Gadget Bag: Publish or Perish

New options are making it easier and more fun for you to create your own photo book

By Jon Sienkiewicz

Labels: Gear, More Gear, Gadget Bag

This Article Features Photo Zoom

RocketLife

RocketLife offers a fully featured, yet highly automated process that gets you up and running quickly. Begin by downloading the RocketLife software (it’s about 1 MB and takes no time at all), then upload your images. Once you select a theme, you can personalize your creation to suit your taste or let the application do all of the heavy lifting for you. Pricing ranges from $10 to $36 with cover options that include leather, canvas and suede.

Unibind’s Pro PhotoBook steel-binding system allows you to create lasting, pro-quality books from home. It’s also perfect for producing scrapbooks, proof sets and ad hoc portfolios. The Pro PhotoBook kit includes self-adhesive end sheets, photo paper and other materials needed to bind up to 40 pages. Plenty of options are available, including covers with or without window openings. A 40-page, 8½x11-inch kit containing black linen covers in landscape format with picture window costs just $20 for a pack of two.

Zookbinders Photobook

Aside from a full selection of book-printing services, White House Custom Colour provides long-run offset printing as an economical alternative for higher-quantity print runs with the same value and consistency found in short-run digital printing. Its press-printed books are renowned for high quality, superb craftsmanship and speedy turnaround time. Press-printed books are available in two paper options (standard or hinged) and several sizes from 5x5 to 11x14 inches.

Zookbinders PhotoBook now offers large-format sizes of 9x9, 8x12 and 9x12 inches. Also available are 9x6- and 6x4-inch horizontal sizes ideal for panorama-style picture books. Other features include wraparound photo covers, pages that are designed to lie completely flat for viewing and a two-week delivery turnaround. Packages start at $100.

Resources

Adorama (888) 216-6400
www.adoramapix.com

Apple (800) MY-APPLE
www.apple.com

Artography Photobook Designer
www.artographyphotobooks.com

AsukaBook (866) 330-1530
www.asukabook.com

Bangor Photo
(207) 942-6728
www.bangorphoto.com

Blurb
www.blurb.com

Kodak
(800) 360-9098
www.kodakgallery.com

Mpix
www.mpix.com

Photo Book Press
(888) 333-6950
www.photobookpress.co

RocketLife
(916)353-0885
www.rocketlife.com

Unibind
www.unibind.com

White House Custom Colour
(800) 252-5234
www.whcc.com

Zookbinders
(800) 810-5745
www.zookbinders.com

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5 Comments

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retouching makes this comment

Wednesday, 02 September 2009

Great article. Thanks.
Dave Jenson makes this comment

Monday, 25 May 2009

Thanks for the alternatives. Just a bit of buyer beware - Apple iPhoto produces books that have no color profiles and all bets are off on the print quality and color matching. This is a service for the lowest common computer user and not for picky photographers. After their lab told me they had no clue what a color profile was, I profiled my photos in sRGB color space and crossed my fingers; results were close on some, way off on others. I'd really like to know which of these vendors do provide a color profile for you to work with so you can be certain the book matches what you saw on the monitor. Thanks for listing a wealth of printers. I look forward to trying some of these companies.
Ck makes this comment

Tuesday, 28 April 2009

To the contrary Gary, but perhaps it is because I am an amateur photographer. I really like this article and will check out certain companies mentioned. Thank you Jon for also listing the prices! Great article!
Gary Mester makes this comment

Saturday, 04 April 2009

It appears every book publisher is the same, which in not the case. The article should have focused on strengths and weaknesses. There is little value here.
Chris F makes this comment

Saturday, 28 March 2009

While it's nice to see an article that compiles a larger-than-typical collection of photo book publishers, what your readers (at least this one) would like is some real feedback on quality differences, ease of use of software, user satisfaction, price-value, etc. I am weary of reading infomercials in Outdoor Photographer. Can your experts also give us some real advice? I understand your ad revenues come from a very small number of companies (camera manufacturers, lense makers, software firms, and printers), but if no one is making them nervous in public, how will we ever see improvements in their products? OP - please help!

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Gadget Bag: Publish or Perish

New options are making it easier and more fun for you to create your own photo book

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