Self-publishing Photo Book with Blurb

[photolandscape]

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I downloaded the Blurb software and started working with it. At first glance, I am most impressed by the graphic design options for type, photo placement, bindings, spec'ing color for type and backgrounds as well as the options for number of pages.

 

There are two things I am wondering about. My day job is in high-end commercial offset printing, and I tend to be very discriminating when it comes to color reproduction.

 

1) I am on a Mac. Looks like I have to use iPhoto to import the images into the book document as I lay it out. To me, iPhoto is primitive and unsophisticated, and I wonder whether there are other options besides iPhoto that will work with Blurb? What resolution did you use? jpg or tif or? Maximum file size?

 

2) For those of you who have self-published a book via Blurb, how happy were you with the color reproductions? Is the printed color consistent and what you expected? Good contrast, color saturation? I'm not expecting a miracle, but I wouldn't want to submit everything and get a book back with out-of-whack color or flat images.

 

Thanks in advance.

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[markjames]

Steve,

 

I tried Blurb for one book and wasn't all that thrilled with the final product. I am a graphic designer by trade and probably too exacting when it comes to offset reproduction (spent a lot of years designing and producing annual reports) but the Blurb books were no better than Apple's offering through iPhoto. The iPhoto books I've ordered recently seem to have improved in quality although I liked Blurb's more flexible layout options. I am now trying Asuka Books, which is only available for design and photo professionals. I haven't finished my current project so I can't speak yet for print quality. I'll post a result once I get a sample back.

 

I would be curious as well to learn of other's experiences with Blurb or even ordering books through Aperature which is supposed to be a little better than iPhoto.

 

Mark