What’s wrong with economy photo books? Absolutely nothing. If using an economy photobook company gets your pictures in your hands, then, go for it! I’ve used several of the main photo book companies over the years and have compiled some pros and cons so you can make own decisions on which company to use or not use.
Shutterfly:
Pros:
– Cheap
– You can stack coupons (free book + free shipping, etc)
– Always deals for free books (often included when you make baby purchases, as a Pampers Reward, or just check e-bay – often people will sell free coupon codes for a couple of dollars)
– One weekend, every other month, Shutterfly offers unlimited pages. This helps a lot for those longer books because each page is an additional cost.
– Make My Book Service – send Shutterfly the pictures you want to use in your photo book. Fill out a quick questionnaire about the style of book you want and Shutterfly employees will create the book for you. You then get a chance to add text or change things around before you order. This service is often given as a free promotion within a certain deadline.
– Good layout choices – just add your photos and quickly move on – great for beginners.
– Frames, stickers, and backgrounds are easy to customize for that scrapbook feel
Cons:
– The photo quality is low, often showing up with grainy images
– The color of the backgrounds and embellishments are often brighter or more faded than they look in preview, so it’s always a bit of a surprise as to what you are going to get
– When you store images in Shutterfly, the image is resized to a smaller resolution size, which, perhaps, explains the lower resolution pictures
– Make My Book Service – hit or miss in terms of design. I have loved 2 of the books that were designed for me and hated the other 2. It all depends on the employee who works on it. The good news is that if you don’t order the design made for you, you won’t be charged for the service, so you can always re-submit your pictures and try again.
Sizes and Cost:
6 x 6 in – $19.98
8 x 8 in – $29.98
8 x 11 in – $39.98
10 x 10 in – $49.98
11 x 8 in – $39.98
11 x 14 in – $79.98
12 x 12 in – $69.98
*Additional pages range from $1.69 – $2.79 each
Why I Use Shutterfly
I use Shutterfly for cheap, quick books. Knowing that the quality isn’t the best, I only use Shutterfly for vacation type books that are going directly into my kids’ hands, and they don’t care what they look like. I have figured the system out where I can stack coupons and order a free book while the promotion for unlimited free pages is going on. I either cash in Pampers Rewards for an 8 x 8 book or spend a few dollars for a code on e-Bay. That way, when I order from Shutterfly, I am only paying for the shipping and handling, usually around $7.99.
Mixbook
Pros:
– A bit higher quality that Shutterfly
– Good layout choices for pictures (and more)
– Frequently has 40% off sales
– Can add embellishments for a scrapbook feel
– A lot of sizes to choose from, both in square and landscape designs
Cons:
– Still not great quality pictures; pictures can still look grainy or fuzzy
– No unlimited page offers mean that prices can add up really quickly for a larger book
– No completely free book coupons
– Cannot be saved as PDF
– Cannot stack coupons (so no free shipping + 40% book, you have to choose which to use)
Sizes and Cost:
Landscape:
8 x 6 in – $34.99
11 x 8.5 in – $44.99
14 x 11 in – $89.99
Square:
6 x 6 in – $24.99
8.5 x 8.5 in – $34.99
10 x 10 in – $59.99
12 x 12 in – $79.99
Portrait:
8.5 x 11 in – $44.99
*Additional Pages range from $0.69 – 2.39 each.
Why I Don’t Use Mixbook:
After viewing a friend’s Mixbook vacation album, I decided to give it a try. I spent WAY too long putting together a book with 400 pages. I customized each page to look like a scrapbook, but when I went to print it, it was going to cost me over $700!!! Even with a 40% coupon, the book would have been around $500, which wasn’t worth it for me. However, if you are doing a shorter book, the 40% off coupon is a great deal.
Blurb Books
Pros:
– Customizable layouts – meaning you can create your own layouts and save the format or tweak the layouts included in the software and then save your new layouts. These newly created layouts carry over from project to project.
-Often has 30 – 40% off sales or 40% off when you buy 3 books at a time
– The book is completed in a desktop application, so you don’t need to be online to work on your project
– Has a variety of page options, from Standard (very thin) to Mohawk proPhoto Pearl (the paper that regular photos are printed on)
– Thinner pages allow for less bulky books
Cons:
– Not available to do online. Must download the BookWright program.
– The software updates frequently and you will often have to re-download Bookwright (the program that Blurb uses) before you send it to print. The update warns of possible shifting of pictures and text, but so far, I haven’t seen any changes in my books.
– Only 2 sizes for square books – really big (13 in) and really small (7 in)
– Book will vary in length by paper type, so keep that in mind. Books with the thinner Standard paper can be up to 400 pages, but books with thicker Mohawk proPhoto Pearl pages can only go up to 240 pages.
– There is a definite learning curve to working with BookWright, so may not be good for beginners.
Sizes and Cost:
Landscape:
10 x 8 in – $40.99
13 x 11 in – $67.99
8 x 10 in – $40.99
Square:
7 x 7 in – $32.99
12 x 12 in – $64.99
Why I Use Blurb
Blurb is the economy photo book company that I use most often. I think it has a higher quality for the price and frequent enough sales to lower that price even more. I do something I like to call “Photo Journaling.” Basically, I want to print every picture I take, and Blurb allows me to create long books without much bulk and without sacrificing too much quality. Using Blurb allows me to get my books into my kids’ hands. For me, these books are everyday quality for everyday viewing.
A Quick Thought on Economy Books vs. Mid-Range Books
Economy books are a great way to get your photos in your hands again. However, for that once-in-a-lifetime dream destination trip, or your wedding, or even a family yearbook where you choose from the very best pictures from the year (instead of every single picture), a mid-range book may be right for you. I define mid-range books as one with higher quality (and thus a higher price range), but a lower number of pictures. This is the type of book I design for clients. They are beautiful and I love them, but tend to save them more for special occasions or the best of the best rather than the everyday.
Layflat Options
I did not explore layflat options with any of the economy book choices mainly because I already had an understanding of the quality book I was getting and the layflat option seems more upscale to me. I save that for the mid-range books to elevate their look.