album production using LR5

<p>I'm (finally) upgrading from LR3 (gasp) to LR5. LR5 has a new module for album production. It seems like LR can now replace photoshop for this function. Skimming the Kelby book, it looks like it would be easy to make templates and then export .jpegs, but all the examples are Blurb only.</p>

<p>Blurb is a very good press-printed consumer album. I have produced Blurb albums in the past and am very pleased with their quality, but I need to produce lay-flat books for wedding clients.</p>

<p>It seems like LR5 should be fine for making lay-flat albums with other publishers. Are there any issues doing this? Can I export LR5 album designs to Bay Photo, Graphistudios, WHCC, Pictobooks, etc.?</p>

<p>And all of these labs provide templates for album design. Can I import templates from these labs into LR5?</p>

<p>Lastly, about 2 years ago, Vail Fucci posted a link to a very nice tutorial on album design on YouTube by Leather Craftsmen. It had some nice ideas about creating page backgrounds from texture shots. Can anyone recommend any other useful tutorials on album design, either tool logistics, planning, or artistic techniques, please?</p>

I can't really answer your question, because I sometimes use Lightroom 4. I mainly use photoshop 6. I

have to add something here. I think it is a shame that adobe is switching to "Cloud." You won't be able

to buy software anymore; you have to rent the cloud program per month. I will be testing out some other

programs, but thats not related to this site. Adobe makes so many changes with each new addition so

you may have to simply play with the program. For example when I'm doing instant prints for company

parties or something, I'm still using Photoshop 2, because Adobe doesn't let you make packages after

PS 2, such as 2, 5X7's. You have to go into Bridge now. That takes way too much time when you need

to print a 5X7 and 4 wallets. 2 minutes using Bridge, 30 seconds using PS 2. A Kodak 9810 dye sub

printer.

 

Well long story short I'm sure you can make albums, expect time for a learning curve, but there are

better programs out there which is faster and very easy to use. This isn't the answer you are looking for,

just from personal experience.

 

You can buy software thats pretty easy to use for making an album. You simply drag and drop the

pictures into each page. I think Art Leather has this program. My photo partner Craig has the program.

I'll ask him.

 

Let us know what you find.

<blockquote>

<p>"I think it is a shame that adobe is switching to "Cloud." You won't be able to buy software anymore; you have to rent the cloud program per month."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>For now at least the cloud is only one of the options for Lightroom 5 users, as part of their creative suite bundle. I'm still trying to decide whether to pony up for the $9.99/mo CC & LR5 bundle, or just buy the upgrade from LR4 to LR5. Version 5 has a much better heal/clone tool that now behaves like a real brush rather than a spotting tool.</p>

<p>But you can still download Lightroom 5 and use it locally on your computer, or even buy a hard copy with a disc.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>For now at least the cloud is only one of the options for Lightroom 5 users, as part of their creative suite bundle.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

And that's not a "cloud version." You just get Lightroom and automatic updates to whatever version, but it is still there if you turn off CC.</p>

<p>Allan, I have wondered about your question myself. I enjoy making a book in LR since I use it for 95% of my editing. So easy to match color balance of photos that are side by side on a page. Blurb does not do flat laying albums and that is too bad.</p>