What WhiteWall’s New Shopify Integration Means to Photographers

PetaPixel reported on WhiteWall’s new Shopify integration when it was announced late last month, but it is such a big deal, it is worth taking a closer look. PetaPixel chatted with WhiteWall CEO Thomas Alscheid and pro photographer Per Appelgren about the integration and what it means for photographers.

Through its new Shopify integration, WhiteWall offers photographers and other artists the means to fully automate their print sales and delivery workflow. Photographers can select the WhiteWall products they want to provide through their website and set prices. Once a customer orders something, WhiteWall handles the rest.

“WhiteWall takes care of the entire process — from high-end production in the photo lab in Frechen, Germany, to secure shipping with renowned logistics partners,” the company explains.

“The entire development process was handled in-house, and we were able to rely on Shopify’s well-documented API,” Alscheid tells PetaPixel. “As one of the largest e-commerce platforms on the market, Shopify enabled us to seamlessly integrate our processes and full product range into its ecosystem as a fulfillment partner for photographers.”

Alscheid says artists have long requested WhiteWall to create this type of integration, although it is not limited to just professionals, “it’s designed for all types of photographers, as well as other digital artists.”

Alscheid says that Shopify’s low monthly costs enable artists who don’t sell in high volumes to justify using the service, while, of course, it is also effective for high-volume creators.

There are a few minor caveats to consider. Although WhiteWall will continuously improve its new Shopify app, Alscheid notes that as of now, “a very small number of products with foxed aspect ratios — such as acrylic blocks — are not yet available through the Shopify integration.” However, the Shopify integration is good to go for WhiteWall’s traditional high-end printed products, such as prints and ready-to-hang framed artwork.

“The Shopify app allows artists and professional photographers to seamlessly integrate gallery-quality print products into their portfolio,” says Alscheid. “This not only expands their offerings but also creates a streamlined, automated sales and fulfillment process that benefits both WhiteWall and Shopify merchants.”

German-Swedish fashion and beauty photographer Per Appelgren is now using the new WhiteWall x Shopify integration on his website. The acclaimed professional photographer tells PetaPixel he “always wanted a print store that kind of runs itself — and with the Shopify and WhiteWall integration, that’s exactly what I got.”

“Once everything was set up, I didn’t have to do anything on the operational side anymore. Orders, payments, printing, shipping — it all happens automatically,” Appelgren continues.

As Appelgren and many other photographers know all too well, selling prints is a time-sink. For those who print themselves, that is a massive time and cost investment, and then there are the packing, shipping, and customer service considerations.

“For Shopify and WhiteWall, this is what they do every day, so they just handle it. It’s super smooth and just works.”

For Appelgren, it’s not just about the convenience — he cares deeply about the quality of the prints he sells. Like any artist, he wants his work to be shown in the best possible light.

“I’m really all about perfection, but also innovation and inspiration—and that’s exactly what WhiteWall stands for, at least in my eyes. They give me so many great options for how I can bring my prints to life in the best way possible.”

With the Shopify and WhiteWall integration, Appelgren and other photographers can determine exactly what WhiteWall products they offer to customers. In Appelgren’s case, he loves Hahnemühle’s paper, but he also offers his work in acrylic glass, aluminum Dibond, and canvas.

“The colors are super accurate, the materials feel premium, and the prints last forever,” he says of WhiteWall’s premium printed products.

Given that he has wanted an integration like this to simplify and streamline his print sales business, the integration needed to be easy to get set up.

Appelgren tells PetaPixel the process was straightforward.

“Of ocurse, you have to take a moment to figure things out, but the main things to think about upfront are your image selection, size options, material/print settings, edition limits, and pricing,” the photographer says.

Shopify tells the user the production costs based on the selected settings, so photographers can dial in their desired margins.

“WhiteWall sends all the key info straight to Shopify, so I really just had to tweak things like pricing and sizes. And honestly, setting up the shop page itself in Shopify is super easy. It’s kind of like a drag-and-drop system, so making it look how I wanted was pretty simple,” Appelgren says.

Admittedly, a Shopify integration may not sound as exciting as a brand-new WhiteWall print product. However, it is hard to overstate how vital this integration is for working photographers, whether they sell a handful of prints each month or hundreds because it enables them to deliver a high-quality product to customers as efficiently as possible. The less time pro photographers spend dealing with business operations, the more time they can spend doing things they want, like creating new photos.

Doing everything manually takes up a lot of time and energy, and making high-quality prints at home or in the studio requires expensive equipment, materials, and expertise that many artists either don’t have or don’t want to deal with.

For someone like Appelgren, who has long trusted WhiteWall with his prints, this is precisely what he has been wanting for years. Appelgren is far from the only photographer who has wanted something like this. The new WhiteWall Shopify integration is poised to make WhiteWall a much more compelling photo lab for professional photographers and other artists.