Lulu Calendar Creator

Overview

Lulu Calendar Creator is a web-based tool for designing wall calendars for print, either in its editor or from a finished PDF. It is best suited to people making personal photo or memory calendars and creators who want to sell printed calendars through Lulu or a connected store. Its flexible date setup and sales routes stand out, but every project must fit one landscape print size.

Key features

Projects can run for 12 or 18 months, or cover a custom span set by start and end month and year. Users can add images to the cover and each month, choose from four themes, and include national events, custom events, or events imported from an ICS file. Lulu recommends iCalendar, Google Calendar, or Microsoft Outlook for importing dates. This range works well for commemorative calendars and schedules that do not match a standard year; four themes leave less room for visual variety.

Those who prefer their own design workflow can upload a print-ready PDF. Lulu also offers 12- and 18-month templates for Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, plus a creation guide and PDF export settings. Lulu recommends sRGB images at 300 dpi, so image preparation matters if the printed calendar is to look sharp.

The print specification is fixed at US Letter landscape, 11 × 8.5 inches, with wire-O binding along the 11-inch edge. That is a clear constraint for anyone planning a different size or orientation. Calendars can be ordered for personal use, sold through the Lulu Bookstore, or connected to an ecommerce store using Lulu Direct. Lulu identifies Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, and its Printing API as routes for selling through a creator’s own site. Printers in its global network generally take 3–5 business days to produce an order; the cart provides an order-specific estimate.

Pricing

Free to use: free. Creating calendar projects online costs nothing; payment is due when ordering printed copies. This makes the tool a low-commitment option for designing before deciding how many copies to buy, and bulk ordering is supported. The free plan covers project creation, not the printed calendars themselves.

Platforms

Lulu Calendar Creator runs on the web. Lulu states that it is SOC 2 Type II compliant and that uploaded files are securely maintained on its servers. For questions, users can submit a support ticket.

Who it's for

Choose Lulu for a personal photo calendar, a memory-focused gift, or a calendar project intended for sale through Lulu or an ecommerce store. It is also a good fit for designers who already work in InDesign or Photoshop and can supply a print-ready PDF. It is a poor match when the project requires a size or orientation beyond US Letter landscape.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free online creation lets users prepare a project before paying for copies.
• Pros: Custom date spans, imported events, and image placement support calendars tailored to specific people or occasions.
• Pros: PDF upload and design templates accommodate users who want to work outside the editor.
• Pros: Lulu Bookstore and Lulu Direct provide options for selling calendars, including through named ecommerce integrations.
• Cons: The single 11 × 8.5-inch landscape format rules out other physical sizes and orientations.
• Cons: Four themes offer a relatively narrow starting point for those who want varied built-in designs.
• Cons: Printed copies cost extra, so free project creation does not make a finished calendar free.

Alternatives

PhotobookShop Calendars is a paid alternative for readers who want calendar software across web, desktop, and mobile platforms; its Desk 21x10cm calendar costs $19.95, paid once, with shipping extra. WTPBiz Photo Calendar Designer is another paid web option. posterXXL is a paid alternative available on web, desktop, and mobile. Saal Digital has a free plan and runs on web, desktop, and mobile. MYPOSTER Photo Calendars is a paid option for web and mobile. Pixum offers a free plan and supports web, desktop, and mobile. CreatePhotoCalendars.com is a paid web alternative. Motif Photo Calendars has a free plan and runs on iOS and macOS.

For broader browsing, see Photo Calendar Software or Print-on-Demand Platforms.

Verdict

Lulu Calendar Creator is a strong choice for people who want free online calendar design, flexible dates, and a path from personal printing to selling copies. Its fixed landscape format is the chief reason to look elsewhere: if the calendar needs another size or orientation, Lulu is not the right fit.