Got my magazine style album today (review)
Please see here for pics prior to print and info: original post
Well I got the album today from Blurb. For $50 it is pretty good, not mind blowing amazing. I figured to write this so people are aware. I will be adjusting my layouts for the parents album and then after the holidays reprinting the album again this way these slight imperfections are not there.
First of all print the layout prior to sending. I had no paper at home and was too damn lazy to go out and buy some. So if I did print it out I would of caught two major issues that were my fault (white borders were WAY too thick and a small line on a image due to a file error).
Quality of printing and paper: the paper itself was smooth and a nice finish. Typical thickness of any digital album but it had a better feel and grain to it. The print quality was really good except it seemed to be on heavy on the yellow side. Most of my pictures had a yellow cast so I adjusted it but a few I had kept since it gave a mood to it (bad choice on my part). So if you have yellowish images FIX IT.
Also do not make things too light. I did some opacity choices due to my monitor that is set to adobe contrast/lightness/color and typically I get great results but this time things were too light. So when you make things light bump it up a few percentages to help it out when being printed. Make sure your images have good contrast.
Remember I am a graphic designer so I am VERY picky with color issues, my mom thought the quality was amazing and was floored with it so I maybe really being too picky.
The only major issue I would say was the binding. I had a hardcover book no slip jacket just a wrap around - great quality and beautiful finish but the pages are not sewn in. They are glued in by paper. But as I said it is $50 not $150-$250. If you are creating your one and only wedding album then go use a professional album company and spend the cash. This is my 'fun' secondary and parent album so for $50 it is good enough and a step above shutterfly.
Hope that helps people!
Well I got the album today from Blurb. For $50 it is pretty good, not mind blowing amazing. I figured to write this so people are aware. I will be adjusting my layouts for the parents album and then after the holidays reprinting the album again this way these slight imperfections are not there.
First of all print the layout prior to sending. I had no paper at home and was too damn lazy to go out and buy some. So if I did print it out I would of caught two major issues that were my fault (white borders were WAY too thick and a small line on a image due to a file error).
Quality of printing and paper: the paper itself was smooth and a nice finish. Typical thickness of any digital album but it had a better feel and grain to it. The print quality was really good except it seemed to be on heavy on the yellow side. Most of my pictures had a yellow cast so I adjusted it but a few I had kept since it gave a mood to it (bad choice on my part). So if you have yellowish images FIX IT.
Also do not make things too light. I did some opacity choices due to my monitor that is set to adobe contrast/lightness/color and typically I get great results but this time things were too light. So when you make things light bump it up a few percentages to help it out when being printed. Make sure your images have good contrast.
Remember I am a graphic designer so I am VERY picky with color issues, my mom thought the quality was amazing and was floored with it so I maybe really being too picky.
The only major issue I would say was the binding. I had a hardcover book no slip jacket just a wrap around - great quality and beautiful finish but the pages are not sewn in. They are glued in by paper. But as I said it is $50 not $150-$250. If you are creating your one and only wedding album then go use a professional album company and spend the cash. This is my 'fun' secondary and parent album so for $50 it is good enough and a step above shutterfly.
Hope that helps people!
