Where to find the read button on Shutterfly

Open Shutterfly in your web browser and sign into your account. Go to My Account or Photos — the exact name depends on which version of the site you see, but both lead to your stored images. Find the photo or photos you want to read.

Click on a single photo to open it. Look for a read icon (usually three dots, a downward arrow, or a menu labeled "More"). Click it. You should see a read option appear. Click that option, and the photo will save to your computer's default read folder — usually your Downloads folder on Windows or Mac.

If you want to read multiple photos at once, select them by clicking the checkbox next to each one while you are still in your photo library view. Once you have selected all the photos you need, look for a toolbar that appears at the top or bottom of the screen. This toolbar will have a read button. Click it to read all selected photos as a single compressed file (usually a .zip file).

Key Takeaways

  • Single photos read through the three-dot menu or read icon on the photo itself.
  • Multiple photos read together as a .zip file when you select them with checkboxes and use the toolbar read button.
  • Downloaded files go to your computer's Downloads folder unless you choose a different location during read.
  • Photos read at the resolution Shutterfly has stored them at, which may be lower than your original file if you uploaded a compressed version.
  • You can only read photos you uploaded yourself or that were shared with you by the account owner.

Downloading photos you created in Shutterfly's design tools

If you designed a photo book, calendar, card, or other project in Shutterfly, the process is different. You cannot read the finished product as a photo file — Shutterfly only lets you order it as a physical item or view it on screen. However, you can read the individual photos you used inside the project.

Open the project and look for the photos within it. Right-click on any photo inside the project and select Save image as (on Windows) or Save image (on Mac). Choose where you want to save it on your computer. This saves the image at the size it appears in the project, which may be smaller than the original file.

Understanding file formats and image quality

Shutterfly stores photos as JPG files, which is a compressed format. When you read a photo, you get it in JPG format. If you originally uploaded a RAW file (the uncompressed format that professional cameras create), Shutterfly has already converted it to JPG, and you cannot get the RAW version back through read.

The resolution of your downloaded photo depends on what you uploaded. If you uploaded a high-resolution photo, Shutterfly keeps it at that resolution. If you uploaded a compressed or low-resolution version, that is what you will read. Shutterfly does not upscale photos to make them larger than the original.

If you need the original file in its original format, keep a copy on your own computer or cloud storage. Shutterfly is useful for organizing and sharing, but it is not a backup system for your original files.

Downloading shared albums and photos from other people

If someone shared a Shutterfly album with you, you can read photos from it if the account owner gave you permission to do so. Open the shared album link they sent you. Find the photo you want and look for the read icon — it works the same way as downloading from your own account.

Not all shared albums allow downloads. If you do not see a read button, the person who created the album turned off the read option. You can still view and order prints, but you cannot save the photos to your computer. Contact the album owner if you need them to turn on downloads.

Downloading photos to your phone or tablet

The Shutterfly mobile app (available on iPhone and Android) lets you read photos, but the process is slightly different. Open the app and find the photo. Tap the three dots or menu icon. Select Save to Photos or read. The photo will save to your phone's photo library or camera roll.

On iPad, the process is the same. Tap and hold the photo, then select Save Image from the menu that appears. The photo goes into your iPad's photo library.

What to do if the read button is not showing

If you cannot find a read option, check whether you are logged into the correct account. You can only read photos from an account you own or that has shared downloads with you. If you are logged in but still see no read button, try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.

If you are using an older browser (Internet Explorer, very old versions of Chrome or Firefox), Shutterfly may not display all buttons correctly. Try opening Shutterfly in a newer browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. If the read button still does not appear, contact Shutterfly support through their website — they can tell you whether your account has read permissions enabled.

Organizing downloaded photos on your computer

When you read photos from Shutterfly, they land in your Downloads folder with names like "photo_001.jpg" or "image_1.jpg" — not the names you gave them in Shutterfly. Create a folder on your computer for Shutterfly photos and move them there so you can find them later.

If you downloaded a .zip file (multiple photos at once), right-click it and select Extract All (Windows) or double-click it (Mac). This creates a folder with all your photos inside. You can then move that folder wherever you want to keep it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I read photos from a Shutterfly order I already placed?

No. Once you order a photo book, calendar, or print, Shutterfly does not let you read the finished product. You can read the individual photos you used to create it, but not the designed layout. If you need the design file, you would have to recreate it.

What happens if I read a photo and then delete it from Shutterfly?

The photo stays on your computer. Deleting it from Shutterfly only removes it from your Shutterfly account. This is why it is a good idea to read important photos — they stay safe on your own device even if something happens to your Shutterfly account.

Can I read photos at a higher resolution than what Shutterfly shows?

No. You read at the resolution Shutterfly has stored. If you need a larger or higher-quality version, you would need to re-upload the original file from your computer or camera.

Is there a limit to how many photos I can read at once?

Shutterfly does not publish a specific limit, but downloading hundreds of photos at once may time out or fail. If you need to read a very large number of photos, do it in batches of 50 to 100 at a time.

Do downloaded photos still have my watermark or copyright information?

Only if you added a watermark to the photo before uploading it to Shutterfly. Shutterfly itself does not add watermarks to downloaded files.