USA Today helps readers show off their family photos

Last week USA Today featured an article about how a growing cottage industry is forming to give consumers ways to keep show off their digital images, from photo books to specialty items. The company cites Jeffrey Housenbold, CEO of photo site Shutterfly, as saying his customers love seeing their photos in book form but they are held back by the time it takes to create the books. Shutterfly’s solution is Simple Path, software that automatically creates books using the camera’s digital information to put the images in order and tell the correct story.

  “I want to be the company that puts the 4-by-6 print out of business,” USA Today quotes Housenbold as saying. Other popular photo book providers include Blurb and MyPublisher. Unlike Shutterfly, where books are created online, these companies have their own software for off-line book creation.

  The article also quotes Andrew Erlichson, CEO of photo-sharing site Phanfare, as saying he believes that within a few years, the 4-by-6-inch print will become extinct.

  The complete article is available online.