Where do you print your books?

For those of you leaving white borders around your layouts (@scrappyjedi, @Scrapping with Liz), do you manually adjust each of your pages before uploading to Blurb, or do you use a template of theirs that does that for you?

 

I believe I use the template that is there.

 

I use blurb and also use the border template so I don't have to worry about cut off

 

Hey, @scrappyjedi - do you have to save your pages in jpg first, and then load into Lightroom?? Do you find the trim to be pretty consistent with what shows in Lightroom? I think I need to break up with Shutterfly...

 

I use the Book module in Lightroom, which has Blurb's templates built in. I do add a 25pt padding to each page to keep everything inside the safe zone. It's pretty easy to flip through each page and just enter the value.

I don't save as JPEG first- I just load the PSDs into my Lightroom catalog and use those to build books. Super easy! And I have found the trim to be consistent with what is shown in Lightroom. I'm much happier in that regard with Blurb than I have ever been with Shutterfly.

 

I just printed with Presto Photo! I had a 8.5x11" portrait softcover book to print as cheaply as possible. When I did a Google on that size, they came up. I am quite pleased and impressed. Before shipping, it was $14 for 33 pages. The first version of the book that I printed was 2 years ago at another site and it costs me $34 to print. The quality is very similar between the 2 books, but the price sure isn't!!

I am thinking of using them for my next hardcover 12x12 book. I hope to have one ready within the month.

 

@scrappyjedi, thanks so much! I've been playing with the book-building in Lightroom over the weekend - I think it's going to be a game changer. It's so easy to pop pages between LR and PSE to tweak borders, and this gives me a great way to plan out my book and see what is "missing". I make yearbooks for each of my three kids, and they often have pages in common, so this way I can just add the same layout to each book as I go. Light bulb moment! Thanks!

 

I do my page and upload using the background in the bleed area... my border that I leave is a 1 inch .. Got my book yesterday for my friend's 30th anniversary trip (74 pages) and it came out beautifully.. am currently working on a book from 2015 of a UK trip we took and I am on pg 101 right now.. can't wait to send that off for printing with Blurb.. I have never been dissappointed with them... their Customer Service is awesome too.. I printed on the best paper.. the colors just jump off the pages!!

 

I think I would like a book that has the 1 inch border (a half inch on all sides, right?) but I sometimes do an artsy double pager that has a couple elements and/or a blend that goes across the center. Anyone doing that kind of thing with white bordering ....and does it look weird?

 

You don't have to do the border on every page, so you can do full bleed on your artsy pages if you want.

 

I use adoramapix 10x10 lay flat books. I have tried others but when I got my first book from adoramapix I could not believe the quality difference. Maybe you could try emailing them about shipping to Australia. If they see a demand for it maybe they will start shipping there again.

 

Maureen om a double pager the center border isn't needed... it will flow over the center lineand will be fine. the border would be top bottom and sides... I don't use a white border.. My bg paper is on the bleed edge

 

@cookingmylife here is a double pager from by book at blurb.. you can see how it will look at the fold.

 

Yay!!! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the Book module in Lightroom!

I use it in the same way- to build and plan books and see where I have gaps. I will also often make a layout and then make a grid or pocket style page (or pages) of mostly just photos for any pictures that I want to include but not necessarily make a layout for. Lightroom makes it so easy to see how all of that will flow together, and so simple to move things around if needed!

 

Do you know how often Blurb has the 40% off promotion?

 

They have various promos all the time.. they just had a 35 percent that I just used for my 144 page book.. 12x12 top of the line paper and hard cover wrap.. I think I paid 109.. google for blurb coupon and subscribe to them for always the lowest cost biggest coupon! I love their books!!

 

I just checked my email and they have a coupon for 40% off right now until June 26th! I will be printing for sure! They don't do 40% very often. At Christmas they did 50% off so I'm hoping they do that again too, but I have two books ready to go and they are getting printed this weekend!

The code is "CHERISH"

 

That is awesome Karen!! Thanks for checking on that... I won't be doing another book until probably end of July. I know Crystal will be happy!!

 

Ha ha I just saw this in my email, too! Yay!!

 

Thank you! I just saw it in my email also. I have three vacation books that I've recently finished and wanted printed. I'm not sure if I should print them all in one book or three separate. Thinking. . .