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DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> Photo Book experiences?
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Showing posts 1 - 25 of 68, descending (reverse)
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12/29/2007 12:31:15 PM · #1
I use MPIX exclusively. There was a huge writeup about them in Digital Photography magazine and I must say, everything that guy said, I have found to be true. Their quality is superb.

If you don't want it colour corrected, tick the box, they leave it alone. If you do want them to cc, they do an excellent job.

The first bridal book I ordered, I got with linen paper (free upgrade) and it was lovely. My bride flipped out over it. It was hardcover, names were embossed on the front in silver, size 11x8.5", 50 pages, linen paper, overnight shipping with Fed-Ex, and still wasn't expensive (around $70.00). Oh, and they didn't put their logo on it anywhere.

Their customer service is great too. If there is an issue, they call you to resolve it.

Highly recommended.
12/29/2007 12:18:15 PM · #2
Originally posted by Sonifo:

//www.asuka.com
Looks like someone hacked this site.


at first I was like woah, but then I googled it- I have and order to place, it better not be hacked! :0P

//www.asukabook.com/
12/27/2007 11:26:24 AM · #3
//www.asuka.com
Looks like someone hacked this site.
12/27/2007 11:18:59 AM · #4
//www.photoworks.com
I use them for my yearbook. They do however like to mess with the lighting. I am going to ask this year if they NOT mess with the shots and just print them... walgreens is also bad at that.
12/27/2007 10:35:30 AM · #5
Okay, I've read through this thread, and am bumping it to ask a question.

The owner of a local country club is wanting a book of sorts to promote the activities of the CC. He has asked my sister to put it together.

He, being the owner, wants the highest quality for the lowest price.

It probably should be fairly easy and intuitive (software, if needed, that is).

This does not profit me, directly, as I am not selling him the books. I *may* be called upon to do some of the photography for it, but that is of yet, undetermined and undecided.

I imagine he will want more than one, so the traditional "bride's book" probably isn't the best route, this time.

Any suggestions?
10/30/2007 10:02:30 PM · #6
press books are hot right now - i just got back from a 3 day conference and EVERY lab offers something or even 3 or 4 versions.

Most use a laser printer - a high end color copier type thing usualy from Xerox (costs about $1 million).
The coolest books IMO have photo covers - Art Leather's are press printed, H&H Color lab uses metallic prints. Each lab has their favorite way of doing it.
prices are all very similar.

Xerox iGen3

Message edited by author 2007-10-30 22:09:20.
10/28/2007 03:43:48 PM · #7
Originally posted by rex:

Well I haven't had any experience with any photo books but am looking myself.

I was going to try //www.asuka.com but they only sell to someone that owns their own business.

I understand that they are the best though.


I met with these guys at the PDN Expo in New York last weekend and was really impressed with the print quality.
10/28/2007 11:28:13 AM · #8
I just wanted to thank everything for their input. I don't really meet asukabook.com standards to take my money, and I already found mypublisher software frustrating but if the finished product is acceptable then I will happily work with it. (In Canada superstore had some demo photobooks on thier counter and one look told me they were below my standards just to add one more to the list)
10/23/2007 11:33:02 PM · #9
Originally posted by _eug:

Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with printing books?

I'm putting together a bunch of images for a country club where I've shot a couple weddings and only know of these two companies.
LuLu
Blurb

I don't know much about either of them except that with blurb their logo is apparently all over it and of course I want MINE all over it! :

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Their logo is ONLY on the last page. I found it very unobtrusive to be honest. Most people that saw the book Never even noticed it.

Over all I like the Blurb results. My only complaint is the cost. I've ordered a book from Lulu, but I haven't received it yet. Of the two, Blurb's layout options are better, but the price is 1/3.

MyPublisher.com (40 page book, crappy layout software, $50 + shipping)
Blurb (40 page book, decent layout software, $30 + shipping)
Lulu (56 pages, unable to do book landscape format, online layout, $12.63 + shipping)



I've been reading on the Blurb website about binding issues on larger books? Most of the are with the overseas operations. Has anyone in the US had any issues of the sort?

Message edited by author 2007-10-23 23:34:27.
09/26/2007 10:07:41 PM · #10
Hi Everyone,

We created a great Photo Book company called www.MyPicTales.com.

All we do is PhotoBooks. Any kind, all sizes. We also offer complementary design services.

A lot of training, research and development went into making my company, the superior product and service.

Now that I finally launched it, I am looking to see if it is truly outstanding for my end users.

I am looking for some testers.

Please take a look at www.MyPicTales.com. Make an order.

Please use the coupon NEWCUST8019 to get 40% off your order.

Regards,
Prathibha
Founder and CEO
MyPicTales Inc.



Message edited by author 2007-09-26 22:12:17.
09/20/2007 02:59:50 PM · #11
Originally posted by rex:

Well I haven't had any experience with any photo books but am looking myself.

I was going to try //www.asuka.com but they only sell to someone that owns their own business.

I understand that they are the best though.


Thanks for the link, I signed up a couple of days ago and just got approved. I can't wait to try them I have a sweet 16 to shoot in a couple of weeks so I may use them and get a book or two printed.

Also have you ever printed any sample books from them and did you use the 3 codes for 3 books if so does it have to be all the same exact book photo/design wise?

If anyone has used them let me know... thanks

Thanks for the link :-)

Message edited by author 2007-09-20 15:00:30.
09/18/2007 10:27:09 AM · #12
I am not sure of the scope of your project, budget and all, but I am presently in the process of publishing a novel with these people Booksurge. I find them easy to work with and being a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon doesn't hurt either.

