October 26, 2006 – Photo-sharing and printing website Shutterfly and HIT Entertainment, a distribution company geared towards preschoolers, announced yesterday a licensing agreement to use cartoon content for personalized children’s books.
“We can offer new ways for parents to transform their photos into original stories featuring their children’s favorite characters,” said Shutterfly’s CEO Jeffrey Housenbold in the press release today.
Users can insert their child’s picture into multiple templates with their favorite cartoon character, notably Thomas & Friends and Angelina Ballerina by HIT Entertainment. Shutterfly also offers Sesame Street and Clifford the Big Red Dog templates. By dropping and dragging images, users can create and customize their books and send away for printing.
Calling themselves an “Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service,” according to the release, Shutterfly, like other free photo-sharing sites, has expanded their online albums into money-making printing ventures.
The Shutterfly Thomas & Friends and Angelina Ballerina photo books are available in two square formats, 8x8 starting at $34.99 or 12x12 at $59.99 at www.shutterfly.com/photobooks.
