Creating Custom Photo Books
If you want to preserve memories for your family, but don’t have the time or inclination to scrapbook, consider making a digital photo book instead. You’ll be surprised how easy it is, and how incredible the results are (or maybe it’s just the glow of seeing your kids’ names and pictures in print). In this article, we’ll review eight options available to you: one do-it-yourself, five web-based photo-printing companies, one online book publisher and a photography company specializing in coffee-table books.
We tried to compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges here, so we restricted ourselves to hardback books, but we did try to cover a range of different options. Most of these books require you to upload your photos to an external server, and this can take a long time, depending on how many photos you have. All of these services allow you to save your work to reorder later, and some do give discounts if you order more than one at a time. Happy photo sorting!
Do It Yourself:
HP Photo Book
You get the software to design and print pages yourself, and then slide them into the book.
Price: $15-25 + shipping
Sizes: 5×7, 8.5×11
Pages: 12, up to 25 if you purchase additional photo paper
Pros: You can add mementos, cards, invitations and other flat objects to the pages. Nice range of colors available.
Cons: You could do this without HP’s software and book, so you’re really not paying for anything unique. Plus, you have to do it yourself anyway. It will use a lot of printer toner (no wonder HP went the customer-printed route!).
Online Photo-Printing Companies:
Photoworks.com
Price: $20-70 + shipping
Sizes: 4×4, 7×7, 8.5×11.5, 12×12
Pages: 20 + $1 per additional page up to 80
Pros: The customized cover option is a definite plus. Flexible layouts are available for baby books, cookbooks, wedding albums, graduation, and more. A wide range of price options and sizes of books are available, including the ultra-hip square. Ability to choose font sizes and styles. Live chat is available while you work on your book.
Cons: Works better with IE than with Firefox.
Buy 1 get 1 free coupon: 1PB1GF-CB
Price: $20-50 + shipping
Sizes: 11×8.5, 8×6
Pages: 20 + $1-2 per additional page up to 160
Pros: Multiple options for fonts and backgrounds (including a really classic ABC book), and thousands of free user-created backgrounds. Custom covers available (but not dust jackets). Picaboo’s blog has great tips for special effects, two page spreads and frequently asked questions.
Cons: Limited book sizes available.
Price: $30-65 + shipping
Sizes: 8×8, 8.5×11, 12×12
Pages: 20 + $1-1.50 per additional page up to 100
Their pre-designed books (The ABC’s of You, an alphabet book, for instance) could be either a pro or a con depending on whether or not you can find a template you really want to use.
Pros: Many of the books are beautifully and professionally designed. Most of the work is done for you, including the use of branded characters such as Dora and SpongeBob.
Cons: The book may look like most of the work was done for you. The use of branded characters such as Dora and SpongeBob.
Price: $20-50
Sizes: 8×8, 8×11, 12×12
Pages: 20 + $1 per additional page up to 150
Pros: Some really pretty background themes for the pages. Customizable dust jacket (as opposed to a customizable cover). Probably one of the best values for the price.
Cons: Once you get about halfway through with your book, it’s difficult to change options like the theme. Fewer themes available than most online photo book vendors. Doesn’t work with Netscape or Firefox.
Price: $13-27 + shipping
Sizes: 8×8, 10×8, 12×12
Pages: 20 + $.50 per additional page up to 100
Pros: Easy, step by step instructions. You can make a great-looking book in one sitting at 1 am. Trust me. I know. Just be careful not to leave out one or two of the grandparents.
Cons: No font options (so hope you like Arial!), minimal space for text, and no control over font sizes.
Online Book Publisher:
Blurb Booksmart
Price: $23-$350 + shipping
Sizes: 7×7, 8×10, 10×8, 13×11
Pages: 40-440
Pros: This is actually a book. As in, you can publish lots of text, expect it to be readable, and have a lot more flexibility with layout options. Also, the dust jacket option is hot and the software is free. A final plus is that you can self-publish a blog in seconds; the software will upload your blog and turn it into a book for you. Volume discounts starting at 10 books (in case you want all of your second cousins to see Johnny’s first steps recorded in print format with oh-so-sweet captions).
Cons: This will require a more time-intensive investment (in other words, don’t try to fit it in during naptime!).
Custom Coffee Table Book Designer:
Al Ruscelli Photography Coffee Table Photo Books and Albums
Price: $700-2000 base price for 20-80 pages
Sizes: varies
Pages: varies
Pros: Professional personalized layout and design. All you have to do is provide the photos and your general ideas. Volume discounts (at least 50% off on additional copies).
Cons: Obviously, the price. Longer turn-around time for design.
[…] A cheap alternative to getting a family album done by a photographer is to learn how to make a digital photo book. […]
%KEYWORDS%TITLE
[…] the ultimate keepsake? Learn how to make a custom photo book for your grandchild and capture memories that can be enjoyed for many years to […]
[…] A cheap alternative to getting a family album done by a photographer is to learn how to make a digital photo book. […]