Printing a coffee table book featuring your photography is now cheaper and easier than you might think. Advances in on-demand printing allow photographers to create layouts and send images electronically to companies, who in turn print, bind, and in some cases give you the option to sell books through their Web sites. In the first article of this two-part series, I discussed portfolios and books you can make from your own prints. This time, I investigate some of the many printing companies that currently provide outside printing and bookbinding services.

I chose three book-printing services, Blurb, Shutterfly and Sony ImageStation, and went through their layout and ordering process using a Mac OS 10.4. To judge the quality of other book printing services, I tested their layout and ordering systems, and either received samples or viewed actual books printed and bound by the companies. Since many companies offer these services, I recommend reading user reviews of outside printing services on forums like PDN’s online forums or the Yahoo!Groups Digital Fine Art group, which I moderate.

Quick Tips

Six quick tips for prepping files and books for virtually any book-making company:

1. To optimize print quality, keep files in the sRGB working space if you normally set your digital camera to embed sRGB. It’s even better to tag files in a wider color space such as Adobe RGB(1998), and keep that embedded profile while you work in any color managed-aware application. Save your files with the larger color space profile, then convert them to sRGB to help ensure the printer will print with the color range you expect. In Photoshop CS2 and CS3, go to Edit>Convert to Profile, and select sRGB. This will help ensure the vibrancy of your images when they print to a range of printers.

2. Save files at JPG level 10 or 11. This will compress them while still retaining a high level of quality. For the final print size, aim for 300 PPI (pixels per inch). Some software, such as iPhoto, will warn you if the resolution is under the recommended specs. (It’s okay to be under the recommended specs, but I would not go lower than 200 PPI.) If your file is much larger than it needs to be, the layout software will usually export out your images to the file size that it needs.

3. Many software applications designed for book creation have autofill capabilities, which means that pages will be filled automatically as long as you have enough images. You can save a considerable amount of time by organizing your images in the order you want them to be placed before using the application.

4. Before sending a large job to any company, make a single test book for yourself. Since each company reproduces work slightly differently, this will help you decide which company to use for the larger job.

5. Most hardcover books look better when more than 20 pages are used. With less than 20, the spine can protrude awkwardly, especially with books larger than 5x5 inches.

6. In general, very small images that contain fine detail, such as a group shot with faces that measure 1/2 inch or less may not look as clear and sharp in a printed book as they do in a quality inkjet or photographic print. You may see a subtle printing pattern that looks like tiny dots. This can largely be avoided if you test different degrees of sharpening using JPG 10, 11 or 12, or keep people’s faces over about one inch wide when placing them in a layout.

Road Test

1. Blurb

Blurb has created a standalone software application for Mac and Windows users called BookSmart. The application is user friendly and contains many well-designed themes for different uses, including cookbooks, dog-related books, portfolios and blog books. The software can also pull images from an online Flickr or Picasa Web Albums account or an iPhoto library. One interesting feature of Blurb is that any customer can set pricing for their book through the company’s Set Your Price program. Books can then be sold on-demand through Blurb’s Web site, with the photographer earning commissions based on the markup chosen.

Blurb’s options include 8x10 inch books (hardcover landscape, softcover landscape or portrait), 13x11-inch books (hardcover landscape) and 7x7 inch books (hardcover or softcover). All hardcover books come with a printed dust cover, and prices are based on a page range that runs from 20 to 440.

The Blurb BookMaker software operated quickly on my Mac laptop. Placing, scaling and moving images around the page layouts was straightforward. It’s easy to view single pages, spreads and thumbnails of the entire layout, and thumbnails for placed images have green checkmarks when they’ve been placed. While in thumbnail page view, you can drag and drop images between pages. There are many built-in individual page templates to choose from, or, by using the comprehensive Page Layouts feature in the top left corner of the interface, you can customize pages.


Fig.1: Blurb's BookSmart layout software (Mac OSX version). Along the bottom are thumbnails of the book pages, and to the left are thumbnails of the images, which can be dragged and dropped into any page. In this screen shot you can see the glossy wraparound dust cover being laid out, with the text as it will appear along the spine and cover of the book. Featured photos © Andrew Darlow, All Rights Reserved.

