How to Order Prints from Walmart from within Picasa 2

1.  Open Picasa.  (double-click on the Picasa icon on the desktop). If you have not yet transferred the pictures from your camera to Picasa, do so now. Fix the pictures as you wish (add fill light, use "I'm Feeling Lucky", etc).  For best results, crop each picture to the intended print size (4x6, 5x7, or 8x10).

2.  Make sure that you can see the little thumbnail pictures:
a. If you want to print all the pictures in a folder, click on that folder in the folder list on the left and click on the little blue "All" at the top of the thumbnails.  Or hold down the Ctrl key and press A.
b. If you want to print just a few pictures from one folder, hold down the Ctrl key and click once on each of the pictures that you want to print. The selected thumbnails are surrounded by a blue border.
c. If you want to print several pictures scattered over several folders, drag the thumbnails for each picture into the "Picture Tray" at the bottom left corner of the Picasa window.

3. Log into the Internet as you usually do (you can minimize Picasa temporarily to do this).  You can then minimize your Internet software (but don't close it).

4.  Click the Order Prints button at the bottom of the Picasa window.  A list of available photo printing services will be displayed.  You can choose any of these services.  Some (like Shutterfly, SnapFish, Kodak) will deliver the prints and other photo products by postal mail.  Others (like Walmart and Ritz Camera) will allow you to pick up prints at your local store in as little as one hour).   For the purposes of this exercise, we'll use Walmart.  Click the Choose button right under WAL*MART.

5. A login window will be displayed.  The very first time you do this (and only the first time) you'll have to create an account (it's free).  Click Create an account... and follow the instructions to create a user name and password for this account.  Thereafter when you order prints from Walmart, all you have to do is enter this user name and password and click OK.

6. After entering your user name and password and clicking OK, Picasa will automatically upload the selected photos to Walmart.  This can take anywhere from a few seconds to an hour or so, depending on the number of photos, the size of the photo files, and the speed of your internet connection.

7. Once the pictures are uploaded, your Web browser will display a graphic that looks like a spiral bound album that has your pictures in it.  Click where it says Order Prints right above the album.  This will display a page that will allow you to select the print size for each photo (4x6, 5x7, or 8x10).  You can also specify how many of each picture you want.  The estimated price of your order is computed and displayed at the top right of the page. (Don't worry about delivery options - that's in the next step).

8. Click the orange Go to Checkout button.  This takes you to the Delivery Options page, where you can click on either 1-hour in-store pickup, free in-store pickup, or home delivery by postal mail. If you chose in-store pickup, you'll be given a list of local Walmart stores in your ZIP code. Choose the store where you wish to pick up the prints.  Then click the blue Continue button at the bottom.

9. In the next screen, type in your name and a phone number where you can be called if there is a problem with your order.    Then click the blue Continue button at the bottom.

10. The next screen is for billing information.  Enter your credit card type, number, expiration date, and billing address.  (For postal mail delivery, you also need to give a delivery address). Then click the blue Place Your Order button at the bottom.

11. An order confirmation page will be displayed that you can print out.  You can take that to the store for in-store pickup. 
(c) Tom O'Haver (toh@umd.edu), November 2005.