I am seriously considering a coffee table photo book with them in the near future.

Hope this helps.

Message edited by author 2007-09-18 10:28:22.
09/18/2007 10:11:21 AM · #13
OK - so not to start another thread I'll try here.
Did anybody try Aperture (apple) books - are they the same as iPhoto books? What is the quality?
08/07/2007 05:05:40 PM · #14
Originally posted by idnic:

I've done 6 books (including Parents albums after a wedding) with Shutterfly.com; and 4 books from Photoworks in the last few months. Both are good quality, but then I did one with Asukabook. The Asuka book just kicks everyone's butt. Its the perfect studio sample book, portfolio, or album. Terrific quality.


I agree completely. I was using MyPublisher, but since I went to Asuka, I've even had a few clients from the last few years, who had MyPub albums, ask to redo their albums so they could get an Asuka. My sample book sells itself - it is gorgeous.
08/07/2007 04:18:28 PM · #15
I had GREAT results from shutterfly.com. Of course, perhaps you are looking for something a little more upscale. I gave my books as Christmas gifts to good friends of ours who had me photography their kids a few times in 2006. Both Mom's absolutely LOVED them and cried. I got a wedding referral from one of them and they are pre-ordering 6 photo books to give to the grandparents.
08/07/2007 03:31:05 PM · #16
Originally posted by _eug:



//www.lumapix.com/


It definitely looks nice. I can't afford to buy it for the project I'm using it on, because I have no profit in it... I'll have to work with Photoshop instead.

I think I may use the blurb route though, after looking at it :)
08/07/2007 03:15:05 PM · #17
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by _eug:

I use FotoFusion to do all my layout. I can put text, images, and other elements anywhere I want. I can customize everything to my desire not someone else's. I simply export all my pages as full bleed images and send those via the vendors software.


I'm not familiar with FotoFusion, but I'm assuming the same objective could be reached with PhotoShop if I chose the Blurb route...

It COULD be done, but it would take 10x longer. Try it once and you'll understand why so many of us swear by it.

//www.lumapix.com/

Message edited by author 2007-08-07 15:15:48.
08/07/2007 02:36:11 PM · #18
Originally posted by _eug:



I use FotoFusion to do all my layout. I can put text, images, and other elements anywhere I want. I can customize everything to my desire not someone else's. I simply export all my pages as full bleed images and send those via the vendors software.


I'm not familiar with FotoFusion, but I'm assuming the same objective could be reached with PhotoShop if I chose the Blurb route...

Lulu provides MS Word Templates that I can design with and just convert to PDF when completed.
08/07/2007 02:28:56 PM · #19
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by _eug:


So far of Blurb, Lulu and MPIX, it's Blurb in the lead.

I looked at blurb originally. I didn't like the software. I wanted something where I had total control of the design. Has blurb provided this yet? Lulu gives me total design freedom. I create a PDF and they print it. I haven't printed anything yet, but this is the type of freedom of design I'm looking for...

I noted earlier in this thread that none of the software I've used from the various vendors is by any means acceptable in the area of layout.

I use FotoFusion to do all my layout. I can put text, images, and other elements anywhere I want. I can customize everything to my desire not someone else's. I simply export all my pages as full bleed images and send those via the vendors software.
08/07/2007 02:17:31 PM · #20
Can someone post AsukaBook's pricelist?
08/07/2007 01:36:41 PM · #21
Originally posted by _eug:


So far of Blurb, Lulu and MPIX, it's Blurb in the lead.


I looked at blurb originally. I didn't like the software. I wanted something where I had total control of the design. Has blurb provided this yet? Lulu gives me total design freedom. I create a PDF and they print it. I haven't printed anything yet, but this is the type of freedom of design I'm looking for...
08/07/2007 01:20:46 PM · #22
Originally posted by toddhead:

You should really try MPix... the quality of the book will blow you away.

Sorry I have to disagree, at least in part...
Yesterday I got the album/book I ordered from MPIX. It's nice, but I doubt I'll use them again or I'll be more careful.

What I ordered was a 10x10, 26 page book on linen paper with a black cover. The linen paper I don't recommend. For the set I did it added a lot of noise. There might be cases where it works (I have a B&W, mostly white bouquet image in the book that looks nice), but I made a wrong choice with that option.

Some of the images in the set span across the centerline with poor results. 3/8" from the spine is a score making the pages lay better when you turn pages, but this also eats 3/4" worth of images if they cross the centerline.

The cover is paper. It's not quite the quality that you see of the Blurb fabric cover.

So far of Blurb, Lulu and MPIX, it's Blurb in the lead.
07/20/2007 06:51:39 PM · #23
You should really try MPix... the quality of the book will blow you away.
07/20/2007 06:16:06 PM · #24
I used Blurb last winter when my fiancee and I were making a book of our trip to Scotland and Ireland as a Christmas present. We were really happy with the results and so were her parents. (And their friends). The logo is a bit annoying however Blurb allows you to customize the logo...for a fee. It adds about 10 to 20 dollars to the cost of the book. Grrr...

ETA: The colors were a little weird in that they were quite saturated. In some cases where we had bumped up the saturation they were TOO saturated in print. Lesson learned...

Message edited by author 2007-07-20 18:19:30.
07/20/2007 05:37:44 PM · #25
Glad to know. I am looking for another company as well to get books from. Although I liked Shutterfly's quality. I don't like the fact they want to put thire name in the back of the book.
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