Review Hardback photo-book from Apple

Messages
570
Edit My Images
Yes
Having taken my first SLR to New York in March, I thought I'd treat myself to a nice big book with my favourite shots (for the coffee-table, you know...)

You can make the book in iPhoto, but Aperture allows a little more freedom to customise the layout. I had a great time filling in the pages, switching photos, adding pages and generally personalising it to my taste. I ended up using ~50 photos over 28 pages. (One nice touch was the option to put a single panorama across the front and back of the book).

IMG_9731.jpg


Delivery was fairly quick (eleven days including two weekends). Of course, being from Apple, the packaging was almost as beautiful as the book itself.

My first impressions weren't great, I must say. The dust-jacket is made of a very flimsy paper and will undoubtedly tear unless treated with ridiculous care - it's very thin paper and has curled up and the top and bottom of the book.

IMG_97291.jpg


Not only that, but the night-time New York skyline on the cover has lines across it (like you get on the draft-setting of a cheap inkjet printer).

IMG_9725.jpg


This results in a not-very-professional-looking book.

On the inside, however, it's much better. The paper is of higher quality (slightly glossy, but not overly so). The printing lines are still visible on photos with plain skies for example, but nowhere near as bad as on the front cover.

It's a good-sized book (8.5x11 inches/ 21.5x28 cm) and a full-paged photo is quite striking. The black border that separates some of the images looks very smart.

IMG_9735.jpg


There are options to place text alongside or on top of images, though I kept this to a minimum. Another nice touch is the option to place photos/text on the front and back flaps of the dust-jacket.

Pricing?

Around £32 delivered. This varies according to the number of pages but I feel if you're going to get a photo-book, you may as well put more than 10 pages of photos into it. (Max. is 100 pages, but then you're paying around £100!)

The bottom line

It's super easy to create your own book and the quality of print is passable. It's a cool way to share memories (and a great conversation piece), but at that price, I'd like to have something with a more professional look and feel.
 
Last edited:
Great review - thanks.

I was thinking about doing a book soon using aperture. Do you know if you can use the aperture book with any other photo book service, or is it apple only?

Thanks

John
 
I've had a photo book from them (before they started the dust covers). the inside was great, but as you my first impressions weren't great. They quality of printing on the front cover left a lot to be desired. I know it wasn't me or the photos as they had been previously published elsewhere. I'd use them again.
 
Great review - thanks.

I was thinking about doing a book soon using aperture. Do you know if you can use the aperture book with any other photo book service, or is it apple only?

Thanks

John

There's an option to export as PDF to be printed elsewhere (y)
 
Where is the best place to get these kind of books printed, really fancy trying one? Which one has the most flexible layout?

Simon
 
The book looks nice but I would be very upset about the lines in the printing and would be sending it back !
 
Look like some cracking pictures but definitely complain and get a reprint.
 
I had a photobook done by Klick, i love photobooks! lol One big advantage with the click one was that the cover was actualy printed on to the card, so there was no sleave there to get damaged.
 
Looks fabulous!! I`m definitely about one of them!! thanks for a review
 
I had one made up from Jessops last week. A hardback version with 32 pages (30cm x 30cm). Uploaded on Tuesday evening, delivered on Friday morning.

The options are considerable, backgrounds, fonts for text etc. It was for my mom's 80th birthday and I have to say she was delighted as was I. Cost £42 delivered but for that sort of service and very good quality I think that's good value.
 
Book looks amazing. I really want to get one done, but haven't yet got a proper subject. Going to the carribean early next year so that would be a good chance to get one done.
 
Looks great.
Anyone have a view on the quality for 6x4 prints via Aperture?
 
I must admit, I had a set of cards printed through iphoto recently (thank you cards for wedding guests) and my wife and I were extremely happy with the results. the only annoying thing was the high postage costs.

at some point, we've got to put an album together...

dave
 
i got a photobook printed from kodak, and the picture quality was faultless.

even better was the incredible turnaround time - i created the book on their website at 11pm last wednesday night, and the postman delivered them at 10am on the friday (less than two days)
 
Back
Top