How to transition your Kodak Gallery account to Shutterfly
Kodak Gallery owners and operators, your days are numbered. Here's what you need to know before your account gets moved over to Shutterfly this summer.
On July 2, the Kodak Gallery will be shuttered. The good news is that if you do nothing, your photos will be moved to Shutterfly. Still, there are a few housekeeping items to keep in mind.
For starters, Kodak states the process will involve 5 billion photos and could take several months to complete. Thus, be sure to download any photos (or order a DVD) from your Kodak Gallery prior to July 2 that you might need access to in July, August, and perhaps September and October. And while you can download full-resolution photos from the Kodak Gallery, you can't at Shutterfly, giving you another reason to peruse your Kodak Gallery for potential downloads.
You can opt out of the transfer to Shutterfly. Kodak states this option will be available through late May. You can find the opt-out option here.
If you have multiple Kodak Gallery accounts, you will be able to merge them into one Shutterfly account. Kodak states it will e-mail you in late May with instructions for this procedure.
You can create a Shutterfly account (nabbing 50 free 4x6-inch prints for your efforts) to link to your Kodak Gallery; the capability to link the two accounts will be available in late May, according to Kodak. If you don't create a Shutterfly account, one will be created for you, using the same e-mail from your Kodak Gallery account. And once your photos have been moved over, you'll get an e-mail explaining how to access them.
Now, not everything from your Kodak Gallery is getting packed on the digital moving truck and virtually driven to Shutterfly. Any projects (such as photo books, cards, and gifts) you have in the works will get left behind; be sure to complete any outstanding projects before July 2. Also, any Kodak Gallery promotions, special offers, prepaid plans, gift certificates, and other site credits you are sitting on will not be honored at Shutterfly. Lastly, Kodak states that it is "still evaluating whether shared albums, Group Albums, and Sharing Sites will be accessible." So, take inventory of such items before July 2.
To encourage action on your part, Kodak is offering a 25-percent discount on all items purchased from the Kodak Gallery from now until its last day.
For more information, I present this helpful Kodak Gallery FAQ page on the Shutterfly transition.