What is the best value in photo books?

[Jeremy Z]

Somewhere recently, (either here or at dpreview) I read that a fellow makes one photo book per month; that is his way of printing and preserving his work.

I think that is a GREAT idea. Maybe not one per month, in my case, but more often, anyhow.

Recently, I ordered some prints from Adorama, and I'm happy with them. I was just going to try one of their books.

...but then I realized LOTS of places are selling photo books, and I should ask around for some experience.

By "best value" I mean very good quality printing, materials and construction at a fair price. I don't want a lower price in exchange for lower quality, and I don't want to get into the "Diminishing Returns Zone", where quality is incrementally better, at a MUCH higher price.

 

[Godfrey]

I use Blurb.com. Whether its enormously better or worse than others, I don't know, but their editor is good and works well for me.

The real value of publishing books is to register the books with the Library of Congress and send in an electronic copy. That way not only is the book made into a physical artifact and digitally preserved, it will be taken care of long after you've forgotten it exists. 🙂

G

 

[froyd]

Blur has become the one I use the most. Nothing phenomenal on the image quality front, but the book module in Lightroom makes it very easy to quickly design a book, and edit images on the fly if needed.

 

[B-9]

I’ve used Vistaprint for all sorts of things. Typically cheap. Usually really quick turnaround.

Can’t go wrong with Blurb (so I hear)

I have a deep seeded distrust of Adorama that has been continuously reinforced through the years. The old “Lets give em another chance this year” always bites me. Glad you got good results! Maybe I’ll try them... nah!

 

[jsrockit]

I use Blurb.com. G

me too ...and I might be the guy who printed a book a month. Now, living in Chile, I print whenever I go to the USA. Now instead of the 7” book per month for the rough edit and the 12” square for the yearly edit, I just print whenever I can at 12”. I think it’s an economical way to keep track of anything that might be of interest in the future in paper form.

 

[majid]

Most photobooks are printed on HP Indigo presses, which are glorified inkjet printers originally designed for mass-customized junk mail, and they are perfect bound (the same binding as a paperback, not sewn in signatures).

AdoramaPix' are actually printed on photo paper that is glued back to back to form pages. As a result, they also lay flat and are ideal for panoramas. The pages are very thick, however, and feel less like a book than a wedding album.

Thus the use cases are very different. Blurb et al replicate the feel of an ordinary photo book. Adorama's are a completely different experience, luxurious, less casual.

My father, bless his soul, makes one each year of my daughter, his only grandchild. Don't underestimate the amount of work required to layout a photo book if you have a mix of portrait and landscape photos, at least if you want to preserve chronology.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I still believe here is prevalence of image as content quality, than fine printed dross.
I’ll pay for Eric and Helen photography multiplied on Xerox.

 

[benlees]

I think Lightroom has a Blurb plugin so that might be an option- makes it very easy.


I have used Photobook many times. Very good service: decent quality and quite low prices. And fast. They do get you on shipping, though. I'm in Canada, so have limited choice.


I did not notice a big increase in quality for their more expensive options (had a coupon) so I stick with the cheaper ones.