Photo booths had one heck of a ride in the early- to mid-20th century. Toward the later half of the century, they fell out of popularity, being relegated to dusty mall corners.
But the wedding and event planning business brought the booth back—and they brought it back BIG.
Those little photo booth picture strips the machine used to spit out? Photo booth owners still print those, but you can get photo booth pictures printed in so many more sizes: 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 2″ x 8″, and even 6″ x 20″!
The photo booth business is big, it’s bright, and it has a lot of options for brides, party planners, brand coordinators, and celebration enthusiasts.
Finding a booth is fun, choosing the props is fun, but there’s one thing that some event planners don’t always think about: how your guests are going to get those treasured photo booth pics home with them.
Sure, they could shove them in their purse or pocket, but that could leave the prints wrinkled, torn, or worse, lost.
Good news, we have some fun, affordable solutions for you.
We’re Studio Style, and we make paper photo folders and cardboard picture frames for event and studio photos. And we specialize in serving the photo booth market.
Why?
Because, while scrapbooks for photo booths are nice for the bride and groom or party honoree, they do nothing to help your guests get their pictures home.
So we stepped in to provide a practical solution for party planners. Let’s look at some photo booth picture frame options we’ve designed for party planners and photo booth owners.
Photo booth frame option #1: Paper photo folders
Have you heard of photo folders? In case you haven’t, all a photo folder is, is a paper picture frame with a flap that closes over it. Think of it like a picture frame inside a pocket folder. Photo folders are made out of sturdy paper (they’re sometimes referred to as “cardboard photo folders”).
The pros of paper photo folders
- The cover protects the photo inside. No cake smudges. No fingerprints. No wrinkling, tearing, or creasing.
- Lots of folder size options:
- 2″ x 6″
- 4″ x 5″
- 4″ x 6″
- 5″ x 7″
- 6″ x 8″
- 8″ x 10″
- 8-½” x 11″
- 10″ x 13″
- 11″ x 14″
- 6″ x 14″ / 6″ x 20″
- Paper photo folders can be printed or foil stamped for even more branding possibilities.
Long story short: a photo folder is the safest way to get photo booth prints home undamaged.
The cons of paper photo folders
- Because they have a cover, they aren’t designed to be displayed like a standard photo frame.
To be honest, one con is all we can think of for photo folders vs. photo frames.
One more thing about photo event folders:
Printing has come a long way, and we can easily cut out any window size you need. Want a photo folder for your square photo booth prints? We can do that. 2″ x 8″? 3″ x 7″? We’ve got you covered. Go on, dream big.
Photo booth frame option #2: Paper picture frames
When you think of photo frames, we’re going to assume you usually think of the type of frame that can stand up on its own or be hung on a wall. Though photo booth prints aren’t the same as senior pictures or wedding photos, they still deserve a place of honor on your desk or end table.
So option #2 for your photo booth pictures is stand-up paper photo frames.
The pros of paper picture frames
- They have easels that allow for horizontal or vertical display on a desk or table.
- Paper is easy to personalize! Add your event details or branding with full-color printing or foil stamping.
- Lots of sizes!
- 4″ x 4″
- 5″ x 5″
- 6″ x 6″
- 4″ x 6″
- 5″ x 7″
- 8″ x 10″
- 8-½” x 11″
The cons of paper picture frames
- With paper photo booth print frames, there is no protective surface over the photo, so guests will still have to take care in transporting them home.
- Paper frames from Studio Style don’t come with wall hanging tabs. However, since these frames are made out of lightweight paper, you can easily use a pushpin, some decorative tape, or magnets to hang your photos on the wall, the fridge, or even in your locker.
So what kind of paper frames can you get for photo booth pictures?
Studio Style has a few different options for paper photo frames:
- 14pt white cardstock
- Can be printed in full color
- Paper is as sturdy as a greeting card
- We can make photo booth frames for square prints (4×4, 5×5, and 6×6), as well as 4×6 and 5×7 picture sizes (oh hey, we can also make custom sizes!)
- 20pt linen-weave cardstock
- Great for foil stamping
- Has a subtle textured feel
- Available for 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, and 8-½x11
Going the DIY photo booth route? If you’re using a Fuji Instax Wide or Mini camera or a Polaroid camera, be sure to check out these Instax Mini, Instax Square, Instax Wide, and Polaroid paper picture frames.
Photo booth frame option #3: Cardboard picture frames
Cardboard picture frames are sturdier than their paper alternatives, and are often used for higher-end events where full-color branding isn’t necessary. We have both cardboard options and frames made of of layered mat board material.
The pros of cardboard picture frames:
- It has a higher-end appearance.
- Very sturdy—stands up easily on any surface.
- Pop-out easel for desk display PLUS tabs for hanging on a wall.
- Cardboard frames for photo booth prints have foil stamped personalization for a classic touch.
The cons of cardboard picture frames:
- Cardboard frames cost more per piece than their thinner alternatives (paper frames).
- No printing options for cardboard or mat board frames (foil stamped only).
So why choose paper picture frames over acrylic photo booth frames?
The most popular alternative to paper picture frames are acrylic frames or plastic frames.
Here are three good reasons why paper is better than acrylic:
1. Paper is more eco-friendly to make and dispose of. There is a lot of discussion around paper vs. plastic (acrylic is plastic). The general consensus is that paper is generally more eco-friendly than plastic because it takes fewer resources to make, and is made from a renewable resource. A lot of it depends on where you source the paper from (we source our paper from mills that use sustainable forestry methods).
Now, the discussion on whether recycled paper or non-recycled paper is better is a whole other topic. Whichever side of that fence you’re on, we have also have a large selection of photo folders and picture frames made from recycled paper.
Lastly, if event guests decide to take their pictures out of the paper frames or folders, they can simply place their photo holders in the recycle bin.
2. Paper is so easy to personalize! There are so many options for adding your logo, monogram, or school mascot to paper picture frames. Want it printed in full color? That’s easy. Foil stamped? That’s classy… and easy.
3. Our paper photo booth picture frames are all USA-made. Since we make our photo event folders and frames (we make them in beautiful St. Charles, IL), we have complete control over the quality of the product. We can also get personalized frames to you PDQ.
Need help choosing the best photo booth frame for your pictures?
We’re more than happy to help! You can call us at (800) 346-3063 or send us an email. Or you can dive right in and see what Studio Style can do for you. Find a photo folder or frame by picture size.