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09/13/2007 11:29:42 AM · #1 |
Hi Everyone,
Out of all of you Wedding Photographers, how many design the albums for your clients ? I have a Wedding Album due and was going to use Asuka Books with their designer, but you're talkin' $$$$$ ! I know Asuka has software you can download and design using Photoshop. I just did a portfolio through blurb.com and it came out really good. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks !!
kopa21 |
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09/13/2007 11:34:57 AM · #2 |
Asuka is considered the gold standard for wedding albums. Once you see it you'll know why.
As for layout, I'm a fan of using Photofusion for layout, exporting full bleed images and loading those into any software offered by a printshop. |
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09/13/2007 01:08:22 PM · #3 |
I design my own. Asuka is a great coffee table style book. Please do not use Blurb! For a proof book fine but the quality is marginal at best and I've heard of pages falling out too.
I've never used the Asuka program so I'm not of much help there. I use Fotofusion and I love it :0) If you are planning to make more albums in the future it might be worth the money?
album1 this I ordered as my first Asuka, came about two weeks ago and I loved it! So did the client. Also, I had a few pages out of bounds and they called me each time and told me which pages were off. How awesome is that??? The only gripe with Asuka is you have to design in increments of 20... 40-60-80 not so great.
album2 This was designed for a flushmount style album but they are more expensive than the coffeetable type. The nice thing with fotofusion is if you have designed for a different type of book all you have to to is change the bleed and set it to every page and it will adjust all the images for you! Nice :0)
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09/13/2007 01:58:21 PM · #4 |
I've really wanted to try one of these out but have a really hard time finding any type of pricing. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but it seems that they get buried pretty deep. I've heard everything from 300 to 1200 bucks each. The lower end of course being something you send and have printed, no correction, no checking.
Any insight or suggestions WB or eug?
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09/13/2007 02:36:03 PM · #5 |
You have to sign up with Asuka to get the prices- they only deal with photographers or designers, not the general public.
It doesn't cost anything to sign up tho, go for it! :0)
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09/13/2007 03:44:56 PM · #6 |
I use fotofusion by lumapix. the middle version works fine but you have to work page by page and that takes more time. the extreme version is $300 or so but will save you time.
My first album (20 sides) took some 25 hours. Now it takes 3 to 4, including teh PS on the images.
Lumapix has the ABSOLUTE BEST customer service on the face of the earth!
I thought I was having a problem and uninstalled to reinstall. When you uninstall a webpage comes up asking why. I gave a one sentence reason. I reinstalled - BEFORE I was done I had an email from their support asking for my phone number so they could call ME! I emailed back (at 3 pm) that i'd be available after 4 and gave them my number. At 4:05 the phone rang - it was lumapix! they helped me out, answered some other questions and let me in on some changes in the new version - no rush, no hurry and no one with an indian accent. Amazing. Outstanding.
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09/13/2007 04:02:21 PM · #7 |
So Prof, do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? I looked through their site and didn't see anything regarding it, just what the software could do. Pretty cool at that, but getting the book printed...
And when you do order, what is the turnaround on delivery and how do you work that in with your client? Seems most say about 4 weeks delivery, but if you don't give the couple proofs until 2 weeks post the wedding, it takes them 2 weeks to get back to you with choices and it takes 1-2 weeks (depending on if you have another job. I do, for now), suddenly we're 3 months past the wedding day. Oi!
So yeah, that's my thing...
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09/13/2007 04:06:18 PM · #8 |
Those are some beautiful shots Laura. Nice job!
Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:
I design my own. Asuka is a great coffee table style book. Please do not use Blurb! For a proof book fine but the quality is marginal at best and I've heard of pages falling out too.
I've never used the Asuka program so I'm not of much help there. I use Fotofusion and I love it :0) If you are planning to make more albums in the future it might be worth the money?
album1 this I ordered as my first Asuka, came about two weeks ago and I loved it! So did the client. Also, I had a few pages out of bounds and they called me each time and told me which pages were off. How awesome is that??? The only gripe with Asuka is you have to design in increments of 20... 40-60-80 not so great.
album2 This was designed for a flushmount style album but they are more expensive than the coffeetable type. The nice thing with fotofusion is if you have designed for a different type of book all you have to to is change the bleed and set it to every page and it will adjust all the images for you! Nice :0) |
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09/13/2007 04:46:50 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by sea2c:
I've really wanted to try one of these out but have a really hard time finding any type of pricing. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but it seems that they get buried pretty deep. I've heard everything from 300 to 1200 bucks each. The lower end of course being something you send and have printed, no correction, no checking.
Any insight or suggestions WB or eug? |
You sure about your zeros there? Places like Lulu, MyPublisher, MPIX, Blurb are in the range of 30-50. Asuka I'm not sure of the prices. I've seen the results, but have never ordered one. |
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09/13/2007 04:51:11 PM · #10 |
Thank you very much Dwayne! I love love love my job! :0)
Steve, Asuka is different than most album companies and they have their own program where you drag the jpeg files and it creates a PDF for you. Lumapix will save as a jpeg for you or a psd (so you can to touch ups in PS- which is new and rocks!!!)
