sizes, and prices at, for example, www.customcreationsunlimited.com. Talk about one-of-a-kind!

Usually, you start by uploading your photos ...