Oh, Photo Books

I've been working the last few months on a number of digital photo books. I've used a different software for each project. I've had so much fun with each one. This has been so much better than physical scrapbooking. Now that they have been completed and gifted, I'll share them here.

First up was a book to record in physical format my blog postings on my 27 Things. For this project I used Blurb. I've used Blurb in the past for photobooks of vacations, other memories and stories. This time I did an 8x8 hardcover book. It's pretty easy to use and offers a lot of flexibility in arranging photos, choosing layouts, and increasing page length. It does not however offer the ability to place picture at an angle, essential for me in my collage style of designing. They also provide a way to import your blog directly into their software so you don't have to copy and paste. I did have to reload some pictures since I don't always load the best quality photos to the blog. Overall, Blurb has quality products printed on good paper with good printing. The book can be viewed here.

Second was a Christmas present for all my in-laws. Each family got a copy of the 6x8 hardback, linen covered book. I left a space in the front for a family picture we took on Christmas day and then the following pages were devoted to each family. For this project I used Picaboo. I was pleased with all the page designs that they had to offer - lots of scrapbook style pages. There are lots of layouts, but not as much flexibility in changing them, which was discouraging. The final product turned out great, but I think I would pick Blurb over Picaboo. The book can be seen here.

Last is a photobook for our wedding. For this project, I used AdoramaPix. They're a photo retailer based in NYC. The software is on their site. It is AMAZING. So flexible - turning pictures any way you want them, backgrounds, "decorations" and more. I started by designing books for my parents and my in-laws in the 10x10 size. When my parent's book arrived in the mail, I was in love with the book the moment I saw it in the box. The cover has a pearlized finish. The pages are printed on real photo paper so they look fantastic. They only have specific sized books up to 76 pages, but I think that would be my only complaint, and even then it isn't really a complaint because the price is so reasonable. It just takes a little more planning than the other two. I've been so pleased. Here is the link to one of the books.

Blurb has software you can download or you can build your book on their site, Picaboo only has software for download, and Adorama only has online software. Blurb and Adorama offer book selling features. There are so many things to love about each one. I found the reviews on Photo Book Girl to be really helpful. She reviews a ton of vendors.