Albums do take a long time. Explain to your client that they are custom and always say they will take twice as long as you think it will. That way even if there is a problem the bride will never know about it and you'll be awesome when it comes thru twice as fast! Remember- under promise, over deliver! :0)
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09/13/2007 04:52:57 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by sea2c:
Do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? |
With Fotofusion you create the layout then export as JPG which you then import into the album publishers software full bleed.
Fotofusion V3 used to have the ability to send out to specific print shops, but that has gone away in V4. |
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09/13/2007 04:54:15 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by _eug:
You sure about your zeros there? Places like Lulu, MyPublisher, MPIX, Blurb are in the range of 30-50. Asuka I'm not sure of the prices. I've seen the results, but have never ordered one. |
Nope! That's why I'm asking stupid questions!
;)
Gotta learn sometime I suppose and it's easier than trying and getting burned. Not that I've ever been burned mind you!
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09/13/2007 04:54:29 PM · #13 |
I use fotofusion to design the book, save as pdf, run it through Asuka's file checker, then send it to them to print. It takes about 3-4 weeks for them, depending on their orders, but you can get it in 2 for 40 or 50 extra dollars. 3 months isn't all that long to wait for a quality product. Asuka is a quality product, and, after you register, your first book is half price. I'd recommend Asuka and fotofusion.
Originally posted by sea2c:
So Prof, do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? I looked through their site and didn't see anything regarding it, just what the software could do. Pretty cool at that, but getting the book printed...
And when you do order, what is the turnaround on delivery and how do you work that in with your client? Seems most say about 4 weeks delivery, but if you don't give the couple proofs until 2 weeks post the wedding, it takes them 2 weeks to get back to you with choices and it takes 1-2 weeks (depending on if you have another job. I do, for now), suddenly we're 3 months past the wedding day. Oi!
So yeah, that's my thing... |
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09/13/2007 07:35:35 PM · #14 |
Thank you all for some great info !!!!
kopa21 |
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09/13/2007 07:44:06 PM · #15 |
I design all my albums in Photoshop (and love doing it) and I do use AsukaBook - nothing else comes close to it.
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09/13/2007 08:24:18 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by _eug:
Originally posted by sea2c:
Do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? |
With Fotofusion you create the layout then export as JPG which you then import into the album publishers software full bleed.
Fotofusion V3 used to have the ability to send out to specific print shops, but that has gone away in V4. |
it did go away but it came back :0)
a friend of mine called them up and it was a big DOH! moment on their part. They just forgot to include them. But they are under canvas options. You have to click on the little arrow box before the page dimensions
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09/13/2007 08:26:57 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:
Originally posted by _eug:
Originally posted by sea2c:
Do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? |
With Fotofusion you create the layout then export as JPG which you then import into the album publishers software full bleed.
Fotofusion V3 used to have the ability to send out to specific print shops, but that has gone away in V4. |
it did go away but it came back :0)
a friend of mine called them up and it was a big DOH! moment on their part. They just forgot to include them. But they are under canvas options. You have to click on the little arrow box before the page dimensions |
Ooooooooohhhh! |
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09/13/2007 08:33:48 PM · #18 |
Asuka? Gold Standard? pfffft!
Cheap & nasty if you ask me.. and yes, I have put together 3 in the past, actually 2, saberi designed the first one.
Queensbury (New Zealand based) or Albums Australia are probably the best you can buy. If you want to go a little bit more down market go with Graphistudio (Italian based)
But Asuka are cheap, but I wouldn't want to put one on display at a wedding show/exhibition, once 50 or so people have not very lovingly thumbed through it I dont think it would be in very good condition. On the other hand, our Queensburys have now lasted 10 (national) wedding shows, been looked at by literally hundreds & hundreds of people and they are still as good as they day they arrived from New Zealand.
It all depends on budget and how good you want the final product to look. |
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09/13/2007 08:44:24 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Simms:
Asuka? Gold Standard? pfffft!
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hehe- I wasn't gonna say nuthin! :0P But if you want a coffetable book then it's probably the best!
BTW, have you checked out //www.whiteweddingalbums.com/
I'd like to get my hands on one & check it out. But what I really really want is the LaVie it's just my style :0)
Originally posted by _eug:
Ooooooooohhhh! |
LOL I know it!!
Message edited by author 2007-09-13 20:44:39.
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09/13/2007 08:44:33 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by sea2c:
So Prof, do you order via Fotofusion as well or do you need to send a pdf to a printer to have the book printed? I looked through their site and didn't see anything regarding it, just what the software could do. Pretty cool at that, but getting the book printed...
