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tl;dr: Is there a way to have SmugMug-like + printing service integration hosted on your own website? (The API to the printing service is the piece I am missing)

I am looking for an automated ordering process, but SmugMug and co are not really to my liking because I want it to be self-hosted and 100% customizable.

What I have in mind:

  1. I upload pictures to my website as an album or for a specific client shoot.
  2. Client goes to the album
  3. Client orders some prints
  4. PayPal / other means of payment approve the money is received
  5. I send the specifically sharpened/resized image for the output format to the printing-service (automatically, I don't have to do it myself for every order)
  6. The images are printed and shipped to the customer. The printer charges me.

I can code 1-4 myself. The problem I have is what printing service offers an API so I can automate the ordering completely?

Solutions like a shopping cart with manual ordering is nothing I want to do because I may be on vacation or at a conference where I do not have access to all the tools I need.

Any suggestions? Also I prefer to use services like MPIX or eZprints over a local printer because they usually offer a wide range of products and also usually at a cheaper price.

p.s.: Yes, I will filter for high volume orders and check them myself before I fire out an 2000prints order to /dev/null. But the occasional 4 pictures from the last event order is nothing I want to handle myself every single time.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I had a photography blog for a while, and I used fotomoto.com to add a "buy print" and "buy eCard" link below each image hosted on my site. I found it to be a reasonable balance between low-hassle / customizable. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joe
    Mar 12, 2012 at 2:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ possible duplicate of Is there a photo print provider I can use to offer a "Buy a print" feature on my own website? \$\endgroup\$
    – Imre
    Mar 12, 2012 at 6:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you Imre. This is not really a duplicate in the way that I don't want just a buy this print button but an API that can fulfill the completed order of a client. Payment on my side, just the ordering process on their side. \$\endgroup\$
    – mmlac
    Mar 12, 2012 at 8:47
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the explanation; unfortunately it is impossible to revoke my close vote. \$\endgroup\$
    – Imre
    Mar 12, 2012 at 20:18

5 Answers 5

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Have a look at Pwinty http://www.pwinty.com . It's a nice simple API for ordering photos - and you don't need users to leave your site like the other options suggested.

they offer world wide shipping.

I don't think Peecho offers much in the way of prints and posters and doesnt't look like fotomoto offers what you want either

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you for your suggestion. This comes closest to what I am looking for and therefore I will accept this answer. I think they can handle the standard photo prints, for FineArt I will probably just do it myself using MPIX and then sign them & send them to the customer. \$\endgroup\$
    – mmlac
    Mar 19, 2012 at 7:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ +1 Pwinty have handled lots of orders for my site (OddPrints.com), API is well designed and easy to use, fully recommended. \$\endgroup\$
    – matt burns
    Feb 24, 2013 at 18:06
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You may want to check

  1. http://www.peecho.com
  2. http://www.fotomoto.com

Both of them allow ordering prints via their API. Hopefully this will work for you.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thank you for you suggestions. Both unfortunately charge on their own site. \$\endgroup\$
    – mmlac
    Mar 19, 2012 at 7:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ I was into Peechos API, but their print quality was pretty shocking. Well at least when I tried. \$\endgroup\$
    – lharby
    Jun 17, 2016 at 7:55
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(sorry, I wasn't able to include the links. The sites mentioned below should be easy enough to find.)

Here's a list I curated of photo print providers that have an API:

  1. Peecho
  2. Mimeo Connect Cloud Print
  3. Shutterfly Open API
  4. Printfection
  5. Zazzle
  6. Pwinty
  7. Snapfish Publisher
  8. Fotomoto
  9. Picwing
  10. Digibug
  11. SharedBook
  12. ZetaPrints
  13. Tap2Print
  14. SmugMug
  15. Moo
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API, stands for Application Programming Interface! An API is the interface implemented by an application which allows other applications to communicate with it.

What you are asking for is SELF-HOSTED-100%-CUSTOM-ALL-IN-ONE-SOLUTION software which at this moment doesn't exist. You will have to resort to combining different working solutions to make it work for you.

If you are running a business, then think about getting professional web developer to either design/develop something or combine available solutions and integrate them in your website.

Check out: pictage.com! I haven't used this service but looking at the services offered it might be something that may help you.

Best,
-Alen

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    \$\begingroup\$ Sorry if the question was not clear enough. I am just looking for the API, I am capable of coding everything on my side, but the API is obviously something I cannot provide myself. (edited the question) \$\endgroup\$
    – mmlac
    Mar 12, 2012 at 21:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think in this case you gonna have to do a lot of research figuring out all the web services that provide api for whatever you want to accomplish. I wish I can point you in the right direction but i'm yet to find such websites. Maybe others might have some suggestion. \$\endgroup\$
    – Alen
    Mar 13, 2012 at 15:30
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Print.io (now gooten.com) is rather new, but it looks very professional and offers what you're looking for: https://www.gooten.com/platforms/api/

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