Reliable Photo Book Softare

GoofBcktGoofBckt Registered Users Posts: 481 Major grins
edited April 16, 2012 in Finishing School
Can someone recommend a decent photobook software compatible with Vista OS? I've tried Blurb and MyPublisher and wasn't happy with either of them (too many glitches or just plain inadequate). I prefer something on the less complicated side, but something I can tweak to my liking as well. I'm getting an early start on next year's Christmas presents. :D
Thank you!

Comments

  • sara505sara505 Registered Users Posts: 1,684 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2012
    GoofBckt wrote: »
    Can someone recommend a decent photobook software compatible with Vista OS? I've tried Blurb and MyPublisher and wasn't happy with either of them (too many glitches or just plain inadequate). I prefer something on the less complicated side, but something I can tweak to my liking as well. I'm getting an early start on next year's Christmas presents. :D
    Thank you!


    I'd like to know, also.

    I've been a big fan of Blurb - until today. TBH, I've only made one book through Blurb, but it came out very well.

    Today I spent many hours at my Brookline computer making a book for a customer, only to realize there's no way to remotely share a preview with Blurb. Not only that, but the Export tool did not work.

    I am now back on the Vineyard where I can meet with my customer - I told him I would show him the book on my computer tomorrow, but like a stupid ass, I somehow thought the book I saved in my Brookline computer would miraculously appear in the MV computer - I did not upload the book because I don't want to purchase it without my customer okaying it first.

    Now I am faced with either taking a day and getting back on the ferry and driving the 80 miles to Boston or making a new book (and doing what? I still have no way of exporting the file). Oh well, I suppose the second time around will be faster, and at least I was smart enough to bring the image files back with me.

    My question is - is there a good book publishing company that allows the sharing of an on-line preview with a customer?

    I'm a little sour on Blurb at the moment (in case you couldn't tell).
  • rsquaredrsquared Registered Users Posts: 306 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2012
    GoofBckt wrote: »
    Can someone recommend a decent photobook software compatible with Vista OS? I've tried Blurb and MyPublisher and wasn't happy with either of them (too many glitches or just plain inadequate). I prefer something on the less complicated side, but something I can tweak to my liking as well. I'm getting an early start on next year's Christmas presents. :D
    Thank you!
    sara505 wrote: »
    My question is - is there a good book publishing company that allows the sharing of an on-line preview with a customer?

    The new Lightroom version 4 has a book module built in. I've never used the Blurb software (or any other book publisher's software) so I don't know if Lightroom's is any more complicated, but it certainly doesn't seem to be glitchy.

    For Sara, you can create books to send directly to Blurb from the lightroom book module, or you can choose to output to PDF, and you can toggle back and forth between the two. Maybe that will work for sending to your customer as a preview?
    Rob Rogers -- R Squared Photography (Nikon D90)
  • sara505sara505 Registered Users Posts: 1,684 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    rsquared wrote: »
    The new Lightroom version 4 has a book module built in. I've never used the Blurb software (or any other book publisher's software) so I don't know if Lightroom's is any more complicated, but it certainly doesn't seem to be glitchy.

    For Sara, you can create books to send directly to Blurb from the lightroom book module, or you can choose to output to PDF, and you can toggle back and forth between the two. Maybe that will work for sending to your customer as a preview?

    I was very excited about LR 4's Book Module and marriage to Blurb.

    A PDF of a good-sized book takes many, many, hours, if not days, to write, then there's the issue of sending it. Waay to cumbersome.

    If Blurb's Export tool had worked, that would have helped (it just did not work - nothing happened when I clicked Export - there were forum threads with the same issue, but no answers)

    In case you missed it - I would prefer to never use Blurb again. My question - to expand on the OP's - is, what book publishing software allows on-line previews?
  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    GoofBckt wrote: »
    Can someone recommend a decent photobook software compatible with Vista OS? I've tried Blurb and MyPublisher and wasn't happy with either of them (too many glitches or just plain inadequate).

    I was underwhelmed by the test book of images I sent too (through Lightroom). Far better quality using the same images in Aperture but unfortunately that doesn’t help you out, it only runs on a Mac.
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    Has anyone tried FotoFusion? It is supposed to be target-independent (or works with most if not all vendors).
    - Andrew

    Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.
    My SmugMug Site
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    adbsgicom wrote: »
    Has anyone tried FotoFusion? It is supposed to be target-independent (or works with most if not all vendors).
    LinK please ...

    I have had no probs with Blurb ... but i am still looking for a book company that has basically a no page limit ... Blurb has a top limit of 440 pages and it goes down when you upgrade papers... that is really my only complaint.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • rsquaredrsquared Registered Users Posts: 306 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    Rob Rogers -- R Squared Photography (Nikon D90)
  • rsquaredrsquared Registered Users Posts: 306 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    sara505 wrote: »
    In case you missed it - I would prefer to never use Blurb again. My question - to expand on the OP's - is, what book publishing software allows on-line previews?

    I didn't miss that, but it sounded like it was just their software that you didn't like. I was just throwing the idea out there in case an alternative software for their service would work for you. I haven't actually used either, so I wasn't sure, but LR 4 is new, and not everyone knows about the book module yet...
    Rob Rogers -- R Squared Photography (Nikon D90)
  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    Direct link: http://site.lumapix.com

    Since someone pointed out that blurb through other programs (like Aperture) worked well, perhaps this would allow Blurb. It certainly allows other book companies (sorry, Sara I don't have any recommendations based on direct experience).
    - Andrew

    Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.
    My SmugMug Site
  • arodneyarodney Registered Users Posts: 2,005 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    GoofBckt wrote: »
    Since someone pointed out that blurb through other programs (like Aperture) worked well, perhaps this would allow Blurb.

    To be clear on my post about Aperture, the books were not printed by Blurb. The same images tested in the Lightroom to Blurb book were used in Aperture. Aperture sends the data to ??? but not Blurb. That gave me an apples to apples comparison on the book quality. The Blurb quality was nothing like what came back from Apple.

    I placed an image inside the book and on the cover. This is a useful test because often, more than one print process is used. They should match closely in a prefect world. The Burb book cover and inside were a mile off. Not the case with the book from Aperture.
    Andrew Rodney
    Author "Color Management for Photographers"
    http://www.digitaldog.net/
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • sara505sara505 Registered Users Posts: 1,684 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    To update, I finished my second version of the book that I couldn't transport to my second computer; a pain, considering I am on deadline and had to do it while watching my 14 mo-old grandson, also a pain considering if the Export tool had worked properly (and maybe if I had uploaded the book and left it in cue), I would have been able to simply load it to the new location.

    The good news is, it's probably a better version - we'll just call yesterday's Draft #1 - but it was slightly annoying having to recreate those page templates.

    Anyway, Blurb ended up giving me a 25% discount off my order.

    I actually like Blurb's UI, and the results. It was the Export tool's malfunctioning that ultimately sent me over the edge.

    All's well that ends well (two days later. geesh)
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