PNI Photo Service - Review & Giveaway | Three Different Directions

PNI Photo Service - Review & Giveaway

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Leave a Comment

For the past few years or so, I have wanted to get Photo Cards to mail at Christmas, of course that also meant getting a decent family photo taken!

Last month I was able to accomplish the family photo, and at around the same time I was blessed with a review opportunity that allowed me to get some Photo Cards as well.

PNI Digital Media is a name you may not have heard of before, but I'm sure you're familiar with them another way. You see, they are actually the company behind the photo gifts in places such as Sam's Club, CVS, Costco and Wal-Mart Canada.

I decided to have our holiday photo cards made at Sam's Club, since we shop there frequently and I have easy access to pick up there.

Making the cards was a simple task. There is a quick Java application that runs, which enables you easy access to all the photos on your computer. Uploading of the photos is fast. The most difficult part of making the cards was choosing a design, mostly because they have such a nice selection.

Some of the features I really liked when making my cards were

Notification that the picture resolution was not adequate for certain styles
There were plenty of design choices, no matter which holiday you celebrate during the season
The ability to have more than one photo on the card if you choose

The system is pretty user friendly, the only part I didn't care for was that if you needed to change the orientation of the card, it dismissed any photo you currently had selected (in its defense, it warns you about this). Then you have to start all over again with the new orientation.

To order from Sam's Club you do need a membership, a perk to using PNI through them is you can choose to pay for your order when you pick it up in the store.

After I had completed my photo card and was pleased with it and ordered it, I was sent a confirmation e-mail. That was a bit messed up; it had my cards slated for pick up in December of 2007 and I was to get my order from a store in Rhode Island (I live in South Dakota). I think that was just a hiccup in the system though, as when I logged into my account at Sam's online, the information was all correct and my photo cards were to be ready in a week.

Fast - Fast - Fast!! A week is awfully quick, but surprise, I received a call just 4 days later that my cards were ready for pick up.

And here is the sneak pre-view of our family Christmas greeting this year....(You get to see it even before my Mom!!)

I am more than pleased with PNI's service, and will use them again next year (assuming of course we can get another decent family photo ☺).

Besides using PNI for Photo Cards you can also make Photo Books, Collages, Calendars, Photo Enlargements as well as other gifts. Some can be picked up in your local stores or have them shipped to your home. Certain items can have as little as an hour turn around time.

Ellen, a PNI rep, has great tutorials on her blog Today's Ellen, for all sorts of photo gifts, plus you can find the latest blog giveaways sponsored by PNI there as well ☺.

Win It!! One lucky reader will snag a photo gift from PNI. The winner will be able to choose from an 8.5"x11" Calendar from CVS, A Set of 50 4"x8" Holiday Photo Cards from Sam's Club (you must have a membership to order) or for my Canadian readers a Custom Photo Calendar from WalmartPhotoCentre.ca.

To enter leave a comment letting me know which photo gift appeals to you the most at CVS, Sam's Club or Walmart.ca, and what photo(s) you would use for it.

For extra entries (the above must be done first) you can:

1. Visit Today's Ellen and subscribe to the blog feed. (You'll get great news on PNI photo products!)
2. Follow Ellen on twitter.
3. Become a fan of Three Different Directions on Facebook

4. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be once per day, please leave the direct link to your tweet in the comments). Just click the birdie.
5. Follow my blog publicly.
6. Subscribe to my feed via e-mail or reader.
7. Blog about this giveaway linking back to my blog.
8. Add my button to your blog.

This giveaway will end on November 10, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and open to U.S. and Canadian Residents ages 18+. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **About Reviews and Privacy/Rules declaration and agree to them.

I received a complimentary set of holiday photo cards from PNI to create and use to formulate my own opinion of PNI's products and services prior to writing this post.

51 comments »

Anonymous said:

The Sam's Club card offer would be great! seehorce(at)yahoo(dot)com

October 27, 2009 at 9:17 AM

Anonymous said:

I'm a fan of yours on Facebook. seehorce(at)yahoo(dot)com

October 27, 2009 at 9:17 AM

Anonymous said:

I follow your blog. seehorce(at)yahoo(dot)com

October 27, 2009 at 9:17 AM

Jonnie (JB) said:

I love the Extra Large Woven Blanket from walmart.ca
dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

October 27, 2009 at 1:46 PM

Miss Manda said:

I would use a picture of my family from my sister's wedding and give it as a christmas gift

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:30 PM

Miss Manda said:

following on twitter @IHeartCupcakes5

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:31 PM

Miss Manda said:

became a fan on fbook

amanda.hellen

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:34 PM

Miss Manda said:

following publicly

amanda hellen

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:35 PM

Miss Manda said:

subscribed via google reader

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:37 PM

Miss Manda said:

following you on twitter and tweeted

http://twitter.com/IHeartCupcakes5/status/5242671188

ahellen@gmail.com

October 28, 2009 at 5:37 PM

Unknown said:

I love the photo playing cards and would use a picture of my dog on them!!

