Photobooks? CM or Shutterfly, help me decide?

[disneyfan2]

I am in the process of printing a book out and it has 90 pages . I was a former CMC so i use to print only storybooks with CM. I have a photobook certificate that i purchased when i was a consultant for $40ish dollars. So when i uploaded my book cost was $240 .

I was checking with shutterfly and the price came $100 less. Even with my coupon with CM the price is still crazy. If you have printed with both do you find a difference in quality. I think the pages i made with CM (all done through PSE and uploaded as a single pic) so i don't use any of the photobook templates, only my own pages. But the ones with CM were cut off alittle in where the seams are. I tried uploading a couple through shutterfly and that doesn't seem to happen but i have never seen what the finished product is like, maybe when i get my book it might cut off some?

Any suggestions?

 

[Fran98765]

If you wait until you find a good deal for Shutterfly, you can even reduce more cost. Many scrapbooks have shutterfly banners, I know for sure that SBE (http://www.sbelements.com/index.php) has one. The current offer on the banner is for free prints, but the offer changes monthly, I believe and it's usually for a % or flat $ amount off an order or photobooks. Plus if you get on their email list they send out coupons too. When I ordered my Disney one, which was 64 pages, I followed a link for 15% off I think it was, may have been 25% or 10%, I really don't remember, but from my email I also had a $10 coupon and was able to use both at the same time. Sometimes they have free shipping too, which is about $15, so that's a nice deal too. My 64 page book including tax and shipping was around $65 if I'm remembering right, it's been awhile. I did get 8x8, I prefer that size in photobooks, 12x12 will be a bit more. The 8x8, IMO is perfect.

 

[disneyfan2]

they have the 20% off books til June 5th. Just wondered what the quality it compared to the Creative Memeries one?

 

[disneyfan2]

anyone else have an opinion on which company to choose?

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I haven't been impressed with the quality of Shutterfly's books. I would choose CM over Shutterfly. What size are you wanting to print?

The price of the CM book may be higher but in the long run, if the Shutterfly book doesn't hold up and you have to replace it, did you save anything?

 

[stenogoddess]

Just my .02 as I've only ordered Shutterfly and not CM, but is there anything you can make a small book out of. That's what I did. I did a little ten pager to make sure I was going to like the product and to make sure I understood how the pages were actually going to feel and layout. It costs you a little extra money and you wind up with two books of the same thing, but in the long run with such a big order I think it's probably better to be sure and happy with what you get. Good luck and HTH!

 

[uncw89]

Bump! I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on this as well. Has anyone tried the books from Kodak, Snapfish, Shutterfly or any other place. I'm thinking about doing one and was looking for opinions. My friend had one from Shutterfly and it looked good.
Thanks!

 

[18MAGIC]

I just ordered a 20 page 8x8 from Shutterfly. It was free and all I had to pay was the shipping. I was pleased. It was a little smaller than I expected-not sure why... 8x8 is 8x8. I have never ordered any other photobooks so I don't have anything to compare it too, but I think the quality of Shutterfly is good.

 

[uncw89]

How did you get it free? Did you buy thier annual plan?

 

[18MAGIC]

They sent me an email telling me I could get one but I had to order by September 24th. It said that the offer was valid only for my account. So maybe they randomly send out emails to members to promote certain products.

 

[uncw89]

Thanks!

 

[nicurn]

I also got that free shutterfly book. I liked it alot. quality seems fine, nice hard cover... I made my own pages (dropped my pages into their big blank square) and my only problem was just on one page where just the first letter of each line of journalling was cut off. I'm thinking that was more me than them though. no complaints about them. maggie

 

[Lisa]

I like the fact that CM stitches their digital albums whereas Shutterfly does not, it's glued.

 

[morgansmom2000]

I got that coupon too, but mine hasn't come yet (I had a technical glitch and had to reorder, they were kind to let me use the coupon after the expiration date). I'm excited to see it, but I have nothing to compare it to.

 

[Fran98765]

I love my Shutterfly books. I recently tried another company artscow.com, they were a lot cheaper. I was really disappointed with the book. I might not have been so disappointed if I didn't have the shutterfly books, but the colors on the artscow books just seemed so dull, where the shutterfly books were so bright and vibrant in comparison.

 

[Spinning]

Hi,
I have to say Shutterfly books have come a long way. I have been getting books for about 2 years. The first few I swear they looked like cheap children's books. But this last book....very nice. I actually thought the cover and quality was better than CM. A friend at work brought in her CM photo book. and it was thin, (cover thickness) I didn't feel you were getting something so much better for the price. I was very disappointed in the look and feel of the CM book. It reminded me of the first shutterfly books I got.
I am not bashing CM....but when you look at their scrap albums, which I have alway thought the covers were beautiful....I would have expected more in these for the price.

 

[ccmystic16]

I'm Shutterfly hands down. I have ordered several photo books with no problems and all sizes. The 12 X12 book is my favorite!! There customer service is outstanding. As I was reading the comment that CM stitches there book vs Shutterfly Glued. I recently did have a page that was nearly coming out of the book in my most recent 2008 Disney book that I ordered and received in June. I sent them an e-mail and asked if I could return the book and have it reprinted. They sent me an e-mail within 24 hours and reprinted it for free and never asked me to return my current book. WOW its a 100 page 12X12 book!! That is the only time in 4 years and all the books I have ordered that I have ever had a problem. Quality and Customer Service to Top Notch for me.

 

[ilovemickeymost]

mypublisher.com is another company. They run specials all the time. memorymixer is the digital scrap program I use. YOu can order prints & books from them. I'm not sure how it would work if you don't have their program, but its worth looking into. Their digital program is so easy (I'm seriously computer stupid & did 12 pages in an hour) & customer service has been fantastic. I've never ordered from any of the companies. I have seen a sample of the ones you can order from Walmart & basically its printed on one side of photo paper. It was not good at all.