Suggestions for Better Quality Photobooks Than Shutterfly

[leland_bolleter]

I've seen what I want. Beautiful photobooks with rich full color and proper

saturation of color. I made a very important photobook with shutterfly.com and

it was good but not stunning. It wasn't the pictures it was the reproduction.

I love photobooks and I've seen phenomenal results from Europe but the book I

have from shutterfly is too bright in some parts, too washed out in others and

lacks the dimensionality of color I require. That is the reason I shoot Nikon.

 

Please help with suggestions of where / how I can make a bound photobook worthy

of quality pictures. Thanks in advance.

[photo5]

I would be very interested in this too. I've seen the sample books that Apple offers through

iPhoto and to be honest, I wasn't too impressed, though the prices were great. I've often

wanted to make a nice photobook as a gift at Christmas time.

 

Dave

[zofia]

AsukaBooks are beautiful (though only available to pros).

[dave_powell2]

Hi Leland,

 

I've heard good things about photoworks.com, and have used mypublisher.com to print house-image books that realtors give as gifts to special clients. But photoworks seems to offer more flexible layouts, so I'll try them soon as well.

 

Both sites offer optional leather covers, though photoworks seems to offer more options for fabric-covered hardbounds. And the image reproduction (at least from mypublisher) seemed to be quite faithful on my projects.

 

You can also test both sites fairly inexpensively, since their 20-page 7x5-inch paperbacks cost around $10 each.

 

Good luck with your researches!

 

Sincerely,

 

Dave

[praveen murthy]

Really, that's the reason you shoot Nikon? That's good to know...

 

As far as books go, I have had good luck with blurb. I have printed 5 books through mypublisher, 1 through lulu, and 2 through blurb, and blurb's the best. Their product comes closest to bookstore quality coffee table books, and is the cheapest to boot (a 160 page 8x10 hardcover with full bleed custom dust jacket costs only $40, $50 shipped).

 

Since I don't shoot Nikon, I am not sure whether you will get the required color dimensionality with blurb or not, but there is a site (http://bob-nan.smugmug.com/gallery/1860293/1/93416098#93416098) with one Nikon shooter who has reported happiness. In fact there was a site full of Nikon shooters who had also expressed happyness, but I can't find that site anymore; it was where many Nikon shooters hang out. Anyway, hope that helps.

[joanna_t]

Hello,

I volunteer through the Shuttterfly Online Gallery. I have never had a problem with any of my books. A couple of my friends have, and they contacted Customer Service. They were very helpful in finding out what the problem is. I suggest you talk to customer service about your book (I realize it has been a long time since your post) but they may be able to help you. I think photobooks are a great way to give a personalized gift to the person who has everything. With Christmas fast approaching, these make the best gifts. I encourage you to try Shutterfly PhotoBooks again.

Thank you,

Joanna T