October 28, 2009 at 7:47 PM

Anonymous said:

The CVS Calendar would be my choice. I'd go through my photos and pick the funniest ones of me, my friends, and/or relatives that I have, hopefully syncing them up by months.

October 28, 2009 at 9:43 PM

Katie said:

The CVS calendar sounds perfect!
katiekarr at gmail dot com

November 1, 2009 at 3:24 PM

Renee said:

I would like the CVS calendar and I would use pictures of my daughter to make a great gift for one lucky grandmother.

November 1, 2009 at 6:47 PM

Renee said:

email subscriber

November 1, 2009 at 6:47 PM

flowerchild said:

i really like the flower theme calenders at WalmartPhotoCentre.ca.
thanks

flower_child_23(at)hotmail(dot)com

November 3, 2009 at 6:03 PM

flowerchild said:

i Follow Ellen on twitter.

November 3, 2009 at 6:05 PM

flowerchild said:

fan of Three Different Directions on Facebook

November 3, 2009 at 6:05 PM

flowerchild said:

i follow

November 3, 2009 at 6:06 PM

rbailey1958 said:

I would want the CVS calander giveaway
pkbailey@charter.net

November 4, 2009 at 11:57 AM

rbailey1958 said:

I follow Ellen on Twitter[pkbailey01]
pkbailey@charter.net

November 4, 2009 at 11:58 AM

Jill said:

I would love to get a photo tie for my husband. It would be great.

tutucuteforme(at)hotmail(dot)com

November 4, 2009 at 9:18 PM

idahomom said:

I would make a CVS Calendar of my boys for my dad.

November 8, 2009 at 11:59 AM

Terra Heck said:

I like the Disney Character Plates from CVS. I'd love to win a calender from CVS. I'd use family photos to make a calender. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

November 9, 2009 at 2:20 AM

Terra Heck said:

email subscriber
By the way, your holiday photo card looks great.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

November 9, 2009 at 2:21 AM

Schmoolander said:

I would make the CVS calendar with family pictures, probably for one of the grandparents.

November 9, 2009 at 8:06 AM

Schmoolander said:

I became a fan on facebook!

November 9, 2009 at 8:07 AM

Angela said:

I think the China Plate on CVS would make a great gift!

texas_heartland84[at]yahoo[dot]com

November 9, 2009 at 9:11 AM

Kathy said:

I would like the Photo Cards from Sams Club. Great giveaway. Thanks.

November 9, 2009 at 10:34 AM

Eileen said:

THE CVS PIcturebook STorybooks are PRECIOUS. I love the "down on the farm one", as i grew up on a farm and my tiny grandson loves farms animals and tractors, etc. How exciting to BE part of the story.
I have always wanted to do the calendar as a gift for our mom....she had NINE of us. She would treasure this forever.

ejrichter60 (AT) gmail. (dot) com

November 10, 2009 at 12:57 AM

skicat said:

I'd love to have these cards!

November 10, 2009 at 8:43 AM

giggling kids said:

I would love to have the calendar from CVS.
heatherstamper09@aol.com

November 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM

susansmoaks said:

the cvs gift would work for me, i would use a picture of me and my husband

November 10, 2009 at 6:58 PM

Tatum said:

The CVS calendar would be my choice. I would give this to my grandma since she looks forward to seeing my son all the time..This way she could see him everyday.
tatum810@yahoo.com

November 10, 2009 at 9:17 PM

Unknown said:

The CVS calander would be my choice. I would use pictures of my children
rjs682(at)yahoo(dot)com

November 10, 2009 at 10:31 PM

Unknown said:

I follow publicly
rjs682(at)yahoo(dot)com

November 10, 2009 at 10:33 PM

Unknown said:

I subscribed to RSS by email
rjs682(at)yahoo(dot)com

November 10, 2009 at 10:33 PM

zachsgran said:

I'd love to have the calander from CVS. I'd use pics of my grandchildren
zachsgran1(at)yahoo(dot)com