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10/25/2010 05:08:54 PM · #1 |
There are lots 'n lots of companies selling photo books, but I haven't found any that provide decent software for designing books. I have 'Miller's Remote Suite (PLUS)' and ROES and they both suck. The Photoshop templates from LabApollo are simple and easy to use, but I would like to see other options before I go ahead with them.
Many companies provide web-based utilities for creating and ordering books. I would rather do my design offline and only upload the resulting images when I'm ready to order, that way I can minimize the amount of data I need to upload. This is necessary because my ISP has strict data transfer limits.
Suggestions anyone?
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10/25/2010 05:13:25 PM · #2 |
| You could try Blurb. I like the software. |
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10/26/2010 10:47:38 AM · #3 |
I don't have anything to offer Mick other than I'll be watching this thread and hopeing to see some suggestions. I'm in the same boat as you with restricted bandwidth. I've been doing my books in photoshop with no templates, but it takes me forever. I use WHCC and they have lots of photoshop templates for sale, but I haven't tried any of them.
I didn't realize blurb had offline software for design...can you export as jpg to print at your own lab? |
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10/26/2010 11:54:11 AM · #4 |
This looks cool. Have you used them before?
Originally posted by hajeka:
You could try Blurb. I like the software. |
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10/26/2010 12:24:41 PM · #5 |
I've used Blurb 3 times so far and I've been very happy with all the results. Obviously it depends on your objective, selling on or simply for your own satisfaction - there are a number of options out there for amateur or pro. The 3 I've done have been for myself & family and I've no complaints at all.
The desktop software is very straightforward to use - and free - and they've just introduced an online version which I haven't tried yet. |
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10/26/2010 12:25:40 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by jasonlprice:
I didn't realize blurb had offline software for design...can you export as jpg to print at your own lab? |
No, Jason you cannot. If you print as jpeg, then they have blurb watermarking across each and every page. So definitely not possible. |
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10/26/2010 12:28:14 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by dleach:
This looks cool. Have you used them before?
Originally posted by hajeka:
You could try Blurb. I like the software. |
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Blurb is good, the software is pretty user friendly and the quality is quite decent, I've done books with Apple Aperture, Blurb and a couple of other consumer based services and Blurb comes out quite OK. The added advantage with Blurb, is it offers a bookstore so you can market and potentially sell you book, if you would like. |
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10/26/2010 12:33:00 PM · #8 |
| Mpix has download software & upload final project.... |
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10/27/2010 04:51:52 AM · #9 |
I downloaded Blurb's BookSmart software and tried it out this afternoon (thanks  hajeka and  cmcphee!). The interface is much better than Miller's software, more intuitive and functional, but there is one big problem--there is no template for making a full-bleed two-page panoramic spread. No doubt because Blurb doesn't have a 'lay flat' binding option as some of the other sellers do. You can kludge a two-page pano using two separate full-page templates with the same photo on each page (1/2 on one page and 1/2 on the other), but aligning the two images correctly is difficult and error prone, and even if you get it right you're always going to loose part of the image in the gutter anyway.
The software is easy to use and for some books it should work just fine, however, the lack of support for panoramic spreads and no lay flat binding options means the Blurb is not going to be the answer for the project I'm currently working on. Though I may give them a try with some of my other book projects.
I suppose I'll try mpix next.
Any other suggestions?
Message edited by author 2010-10-27 04:55:09.
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