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We're not completely convinced that this is useful - the free storage space may not accommodate your entire photo library, and even if it did there would probably be better ways to manage it - but at least if you order a set of prints today and then realise you need more copies next month, you're likely to find the files are still accessible online and you don't have to upload them again.

Features and options

As with traditional photo processing, you can choose from a wide range of print sizes. Options vary between services, but you'll generally find most of the traditional photo formats, measured in inches - 6x4 (15x10cm), 7x5 (18x12.5cm), 10x8 (25x20cm), and soon - plus some new formats that have been adjusted to fit the shape of digital photos.

Many services also offer mini and multi print formats, where several images are printed side-by-side on one sheet. These will usually have to be copies of the same photo, like strips from a passport machine, but sometimes you can place different images on the same sheet. This is sometimes offered as a way to print camera phone images at a suitably small size to avoid their limited resolution becoming obvious. However, images from recent camera phones, with two megapixels or more, will print quite nicely at standard 5x3 or 6x4 inch sizes.

Incidentally, if you do need passport photos printing, most services offer the correct format, and digital prints are perfectly legal, subject to the usual rules

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(no hats except for religious reasons, no smiling, and so on) - just resist the temptation to Photoshop yourself into a likeness of George Clooney, or questions may be asked.

At the other end of the size scale, true photo prints are available up to around 30x20 inches (76x51cm), and beyond that many services can offer poster or canvas prints produced using large-format inkjet machines instead of minilab equipment. Quality should still be excellent, and canvas prints can be supplied 'gallery wrapped', with the canvas stretched around an unseen wooden frame, ready to hang for a classy addition to your home. Prices vary a lot, so it's especially worthwhile to shop around for larger prints.

How much you pay for a print will usually depend on the quantity you order, with substantial discounts for large numbers (several hundred). Some services let you 'pre-pay', by buying a certain number of credits that you can use later to order photos, so you can get a bulk discount without ordering all the prints at once. A few don't offer discounts at all, sticking to a fixed price regardless of how many or how few prints you need. Among the eight services we tested, the price you could pay for a 6x4 print ranged from just 4p to a rather steep 18p. Remember to check the delivery charge, as this is typically around £1.50, which can make quite a difference to a small order.

Some of the options you might expect from traditional photo processing may not be available from every digital photo printing service. Once upon a time, all photos had a white border to help you avoid getting finger marks on your snaps. These days borderless is the norm, and although some services let you add borders, this is usually something you have to apply to each image rather than just ticking a box when you choose your print size.

Another choice you may want is between glossy and matt. Glossy is standard, and while some services offer matt as an alternative, others don't. Some people prefer matt prints for display because they don't give reflections that can distract from the picture.