[divider] Are you wanting to design your own photo book but have no idea how to begin?
You don’t even know how to select the best photo book company or program to use. This month’s Q&A will definitely help you out!
How to choose which photo book program should I use?
This is a great question and actually really influences the type of photo book you want … and the design process itself.
Are you looking for a no-fuss process? Do you want the fastest way to design a book? Are you looking for some creative choices but don’t want to be overwhelmed? Do you love having complete control?
Do you want a lot of photos in a grid layout? Do you want fewer photographs in a more specific layout?
Do you want to start with a clean / blank layout (think black or white backgrounds) or do you want a bit of design?
Every single one of these questions influences which company, process and program you should use.
The best single piece of advice I can offer: Spend a little time right now to decide what you want before you download a program. You’re more likely to get the results you want in the end, if you start with an intelligent choice in the beginning. Here are some options to consider.
First, start with the photo book company.
If you’re looking for a template to add photos to, check out Snapfish, Shutterfly or TinyPrints.
If you’re wanting to start with a basic background, white, black or solid color, look into Blurb, My Publisher or AdoramaPix Books.
How do you decide? Look for the specific design templates, page layouts and/or finish options that speak most to your vision. Look at the cover, the binding, the paper options.
[divider] Second, think about the design control you want to have.
Does the photo book company you are considering have an autoflow option (if you want a quick design) or a custom layout option (if you want more design control)?
I’m more familiar with Blurb so I wanted to outline the three options they provide to design a photo book.
1 – Bookify: This is purely an online, cloud-based, program. It does not have an application that you download to a desktop. This is great if you plan on working from various computers. You can not customize the page layouts and have to use the pre-designed templates. For simple books, chances are you’ll find what you want. These are great for autoflow books (where the program places the images for you automatically), especially if using instagram or facebook pics.
2 – BookSmart: This is an application that you download to your desktop. There are a variety of more advanced options that you can use to design layouts. There is an autoflow feature but you can also customize the page layouts. There are some restrictions to text – for instance size and rotation. But for the most part, you can be design a sophisticated book. There are layout options for full spreads (left and right side of the page) which is an awesome feature to have.
3 – Adobe InDesign Plug-in: Blurb provides a plug-in to be installed into Adobe InDesign in order to design photo books. All of the margins are established with the plug-in. You simply design what you want and upload it to their site. This option provides the maximum level of design and creative control. The only restriction is your knowledge and understanding of InDesign. I’m offering an upcoming workshop to educate how to design gorgeous books (and other documents) using this plug-in and InDesign.
Third, factor in cost. You don’t want to design your book and then realize the price is too high for you to order your book. Understand what to expect from the beginning.
There you go! My answer to help you select the perfect photo book program for you photo book project!
Do you have a specific request and want to hear my recommendation? Leave a comment below and I’ll let you know what I think may be the best option for you!
