Album for an orphaned bride

[leigh_bolton]

<p>Does anyone know of an album company that will sell directly to a bride? I got married a year ago and just received a CD of all my pictures along with a copyright release. I want a professional flushmount album, not my publisher or blurb. I have the album designed as a 12x12, 21 spread album. All I need is a company willing to print and sell me my album. I would like a glass cover or a 2 leather cover with a cameo. Any ideas?</p>

[john at storybook pages]

<p>

We do flush-mount albums by Leather Craftsmen, Graphistudio, VisionArt, Zookbinders, Finao, Black River, etc. If your layouts fit the specs (resolution, margins, etc.), and you have a release from your photographer, we'd be glad to work with you. Contact info on the website.<br>

Cheers,<br>

john</p>

[irusan]

<p>Leigh,</p>

<p>You'll find that a lot of pro shooters here will offer to do it for you, and that may be your best option.</p>

<p>Most companies that create the albums will not sell to the general public for two main reasons:</p>

<ol>

<li>A one-time sale is not worth the ill-will created by "competing" with their existing professional clients. I know that I would not sell a product from a company if they were willing to sell directly to the public. Who wants to compete with their vendors?</li>

<li>To sell to the public, a company needs to be set up to collect, report, and remit sales tax. Wholesale companies don't have to do this and few, if any, really want the hassle of it for the occasional client.</li>

</ol>

<p>As John mentioned, you will need a license from your photographer.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

[jennifer_r2]

<p>I know mpix.com has an album they sell directly to consumers, it doesn't have the cover options you are looking for, but if you want to check it out: <a href="http://mpix.com/Product.aspx/assembledalbums">http://mpix.com/Product.aspx/assembledalbums</a></p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>Sounds to me like you are a "runaway" rather than an orphan. If you want to get a pro album you'll need to find a pro. You might start by contacting some of the pros in your area to see if they'll accept such a job....but be prepared to pay the pro prices.</p>

[g.e._masana]

<p>>>Sounds to me like you are a "runaway" rather than an orphan.>><br /> <br /> Oh, she may have used a shoot-n-burner who doesn't bother with albums because "they're too much work".<br /> <br /> I had a client who didn't contract her studio to create her album; yeras later, she turned to me. Here's another wrinkle to taking on those assignments:<br /> <br /> It's not just designing the album, it's also about remastering all the images in it, hoping that the shooter nailed it right. You don't want to be fixing bad shots.<br /> And hopefully, you have great images to depict the story with, otherwise it just becomes a jumbled assortment of wedding pictures, like a scrapbook, without rhyme or reason. <br /> When you're not the shooter, all that's out of your hands.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>The OP says she already has the album designed. The only issue(s) I see there are that the files are acceptable to whomever is doing the printing/binding and color. Accurate color would be based on a paper profile but so long as the OP is willing to sign in effect saying that what comes back (whatever that may be) will be OK. I haven't heard of a glass cover album? Acrylic maybe? Zookbinders has the Reflection Z cover which I prefer over the acrylic. </p>

[leigh_bolton]

<p>The album itself is already fully designed. I made the spreads in Photoshop using what seemed like the common specs I could find. The spreads are 12x24 in 300 dpi. I did the research I could from what was available to the general public.<br>

I am not a runaway either. I hired my photographer because he is a wonderful photographer, not because of his album design abilities, as many brides do. As part of my package with him, I received a press printed book with a very basic design. It is not the wedding album I want to bring out to show my grandkids. I want a beautiful album that will last a very long time. I can't pay someone $1500+ to do it all for me, but I can pay $500 for the printing. It doesn't make me a runaway, it makes me resourceful with what I have.</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>My point was that you were not "orphaned" by a photographer. Simply contact a couple of printing houses that offer flushmounts and present them with your layouts....keep being resourceful. Good luck.</p>

[markonestudios]

Sheesh! Talk about colloquialisms! I thought that the post was about how to handle a shoot for an orphan sensitively :) Or (shock horror!) that there are different requirements Stateside for album printing for (literally) orphaned brides.

[rachel_peek]

<p>Hi Leigh, the manufacturing costs of the type and size album you've described would start around the $700 mark from a mid-quality professional album vendor. Low-end albums might run $400-500, and higher end albums would start around $900. Also, expect the photographer or studio to charge some sort of carrying cost for taking the time, resources and liability of producing your album. And depending on your location, sales tax might be involved.</p>

<p>If you have a budget for a mid to high end album and the proper release for your images, I can help you. I've designed and printed albums for many brides photographed by other photographers. I've also printed albums for other photographers, so printing for a non-photographer isn't out of the question. My studio does not offer low-end albums.</p>

[tolik_p.]

<p>Ever thought about making it yourself to the end?</p>

[alefiyah_mesiwala]

<p>Hi Leigh,<br>

I am having the same problem as you. I consider myself an amateur photographer who wants to design my own flush mount album for my wedding since I have the talent to do so. I have spent hours trying to find a website that would let me design my own flush mount album and also print it. It frustrates me that non of the pro websites like asuka or kiss, etc. will let me use their services since I am a pretty savvy photographer who takes lots of pictures, but I am not a professional. Oh well! <br>

The one website that I did come across is www.somersetalbums.com They let you download software so that you can either create your own layouts OR you can upload your layouts that you have made using other software. They allow you to directly print a flush mount album. Depending on how many sides and the size of your album, the prices range anywhere from $280-$650. Kudos to websites like somersetalbums, I just wish I could find more websites who would be willing to work with "amateur photographers" or those of us trying to be resourceful!</p>

[alefiyah_mesiwala]

<p>FYI: I haven't actually used www.somersetalbums.com so I can't comment on the quality. But the website and what it has to offer looks pretty legitimate. </p>

[john at storybook pages]

<p>Somerset is a good solution is you like the album selection they offer. <br>

We normally design the layouts for our clients albums but we do work with a few brides who've done their own designs - and done a nice job. For these clients, we check and confirm dimensions, etc. and them get them printed and bound by whichever album company they like. We work with most of the big ones. <br>

This way, the orphaned bride who has designed their own album can get a Graphi, Leather Craftsmen, Asuka or Vision Art book or other pro level album. </p>