DIY Engineer Prints on the cheap

After a much needed break from the blogging world I'm back to talk about an easy DIY project.  Engineer prints are not a new thing, you have seen them all over blogs and Pinterest.  My two favorite tutorials are from Chrislovesjulia and also AngelaRosehome (which is the tutorial I followed--learning a few new things along the way that I'll share with you!).  Now let me preface by saying that I am not a professional photographer.  These prints were taken with my iphone XS Max and I think they came out great!  Even so, due to the large nature of the prints, upclose they can appear grainy but for me, it doesn't really affect the overall look!  Another tip to keep in mind is to dress your child (or subject) in lighter clothing.  You can't tell (or maybe you can??), but because Luke was wearing a dark shirt, the printing picked up all these horizonal lines.  It doesn't bother me but just something to consider!

Anyway, back to the DIY.  I did this ENTIRELY from my phone...in like 10 minutes.  Next I'll dive into the step by step process so that you can create beautiful prints too!

1.  When you are taking your pictures, be mindful of negative space (meaning lots of space around the top of the photo).  Use a nice light background (a plain white wall works great) and make sure it's a time of day where you can take advantage of good lighting.  For my pictures, I tried to goof off with my kiddos so that I could capture a more natural shot.  Once I was satisfied with the picture, time to edit!

2.  Editing 101:

*open the picture
*hit the "edit" button in the top right corner
*tap on the 'crop' button in the bottom left of the screen
*choose the 2:3 resize option and save
*click on the three overlapping circles and choose the 'mono' filter and save
*click on the light button (looks like a little timer) at the bottom of the screen and tweak the brightness and then save

You're done with the editing process!

3.  Next you're ready to upload to Staples.com.  Now, I tried to expedite this process but it can only be done online (not at your local store--they are phasing out these types of printers).  Below is a brief walk through of how to upload your print and what to select.  It works very similar if you want to upload right from your phone!  Here is a brief tuturoial (click on the link)!

How to order and Engineer Print from Staples.com

That's it!!!

I went into my local Ikea for the frames.  I got these ones in size 24X35 (you can also purchase online if you don't live by an IKEA).  They are cheap frames but wait to see if you love the look before investing in expensive ones!  The plus side to these are that they are light weight and no glass will break as they are made from thin plexiglass.

That's it!! Please comment below if you have any questions, we love how these prints add character to our otherwise SUPER blank wall!!

Xoxo
Jaimee Lynne