BIG NEWS! Flickr finally implemented a photo printing feature!! Woooohooooo!!

IT’S ABOUT TIME! It’s interesting they chose Target as their partner, but I guess they had to find someone who wasn’t competing w/ them in the hosting space (Ofoto, etc.) and Target has such a do-no-wrong reputation w/ the hip set. I’ve gotten prints at Target before, not bad, but none of them really blew me away (Ofoto, Walmart or Target). I am just thrilled to have the option of reasonably priced prints from a photo hosting site that *I* choose, not a place I upload pictures to just to have them printed and never go back to again.

They’ve also announced:

Photobooks & Posters (via QOOP) - Photobooks are great for special occasions and gifts - I’ve actually purchased a one before from MyPublisher, who look to still have more options than QOOP - hardcover, multiple sizes, etc. - and they are very reasonably priced. I’m hoping QOOP gets up to speed on this, because being able to use my existing Flickr sets is far more convenient than downloading the MyPublisher application, even if they do have fancier options. I’ll hold off for awhile and see how it progresses. The COOL part of QOOP is the photo collage poster. Again, being able to use an existing Flickr set (or multiple sets), is great. I can’t WAIT to play w/ this feature and order one (imagine an all-Lucy or all-Nooner or all-FACES poster.)

Stamps (via Zazzle) - I think that’s another neat idea for special occasions (hint, hint, Mrs. Next-to-be-Married).

DVDs (via Englaze) - For the Flickr user who’s had a hard drive crash and lost all their photos, or wants a backup just in case, the ability to get a DVD backup is a worthy, but expensive ($35/1000 photos), idea.

The best part about these partners is they use your existing Flickr sets as the photo choices - no uploading to another site. I’m a big fan of consolidation.

See, my love Flickr can never be replaced by another technology. It’s just too important to me. The ironic part? I found out the news via the RSS feed of their blog. The geek cycle is a vicious, yet brilliantly rewarding, one.