I had two books made by Blurb from the same layout: a 7x7-inch hardcover and a 7x7-inch softcover. The company uses a semi-gloss medium-weight paper; overall, the images are sharp, show good detail and have accurate color. The binding on the hardcover book was particularly clean, and the printing on its glossy dust cover is sharp. The heavy, laminated cover of the softcover book adds weight and complements the inside pages very well. The softcover binding is produced to allow for the pages (22 pages, in my case) to be opened almost completely flat. The slipcover can be reprinted without reprinting the entire book.

Blurb has an online forum where questions can be asked about upcoming products and features. For under $15, you can order a 40-page sample book called “How to Make a Book,” which includes a $10 coupon that can be used toward a future book purchase.

2. Shutterfly

Shutterfly’s book options include five book sizes, from 4x4 to 12x12 inches, with satin, leather or cloth cover options. The company also offers Prepaid Photo Book Plans, which can save you about 30 percent as long as you plan to make at least four books of the same size. Having seen some of Shutterfly’s hardcover books (which I think look great), I chose to make something different: a 20-page, 5x7 softcover Casual Book that cost around $13.

To build my book, I uploaded images to a new album on Shutterfly’s Web site. I then selected the book I wanted to make, starting with a built-in beige background from the theme options. The left-hand side of the layout screen has well thought-out page layouts with various configurations for adding text and images. Different frames can be chosen through the interface. When uploading images, you can click Select All to quickly add them to the bottom of the layout screen, then place them individually. The software places a check mark on your image thumbnails to help you avoid using photos twice in a layout.


Fig. 2: Shutterfly's online layout software has some image editing features, including red eye removal, soft focus effects, and conversion to black and white, or another tone, such as sepia (as shown here). Featured photos © Andrew Darlow, All Rights Reserved.

I chose a red cover with a cutout, and the thick red cover with its debossed designs and cut out area was impressive. Overall, I was very pleased with the book’s print quality, though I found the colors to be slightly more saturated than those of the other two companies.

3. Sony ImageStation

Like Shutterfly, Sony ImageStation offers an online book-making option that is compatible with Mac and Windows browsers. ImageStation’s book options include hardcover books (all 11x8.75 inches) with either leather, linen, soft vinyl or PermaGloss covers. ImageStation’s PermaGloss option contains a full-color, glossy image wrapped around the outside of the book. Also available are inexpensive spiral-bound Photo FlipBooks (4x6 or 5x7 inches). Sony also has a Silver, Gold or Platinum membership program that allows you to print layouts to your home printer.

The photo book software allows you to choose from about 30 different layouts. I liked how you can choose from many different background colors, which update continually for a preview of the final product. When you choose a layout, your book is built automatically using the photos in your album. Any individual page can be edited by clicking on it. Though this is straightforward, it’s not as intuitive as some of the other layout options from other companies. To save time, it helps to have images in order prior to creating your book; however, by selecting Rearrange Photos under Album Options, you can drag and drop files. Another nice feature is that you can also chose Edit Captions to quickly edit text that appears under each image.

I ordered a 20-page book with a black leather cover through the online ordering system. The print quality is sharp, detailed and vibrant, and the paper used for the books is a silky, medium-weight, semi-gloss paper. Solid colors printed exceptionally well. However, of the three companies I chose, only the Sony ImageStation book showed a difference in color between the sRGB and Adobe RGB (1998) embedded files. The Adobe RGB (1998) embedded files were less saturated, so you should definitely convert to sRGB first.


Fig 3: (left) The book options available from Sony ImageStation. (right) Sony ImageStation's bulk image upload interface. All the companies I visited who have online layout tools (as opposed to desktop applications) also have bulk upload options. Usually, a piece of software needs to be downloaded and installed before multiple images can be uploaded, but it is worth it to avoid having to navigate and upload images one by one. Featured photos © Andrew Darlow, All Rights Reserved.


