| Everyone used to print pictures from films/negatives to | | | | + paper feels strong, good touch |
| stick them into an album, sharing it with friends or for | | | | + Easy to use templates |
| simply preserving memories. With the marriage of | | | | + Large books with up to 144 pages |
| digital photography and digital publishing technology, | | | | + outstanding, strong bound |
| everything changed and the ability to publish | | | | + Option for matt or glossy |
| photographs in a coffee table style book ("subsidy or | | | | + online photo book sharing with direct print ordering |
| vanity publishing" in legal terms) is now in reach of | | | | + Also offer a MacOS version |
| everyone with a digital camera, a computer and | | | | + Ideal for presents: ship to different countries, including |
| Internet access. | | | | the USA |
| While the technology for online photo sharing and online | | | | Cons |
| documents progresses, preparing a real photo book | | | | - Layout editing is not completely flexible |
| with potentially hundreds of print resolution images and | | | | - Can't save different versions |
| lines of text is better done offline. Photo book | | | | - Cover editing limited |
| software is then able to optimize the files and the | | | | - high price for small orders |
| upload communication. Many photo book printing | | | | Overall |
| services are appearing in the UK; a photo book test of | | | | Template based layouts allow for changes within limits. |
| two of the most compelling services in the UK: | | | | Strong bound should make the books last forever. The |
| FotoInsight | | | | independent option for the Mac user. Sharing the photo |
| Dimensions, WxH, inches: | | | | book online and allowing others to order makes this the |
| - Booklet small 5.5 x 5.1 | | | | option for family events and Weddings. |
| - Booklet square 8.2 x 8.2 | | | | Hints |
| - Booklet large 8 x 10.6 | | | | Unlike computer prints photobooks will last for many |
| - Soft cover square 8.2 x 8.2 | | | | generations. A photo book of family events or a |
| - Soft cover large 8.2 x 11 | | | | holiday presents a personal memorybook. While the |
| - Linen square 8.2 x 8.2 | | | | "Assistant" Option in the CeWe Photo Book Software |
| - Linen large 8.2 x 11.8 | | | | provided by FotoInsight can actually lay-out a photo |
| - Hardcover square 8.2 x 8.2 | | | | book in less than the three minutes promised, taking |
| - Hardcover large 8.2 x 11.8 | | | | more time, going back through the pages, adding some |
| Up to, number of pages: 26 pages booklet to 98 | | | | text and personal hints is highly recommended. |
| pages book | | | | Less is More |
| Additional pages in steps of 8 pages | | | | Especially when images from several sources are |
| Book creation: CeWe Photo book software | | | | being used (from friends cameras, mobile phones etc) |
| Delivery time: | | | | it can be helpful to copy the image selection into a |
| State "within a week" | | | | separate folder. Less is more applies for digital photo |
| Hardcover took eight days | | | | books, too. So skip poor or uninteresting images, as |
| Linen and soft cover took five days | | | | they will bore the spectator in a few years time. You |
| Pros FotoInsight | | | | may prepare some pages with many smaller images |
| + Top print quality | | | | in scrapbook style and other pages with very few or |
| + sharp, easy to read texts | | | | even just a single image spreading over a double |
| + 64 different formats (covers, shapes and sizes) | | | | page, giving the reader a rest. Remember that |
| + free layout or quick assistant option (photo book in 3 | | | | preparing a coffee table style photo book is in now |
| minutes) | | | | way different from publishing a book, which requires |
| + All images are copied into a separate project folder, | | | | some proof reading, too. |
| convenient for batch processing. + Ideal for presents: | | | | Image editing |
| ships to 32 European countries using a separate | | | | Avoid using hundreds of high-resolution images in one |
| delivery address with no extra cost | | | | book as the computer might struggle with processing |
| Cons | | | | many large images. 200 ppi (in the corresponding |
| - No rulers or aid for exact positioning of images | | | | format) is enough, it is not necessary to use jpegs |
| - No Mac Version | | | | larger than 1.5 MB, for most photos half a megabyte |
| - Maximum 98 pages | | | | jpeg will do. Prepare entire pages as jpegs in |
| Overall | | | | Photoshop or other advanced editing packages to |
| Very easy to use and order. Completely flexible | | | | import these as a full page (page background) into the |
| lay-out caters for everyone, from novice users to | | | | photo book. |
| professional photographers (unless they want to use a | | | | Which service to use: |
| Mac). Very competitively priced, reasonable | | | | Both services use software which needs to be |
| delivery.printing-1 | | | | downloaded and installed. This allows preparing the |
| Dimensions, WxH, inches: | | | | photo book offline in several sessions and optimizing |
| Pocket: 5.8 x 4.1 | | | | the finished lay-out before uploading it for Printing. |
| Compact 8 x 5.9 | | | | Users who only want to make small books and are |
| Original 7.3 x 7.3 | | | | not comfortable with installing software may have a |
| Classic 8 x 10.6 | | | | look at Snapfish, Photobox or Kodak which offer a |
| Up to, number of pages: 12 pages "pocket" booklet to | | | | web browser based service. This however can not be |
| 144 pages book | | | | recommended for larger, more elaborate books. The |
| Additional pages in steps of 12 or 24 pages | | | | free software applications provided by the photo book |
| Book creation: MyPhotobook software | | | | printing services compared above use a different |
| Delivery time: | | | | approach each and preference may depend on |
| State "approximately 12 working days" | | | | circumstances (e.g. Mac) and objectives (e.g. flexible |
| Took between eleven and 14 days. | | | | lay-out, online sharing, time). |
| Pros FotoInsight | | | | |