Making a Photo Book.. Who to use?

[WaltD4Me]

I made an awsome 120 page, 320 pics, glossy hardcover coffe table book from www.blurb.com for $60 (including tax & shipping).

I checked out Blurb and it looks very, very cool. Some of the books on there are really awesome. Do you need any other photo program, like Photoshop, to use their site...or can you just use their download program?

 

[Alesia]

I checked out Blurb and it looks very, very cool. Some of the books on there are really awesome. Do you need any other photo program, like Photoshop, to use their site...or can you just use their download program?

You don't need any other program. Their software is really easy to use. I wouldn't use anyone else for a book over 20 pages.

 

[nordkin]

I used blurb.com and made an 80 page book for less than $45, including shipping. The quality was awesome, too!

Have to agree with this. I just made a photobook of my son's wedding and it came out beautiful. It is better if you select the premium paper. You can also order them in softback, hardback with a dust cover, or hardback with the picture or what ever else you want on the cover. The software is very easy to use and easy to customize.

 

[big_red_s]

I checked out Blurb and it looks very, very cool. Some of the books on there are really awesome. Do you need any other photo program, like Photoshop, to use their site...or can you just use their download program?

Yo download their software and you can either use their page templates or create your own templates.

You use a photo program to manipulate the photos (I used it to blur background in character dining, crup pictues, put "ghosts" on the page & chapter covers, etc.) but you have to save the photos and import them into the blurb software.

You can see the book here: http://www.blurb.com/books/904437

 

[v.t.]

Big Red S I just looked at your book. That was unbelievable! What a great trip you must have had. Your children are so adorable. How long did it take you to create the book?

 

[inkedupmomma]

we use shutterfly and love it!

 

[harleyquinn]

I agree! Your book is awesome!! What kind of camera do you use?

 

[bumbershoot]

I really like the shutterfly books I've made in the last year or so. Before that, no, didn't like 'em. But the quality and options have gotten better.

That said, inkubooks made a LOVELY book for me. I got the softcover, and the pages are just silky smooth (in fact I believe the site says the paper has silk fibers in it) and gorgeous.

 

[TENIA66]

Shutterfly baby!! Also picaboo.com is a good choice. I'll include links to one of my many books.

HERES A FOOTBALL BOOK ON SHUTTERFLY


HERES A BASEBALL BOOK ON SHUTTERFLY


DISNEY BOOK ON SHUTTERFLY

 

[TENIA66]

here's my disney book made on shutterfly:

http://preview.picaboo.com/Webview/CoverPage.aspx?user=000000000000DEF1E5&album=0000000000020CCCA5

they have buy one get one free, might be the way to go. their website is picaboo.com

 

[big_red_s]

Big Red S I just looked at your book. That was unbelievable! What a great trip you must have had. Your children are so adorable. How long did it take you to create the book?

Thank you very much for the kind words, we had a great time (my TR is on my signature).

To create this particular book took me a long time. If you notice I have "ghosts" on the cover and each of the chapter heading pages - that technique alone took me about 8 hours in Photoshop to perfect.

Then it took me another 5-10 hours just to come up with a format I like (I re-started several times) and another 15-20 hours or so to write the text, choose fonts, and pictures.

That being said, now that I found a format I like it would take me no more then 2 hours to make another book.

I agree! Your book is awesome!! What kind of camera do you use?

Thanks Sarah, I used an Olympus 550 as well as many pictures from Photopass.
My only regret is not bringing a tripod with me.

 

[big_red_s]

here's my disney book made on shutterfly:

http://preview.picaboo.com/Webview/CoverPage.aspx?user=000000000000DEF1E5&album=0000000000020CCCA5

they have buy one get one free, might be the way to go. their website is picaboo.com

What a fantastic book.
You have a beautiful family.

 

[big_red_s]

One more advice I forgot.

If you didn't go yet, take pictures with the book in mind, and take a lot of them.

You'll most likely not use them all, but it's nice to have a lot to choose from.

I actually took 3-4 shots of everything (if you notice the Photopass photographers do the same thing) as well as different angles, lighting etc.

It was a lot of fun.

I've had almost 1,000 pictures after 8 days - only about 320 made it into the book.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Two more that I didn't see mentioned:
Lulu
Mpix

 

[If U Had Wings]

Last year I made books with Blurb and Lulu and got great results from both of them. I'd use either of them again in a heartbeat.

 

[ingerl]

My recap:
Shutterfly: excellent choices for sizes of books and page layouts.

Kodakgallery: I just bought a book last week from their new site. The photo pages look incredible. At least for the smaller books, not many layout choices. You can get $15 off, which may be more than the 40% coupon the other lady has. Check their main page for "Million thanks giveaway"

Creative memories: Incredible amount of options, and highest quality. Pricey.

Mypublisher: Nice amount of book/layout options. Good durability of binding for books that will be used heavily. Register for their promotional e-mails. Since this is a coupon thread, please let me refer you so that I can get the $20 coupon. Then, you can refer somebody and do the same thing. PM me with your e-mail and I'll refer you.

 

[TENIA66]

what a fantastic book.
You have a beautiful family.

thansk so much!

 

[loveswdw]

My sis in law just got one back from Kodakgallery.com and it is BEAUTIFUL! She said it was really easy to do and with the code she got a great deal. I'm thinking about doing one for my in-laws for Christmas.

 

[v.t.]

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions and opinions. I started to download all my pictures and I realize I do not any enough! All I heard the entire time I was there was, "stop taking pictures", "we have already had or picture made today", etc. Most of the complaining was from DH. As soon as we downloaded all the pictures he looked and me and said, "Why didn't we have more pictures made?" And the kicker is he was being serious!!! Don't you just love men. Oh well, would anyone mind giving me some suggestions on the best way to get stock photos for the book. TIA!

 

[Alesia]

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions and opinions. I started to download all my pictures and I realize I do not any enough! All I heard the entire time I was there was, "stop taking pictures", "we have already had or picture made today", etc. Most of the complaining was from DH. As soon as we downloaded all the pictures he looked and me and said, "Why didn't we have more pictures made?" And the kicker is he was being serious!!! Don't you just love men. Oh well, would anyone mind giving me some suggestions on the best way to get stock photos for the book. TIA!

Check out the link in labdogs42's signature in post #16.