Other Worthy Candidates

Apple (Book layout and ordering through Apple iPhoto or through Apple Aperture)

In both Apple iPhoto (which is free with all new Macintosh computers) and Apple Aperture (which costs around $300), book layout options are elegant and flexible, and the book-making interfaces are easy to learn. One of the advantages of the book layouts in iPhoto or Aperture is that after you’re done with the book, you can turn your book project into a full-screen slideshow or PDF file for distribution online, or the PDF can be output to virtually any printer.

One big advantage of using Apple Aperture is the ability to use RAW camera files while laying out books. Regardless of the file format used, you can do non-destructive editing to any image directly inside the pages of a book’s layout. If images come back too dark when printed, for example, you can make adjustments quickly without adjusting the underlying high-resolution images.

There are multiple hard and softcover book options, and the print quality of properly prepared images from iPhoto and Aperture is very good. I especially like the Apple book endpapers (placed at the front and back of the hardcover and softcover books) because they are made from a heavyweight matte paper and look like brushed aluminum. Two of my favorite print options from Apple are the Medium 6x8-inch softcover books and the small softcover books, each 3.5x2.6 inches. The small books are sold in sets of three for about $12. This site has an excellent step-by-step tutorial with tips and shortcuts for creating books using Apple Aperture. (http://www.bagelturf.com/aparticles/books/index.html)

AsukaBook USA

AsukaBook produces some of the finest quality books I’ve seen. The binding, overall print quality and feel of the company’s sample books are stunning. The company offers three main book types, with hardcover and softcover options in page sizes from 5x5 to 8x11 inches. There are three page finish options: high gloss, semi-gloss and matte. All the AsukaBook products also come with slipcases—a frosted acrylic pocket slipcase or a well-constructed red or black glossy slipcase with personalized hot silver stamping, depending on the book ordered. An elegant white vellum sheet is placed in front of the first printed page.

Unlike most other on-demand book companies, print layouts for AsukaBook projects need to first be downloaded from the company in the form of blank template files in .psd format. You then build the book by importing high-resolution files into pages as if you were creating individual Photoshop files. I recommend creating your layout files at the largest size you ever plan to print (for example, 10x10 inches at 300 PPI), so that you have enough resolution for any duplicates you decide to print in the future.

The company provides a well-written book to guide users through the process. AsukaBook also has an online gallery called the “Book Club” that features clients’ books; it’s an excellent way to see how many photographers are building their layouts. (http://asukabook.com/book-club-2007.html) Photographers can receive pricing for AsukaBook products by registering at the company’s website.

DigiLabs

DigiLabs offers two basic types of books. The first are Custom Cover Photo Books, available from 5x5 to 8.5x11 inches, containing 30 to 80 pages, that are made with artwork provided by the customer and incorporated into the cover. What sets DigiLabs’ Coffee Table Photo Books apart from most is their glossy paper option, featuring heavyweight paper that gives them a slightly higher-end feel to other on-demand books. The company also makes leatherette cover books measuring 8.5x11-inches (horizontal or vertical). These books use a heavy semi-gloss paper stock (called matte) and can hold from 20 to 80 pages.

DigiLabs uses a Mac and Windows application called My Photobooks. The supplied book templates were well designed, and the software full featured, though with a steeper learning curve than some. The page features an easy-to-apply fade option, adjustable in one percent increments, which is a great effect for when you want to add text on top of a photograph. All adjustments made to images are non-destructive and reversible (similar to Apple Aperture or Adobe Lightroom). There’s also a useful Undo function, not always found on book layout software programs. Layouts created inside the My Photobooks program can be printed on your own printer if a license is purchased from the company.

If you want to build a book without relying on any layout software, you can build individual pages in Photoshop or another image editor, then import the files into My Photobooks or other book layout program. Lay out the pages, then order the book through the software’s interface.

As you can see, there is no shortage of on-demand book printing options. As technology continues to advance, more options will surely emerge. I hope this overview has given you a good sampling of the choices now available on the market and ideas on how to create your next book or portfolio.

Andrew Darlow is a photographer and digital imaging consultant based in the New York City area. He is editor of The Imaging Buffet and the author of 301Inket Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers. His Inkjet & Imaging Tips Newsletter is available free to subscribers on his website.