Okay, where are you printing?

[sleepingbean]

I see that Lulu prints a 20 page book for under $30
MyPublisher also, under $30
CM around $75
Disney Photopass around $75
snapfish $50
shutterfly $55

Any reason why I'd want to pay twice as much for printing?
Am I missing something here?

What do you all use and like?

 

[NemoMom07]

If you are speaking of photo books in general I just did one from Shutterfly for free. It was 8x8 size with 20 pages. I could have ordered more pages and paid the extra. They ran a special where if I bought 20 prints I got a free book.

I do want to say there was a mix up and the licsened book I ordered was not applicable to the free photo book. After contacting them and asking if I could pay the $5.00 difference they went ahead and let me get the one I alreadycompleted this time. They do have good customer service.

 

[Fran98765]

I've done 3 shutterfly books so far, but at the 8x8 size. 8x8 is more then sufficient size for my pages, it is closer to what you see on the computer screen and fits on bookshelves. The books are gorgeous to look at and very sturdy.

Their 8x8 books are 30, plus you can usually find 10 off coupons.

Another company is artscow.com and they have very reasonable prices and I am thinking of trying them next time.

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

Not to sound snarky, but you get what you pay for. If there is a company out there that charges $20 for the same book (size and pages) that another company charges $50 for, there is probably a reason. You also want to compare apples to apples.

I've gone to all these sites. Some of the pricing you listed weren't for the same types of books at the different sites. So I'm going to compare same sizes in the hardcover option. All books come with 20 pages.

For an 8.5x11 book:

Lulu - $25.95 for 20 pages, $0.50 for each additional page. This is a personalized cover.
MyPublisher - $29.80 for 20 pages with up to 240 photos, $0.99 each additional page. This is for a linen cover book.
CM - $39.95 for 20 pages in a linen cover book. $49.95 for 20 pages in a personalized cover book. $2.50 2 additional pages.
Disney Photopass - $49.95 for a personalized book with 20 pages. Limited to 80 photos from your own camera. $69.95 for a book with all that plus you can use your PhotoPass photos. $1.49 for each additional page.
Snapfish - $19.99 for a 20 page linen book. $29.99 for a 20 page custom cover book. $1.99 for each 2 additional pages.
Shutterfly - $29.99 for a 20 page linen book. $1.00 for each additional pages.

With most of the companies you are limited to the selection of templates and themes they have available. You are limited to the amount of text and photos you can use. It can get frustrating trying to fit pictures in where you want them but they aren't the right shape or size. If you can use a program like PSE or something similar, then that's not an issue. The Creative Memories program is a little more flexible than the others as well. I believe if you purchase the software, you are able to customize your pages with as many photos and text as you desire. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I know for a fact that Shutterfly's books are glued. I believe that other than Creative Memories, the others are as well. I am not positive about Lulu as I couldn't find anything easily on their site. **Note if it says perfect binding, that is glued.

So there you have an apples to apples comparison. Some of the sites offer other book sizes (8x8, 12x12, 5x5, 7x5 and more) with different options (dust jackets, paper books, etc). A few didn't offer those sizes so I had to use the more common size. The 8x8s are less expensive than the 8.5x11 on all the sites that offer that size. It's all going to be in what you want - quality, options, and service.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Fran98765]

I'm sorry but I don't think you are comparing apples to apples, you are promoting your company that you are a representative of.

I have used Shutterfly and I was not limited by any means with their templates. Each and every page I made is completely originally and 100% my own design. I don't find that limiting at all.

I have just used another company you don't list, ArtsCow.com and it was the same, I used 100% my own designs, no templates whatsoever. I have not received this book yet in the mail, so I cannot comment on the quality of the printing.

There is another site mypictales.com that is also very low cost. I have heard excellent reviews of their print quality.

And you are wrong about you get what you pay for. The "older" companies charge more, they charge a premium for their name. The new companies are charging low prices, to get into the market and compete with the older guys. Just like with the Disney book, you are paying a premium for the Disney artwork, not their printing quality. And with most of us, we make our own digital pages, so templates and offered artwork really is not an issue, since we provide our own artwork.

Perhaps limiting your posts to what you know firsthand, instead of what you think the other companies produce would be more objective and beneficial to the discussion.

I'm not that concerned over glue vs stitching either. I have many really old books that were glued and survived decades just fine. That's another one of those things that companies stick on their advertising to make themselves look better.

 

[nicurn]

has anyone used scrapbooks please? I am not ready for a book yet since I just started the whole digital thing, just want some pages to fill in the current albums. I'm figuring dd's 8th grade year can be all digital... maggie

 

[Fran98765]

I've never heard of them Maggie, if you are wanting single 12x12 pages printed, sb2share.com is well thought of, I have never used them myself, but I've heard mostly good things about them. If you have a costco near you, you may wish to do that, but do the 12x18 prints and stick 2 6x6's on the 12x12 also, as I have heard the 12x12 prints cut off a lot of the edge.

