Photo Books

[fitzperry]

I used photoworks.com for our 2009 calendars. They've shipped but I haven't received them yet.

The past two years I made a collage in PS for each month and had the calendars printed by Mpix--great quality, very pleased with them. I didn't have time to do the collages this time around, and Photoworks has a big calendar that seemed to fit my needs pretty well (http://www.photoworks.com/shop/detail.jsp;jsessionid=247A9C9EC456AEB07CD69EEB5DFDB8C0?selProduct=calendars-2007&parentCategory=calendars+size+large&sbo=false&cb=PW&guest=true&toh=&svr=web39). That's the only reason for the switch.

Before that I'd used Kodakgallery and Shutterfly, and they were acceptable. Their templates bug me, and the Mpix print quality is superior, IMO.

It's been awhile since I've done a photobook, but IIRC I've used both Kodakgallery and Shutterfly and been pretty happy with the results.

 

[Furgus]

mpix.com

Awesome stuff. Only place I print offsite.

 

[DisneydaveCT]

I used Shutterfly this past summer to make a photobook. I was very happy with the results.

Snapfish was my preferred vendor until a fellow Dis'er turned me on to Shutterfly. I found the colors are more vibrant at Shutterfly. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy with Snapfish until I saw the difference in the final products of the two sites.

 

[Alztybrn]

mpix.com

Awesome stuff. Only place I print offsite.

That is where I have been leaning. Probably will do them here. Will let you know the results.

Thanks!

 

[singjenn]

Have any of you used a site for photo books and/or calanders? Successes or failures? Recommendations?

I am thinking of doing something like this for some Christmas Presents.

I have used all kinds of companies but my two favorites are shutterfly and blurb. I wish I could combine the pros into one company then it would be perfect! here is a little info on each company.

SHUTTERFLY

Pros
FABULOUS quality
fast shipping...when ordering a book on Sunday I always receive it on Thursday...even with regular shipping
I love the gloss finish of the 7x7 and 12x12 books
there is always an online coupon available
nice layout options
web based program is easy to use
easy ordering
glossy covers are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth

Cons
you can't get the same glossy cover on a 8.5x11 that you get on a 7x7/12x12
a little pricey, even with online coupons
numbered pages (gives the book a magazine feel)
7x7 book is a little small
12x12 is large and difficult to store
dents and scratches show up easily with the glossy finish


BLURB

Pros
I love the new image wrap covers
GREAT prices
you can get up to 420 pages which allows for more photos and it's STILL a great price
lots of book sizes to choose from
program is easy to use
you can upload your own logo
multiple books get discounts


Cons
takes a week and a half, with regular shipping, for books to arrive
I don't like their layout choices
it's difficult to find coupons (but it can be done)
matte finish cover for image wrap dulls out the coloring of the photo
prints in the book sometimes turn out slightly darker than the actual photo
program has to be downloaded
book has to be uploaded to be ordered (Takes a looooong time)
matte covers can get dirty fast




I hope that helps. I don't use the companies layout choices anymore because I do my own layouts in photoshop. It's easier and I can have any layout I want.

Happy book making!!

 

[WeLoveNemo]

I want to revive this thread to see what opinions are out there now that everyone's photo books are being delivered for the Holidays.

Raves? Regrets?

I used Blurb last year. Everyone was very impressed with the final product, as was I. But, I am not thrilled with the amount of time it takes b/c of constraints in layouts and cropping/rotating.

 

[fitzperry]

I'm pretty happy with the Photoworks calendars I ordered, particularly the large size (11x24 when opened). The Mpix print quality is still superior, IMO, but these are nice.

 

[mouselovenfamily]

I've used My Publisher and enjoyed it. Good quality, nice layout options, fast shipping and a good price. You can see example and tutorial on line.

Godd Luck!

 

[spinetnglr]

I work one day a week at an auction house and have taken pics throughout the year. Last Thursday I ordered calendars from QOOP.com for all my coworkers at the auction. They arrived today and I am really pleased with the quality. The pictures look great and the stock they used to print them is a nice sturdy matte finish stock. Their prices might have been a little more than some others but the quality is superb in my opinion.

 

[Michele]

This may not be an option for the OP but for anyone who has a Mac. I ordered 3 of their books through iPhoto for Christmas gifts and I'm very impressed with the quality. I ordered the soft cover in the medium size and am very happy with the results.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

My cousin has been looking for websites to get pictures printed into a book. She has full rights for her wedding pictures and wanted to try to make one of the larger ones that are almost like cardboard in texture and a nice leather bound one also. I know there has been a thread or two on the topic but I couldn't come up with any. Any suggestions? Anyone make either one of these and have an opinion on if it was worth the money?

 

[AlbertZeroK]

We have used shutterfly and LOVE their options on the books. We have tried some other sites, but nothing has been, for us, as great as shutterfly.

 

[MICKEY88]

I've heard good things about Blurb

and Mpix, has a suede cover option

 

[RivaLJ]

Popular Photography had an article comparing 10 photobook sites in the November issue.
They gave Aperture, Kodak, Mypublisher 4 stars
Adorama and Smilebooks 3 1/2 stars
Blurb and Shutterfly 3 stars
Mpix 2 1/2 stars
Snapfish 2 stars
Picaboo 1 1/2 stars

The article seemed pretty informative.At least it's a place to start!
I just used Mypublisher. simple to use. There is also a Wedding layout option.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

Popular Photography had an article comparing 10 photobook sites in the November issue.
They gave Aperture, Kodak, Mypublisher 4 stars
Adorama and Smilebooks 3 1/2 stars
Blurb and Shutterfly 3 stars
Mpix 2 1/2 stars
Snapfish 2 stars
Picaboo 1 1/2 stars

The article seemed pretty informative.At least it's a place to start!
I just used Mypublisher. simple to use. There is also a Wedding layout option.

Awsome! I've never used the ones with 4 stars. I guess I'll have to

 

[annnewjerz]

I have used Shutterfly and Blurb.com and much preferred Blurb. The quality of the paper/photos ends up looking really nice, the hard cover books look professional, they had one of the longest page limits I could find at the time I made the book and the price was extremely affordable. They offered a nice selection of layouts and you could create your own in Photoshop and import them if you knew how. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again and actually plan to use one to make a book from our last trip to Disney sometime soon.