Photobooks Demo

Options For Printing Your Own Photo Books

Note: This is the seminar information that is being/was presented at the Monticello Photo show on Saturday, March 27th, 2010, by Jean Davids and Val Somerville. Thanks to Claire McGillic for her assistance in gathering this information and supplying the sample Photoshop page of her father.

The majority of these files are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Some are sample photos images. Where indicated you will find the file size so that you can determine if your internet speed will allow you to easily view these documents/photos. Click on the links provided in the descriptions below for more information.

You can find a copy of the 2010 version of my Microsoft Powerpoint Demo in this PDF file (1.72 MB file size). Just print it out when you view it or download the file and you will have an overall comparison between various methods as well as helpful links to websites that will provide you more information. Where indicated, you can see ones that I have used and recommend. Included in the Powerpoint demo is a one page helpful tips page on using Snapfish online for making your own photobooks. This information was presented by Val Somerville.

This document shows a price comparison (69 kb) of a few of the various websites that support creation of photobooks. Many more websites are out there so shop around but look for reviews of their services to insure that the company is above board. Services included in this document are some of the more "well-known" services out there. Where indicated, you can see ones that I have used and recommend.

Using a photo service is a great option if you want the book to be professionally printed and sent to you. Personally, I have used Shutterfly and find them very reliable. Val Somerville uses primarily Costco and likes them a lot. Others in our camera club have used other services with great success as well. Shop around. Check out the price comparison above and see what looks best for you or better yet, shop around yourself and find out what the most current price is when you are looking. Try them out with one book before committing to several copies. Often, these services offer sales. Take advantage and save your photobook printing for a time when they are offering sales. This just requires a little bit more homework on your part but can save you big money. For instance, I just got an offer from Shutterfly as a current member to get 20% off on my next book. See the Powerpoint demo file for more information on use of these services. A sample of what is required to create a book at Shutterfly's website is included here (2009 version) with their documentation provided as well as my own screen shots of creating a book at their website (2009) for my family of Christmas 2008.

This photo shows a sample of what a photobook page can look like using Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements (425 kb). However, you should be able to do similar work using any photo editing software that allows using layers. Thanks to Claire McGillic for supplying this photo (425 kb).

This document shows a sample photobook created using Picaboo's downloaded software (462 kb). This software allows you to print at home without uploading the pages to their service to print. However, if you wish to you can upload the pages to their site and share it or have them print it for you.

In this document you can see the kind of page that you can create using a scrapbooking program such as Printmaster Scrapbook Creator (59 kb). These are a good option if you want to have more of a scrapbook feel to your photobook.

I hope this information helps you walk through the maze of options available for creating or purchasing your own photobooks. Whether home made or purchased, I hope you enjoy making the best use of your digital photos.

Jean Davids