And when you do order, what is the turnaround on delivery and how do you work that in with your client? Seems most say about 4 weeks delivery, but if you don't give the couple proofs until 2 weeks post the wedding, it takes them 2 weeks to get back to you with choices and it takes 1-2 weeks (depending on if you have another job. I do, for now), suddenly we're 3 months past the wedding day. Oi!
So yeah, that's my thing... |
They used to partner with labs but don't anymore.
You can output hi-res JPGs and use them for uploading (i've used apollo's illuma memory books -like asuka) as well as having prints made at labs that i put in books as 'flush mount' albums, like from tapp, art leather or GP Albums.
I put web proofs up thursday after the wedding - via instaproofs.com (free to put as much up as you want). www.viewandchoose.com - arranged by date - johnstonp-bayer is from sept 8 (first one with a 40D) and the PW is Kate (case sensitive). THe bride can pick favorites and i can access the list from the website.
take the list, put it in the search box in windows explorer and you have the files they want in the album. I then copy those to a directory, edit in PS, then open that directory in fotofusion for making the album.
I then use FF to output web-size JPGs and upload them - //www.pbase.com/cpphotography/sample_albums is my albums. The bride then makes any changes she wants (1 or 2 per book is all anyone has ever made).
I then output the hi res and have htem printed like any other print at my lab.
Turn around.. I have one bride that has taken OVER a year to pick pics, another had me her list 10 days after the wedding.
I do printed proofs - I now use ABCPhotoLab out of mystic ct - 12c 4x6 prints and $2 shipping and great customer service - talk to bruce and tell him Chris sent ya. Takes a week - I upload the same files I put on teh web - 1280x1280 jpgs (batched from the hi-res in breezebrowser pro - it's one click)
I tell clients 6 weeks for album design and 6 weeks for delivery. It's inevitable they'll wait 9 months and then want it tomorrow. ArtLeather can take 4 to 6 weeks. GP Albums out of chicago has similar albums, prices, etc and takes 2 weeks. Also, their 'glue' is repositionable for 2 to 3 days where art leather is a one shot deal - wrinkle a print and the book is ruined. |
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09/15/2007 11:27:41 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by Simms:
Asuka? Gold Standard? pfffft!
Cheap & nasty if you ask me.. and yes, I have put together 3 in the past, actually 2, saberi designed the first one.
Queensbury (New Zealand based) or Albums Australia are probably the best you can buy. If you want to go a little bit more down market go with Graphistudio (Italian based)
But Asuka are cheap, but I wouldn't want to put one on display at a wedding show/exhibition, once 50 or so people have not very lovingly thumbed through it I dont think it would be in very good condition. On the other hand, our Queensburys have now lasted 10 (national) wedding shows, been looked at by literally hundreds & hundreds of people and they are still as good as they day they arrived from New Zealand.
It all depends on budget and how good you want the final product to look. |
I'm surprised to hear this. I have a sample Asuka album that I use to show clients, and it has been handled extensively over the past year and a half, and has been mailed back and forth to clients who live a distance away many times, and the album is still as beautiful as it was new.
Message edited by author 2007-09-15 11:27:59. |
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09/16/2007 01:42:57 AM · #22 |
Like many others, I am about to set up a wedding album for the first time. I've been going through the forum reading this and past threads on the subject...
Quick question about the TAP do-it-yourself albums (for example their Superior series): I understand that I have to order one of those, then print the photos wherever I like and stick them to the pages. Can you only use prints that are the same size as the pages? For example, in a 10x10 album, can I stick two 4x6 on a page and leave the rest of the page blank?
Also, for setting up albums, do you know of some nice and free templates I could look through? Not just photo arrangements, but also backgrounds, colors, subtle lines and ornaments etc.
Thanks,
Matei
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09/16/2007 01:46:00 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by The_Dentist:
Like many others, I am about to set up a wedding album for the first time. I've been going through the forum reading this and past threads on the subject...
Quick question about the TAP do-it-yourself albums (for example their Superior series): I understand that I have to order one of those, then print the photos wherever I like and stick them to the pages. Can you only use prints that are the same size as the pages? For example, in a 10x10 album, can I stick two 4x6 on a page and leave the rest of the page blank?
Also, for setting up albums, do you know of some nice and free templates I could look through? Not just photo arrangements, but also backgrounds, colors, subtle lines and ornaments etc.
Thanks,
Matei |
I don't know about templates, as I always layout my own, but for backgrounds, ornaments, etc, check out the many digital scrapbooking sites. Many offer free "paper" kits that make nice backgrounds, and also lots of alphabets and ornaments and that kind of thing. I use a lot of these when laying out baby books. (just google digital scrapbooking)
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09/21/2007 02:58:18 AM · #24 |
I use Asuka, I find it quite easy and the detail/colour/ etc are fantastic
Here are some examples
password grace
password yellow
password onda
I think their quality is outstanding and worth every cent. My clients love them too
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