 

[nicurn]

thanks, we have a cosco but we aren't members so I don't know if I can use them. maggie

 

[sleepingbean]

Fran you said basically what I was going to say, but most of that post did not at all address my concern and question, which was about the PRINTING itself. I do my digital pages in photoshop so I am not at all limited. With all of the options, I can just insert my finished page as a full page . Viola. no template needed. No software.

So that long post from SweetPeasMom didn't really help clear my confusion as to why some companies charge almost twice as much to print the album. (and, yes, it did sound like an advertisement spiel for the company and business, which automatically makes the advice less credible in the context of the discussion, which is not to slight to the poster. I appreciate anyone trying to help, but it didn't come across very well )

Back to topic at hand...
UNLESS people are paying that much more for stitched versus glued pages?! I don't get it? Is it the "name" that is costing extra? Is there a difference in the pages?

I have a hard cover photo book I got from Snapfish and it's very nice. I don't have any complaints about it. And it was very inexpensive. I am just trying to figure out if there is some catch (like if some papers are too thin, some prints don't hold up to the light, some bindings don't hold up for a year...stuff like that).

It could be that no one knows these answers because as Fran pointed out, many of the companies with great deals ARE new and getting their foot in the door. So they haven't been around long enough to have time tested product reviews?

Still, I wish I knew before I bought one! Either way, I am likely to go with a good price. I saw that MyPublisher offers a second book for free (a duplicate book) if you buy one. I think that will be handy with our grand gathering, so I will likely go that route. (it was a new customer advertisement)

The LuLu looks great for being so inexpensive for fun books (maybe not family bookshelf, but scrapbooks for the kids and such)

Decisions decisions!

 

[Spinning]

i have done several photo books from all different places...love coupons! I will say the first few books that came from snapfish and shutterfly reminded me of a children's books with the bindings and the shiny covers. But the last few I ordered were much nicers.
I think the feeling of limited is for someone like me....I am not good with digital...Maggie stop laughing! So I just use the templates they provide. It works great. I was able to make my quick gift books and do what I needed to do. I really loved the soft bound books. Will they hold up? depends on the user I guess but they are inexpensive and make great little coaches gifts!
As for why the different pricing.....well that is the way of the world! CM will always say they are the best at everything, no clue about this Heritage company but it is a home based business so of course it has to be the best....if the person doesn't believe in the product they certainly can't sell it!
This I guess is the new arguement...use to be who sold the best scrap books now it is who makes the best digital binding....

 

[nicurn]

.I am not good with digital...Maggie stop laughing! .

sorry couldn't help myself there. maggie

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

I'm sorry, I was not trying to promote Heritage Makers. I was just making a comparison here to several different companies. I included them because they are an option. I didn't include Artscow because they don't offer the size I was comparing. You can do a search and there are other comparisons out there just like mine from someone you won't think is biased.

If you read in my comparison, I mention Creative Memories favorably and said if I wasn't with Heritage Makers, they would be one I would consider. If I was just promoting HM, I don't think I would have said that.

To the OP, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanting the actual printing reasons (color processing, paper, etc). Most of the time when people ask this question, they want to know the difference of the overall books - sizes, options, etc. I apologize that I didn't answer your question.

Also, the OP did not state that she uses a program like PSE or something similar, so again I was giving I guess a broader explanation than she was needing. But most people that don't know PSE or a similar program, find that their options come down to the templates or programs that the other companies have.

I will delete the part about Heritage Makers so that it doesn't sound like and advertisement for them. Like I said that was in no way what I wanted.

 

[nicurn]

well, bit the bullet and ordered some 12x12 pages from scrapbooks please. they have various price structures including 99 cents. Have no idea if they will be any good but 2peas like them. for 10 pages it was 15.50 (including the shipping) I'll let y'all know... maggie

 

[laura&fam]

well, bit the bullet and ordered some 12x12 pages from scrapbooks please. they have various price structures including 99 cents. Have no idea if they will be any good but 2peas like them. for 10 pages it was 15.50 (including the shipping) I'll let y'all know... maggie

You can order free samples online from scrapbooks please, however it does take forever (3 weeks I think) to get them. I recommend getting the samples before you order because you know what your getting and can decide between cheaper/nicer/etc. They have a good range of pages from cheap to really nice.

I have ordered from Costco and love the 12 x 12 pages I got (at a decent price too, $2.99 each). It is worth the membership to me just for the photos I print, well and the diapers I buy . Ask around if any of your friends have a membership so they could order the prints for you.

 

[janette]

I'm working on a 8x11 book right now and will print at My Publisher; it offers good prices and I need 3 books.

I'll start working with 8x8 or 12x12 after this; do all the printers stay true to size or do some cut off part of the print on 12x12??

 

[laura&fam]

The sites I have seen let you know if the 12 x 12 has a white "frame" or not. I have avoided these, but it looks like your 12x12 page image is just printed smaller on a 12x12 paper if that makes sense.

Both options are out there, but there are sites available for printing true 12x12.

 

[nicurn]

oooh, just got an email saying that my order was shipped! hopefully that means I'll have the pages in my hot little hands by friday. maggie