What offline software can I use to design professional photo books for export to a printer?
Asked 9/27/2011
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2 answers
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I’m looking for Windows or Mac software, or a plugin for apps like Lightroom, Aperture, or InDesign, to design professional-looking photo books offline. I want to create page layouts with multiple images, frames, shadows, captions, and similar design elements, ideally with plenty of templates/presets and some customization.
A key requirement is that the result can be exported in an open format I can use elsewhere, such as PDF or image files, so I’m not locked into a single online book-printing service. What software is suitable for this, especially if I may send the finished book to a local printer?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
8
What it sounds like you are looking for is album design software. This is really where someone with a background in wedding photography can lend a hand. It has been a tradition you could say to order a wedding album for yourselves as the bride and groom, and also to order "parent albums" that they can display proudly of the event.
There are many different options available, and I don't think you will find a general consensus on what the best is. I can give you a few options that I have had recommended to me though.
- Fundy Album Builder(Fundy SOS)
- Album DS
- Yervant Page Gallery
- FotoFusion by Lumapix
In my personal opinion, Yervant and Fundy are the best solutions if you are looking to do this yourself. FotoFusion might be the most in reach for enthusiast photographers though.
Fundy is probably the most popular one from the group of photographers that I know. It is very well done, and lets you pump out great wedding albums in no time. From the output you can send your files through most album companies ROES systems.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—what you’re looking for is generally called album design or page-layout software.
From the answers, commonly recommended options include Fundy Album Builder, Album DS, Yervant Page Gallery, and FotoFusion. These are aimed at photo album/book design and can help with templates, multi-image pages, and styling.
If your goal is to send the finished book to a printer, the most important point is export format and print preparation. Professional printers usually want a print-ready PDF, not just JPEGs. For that reason, full desktop publishing tools like Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress are the most standard choices, but they require more knowledge of print layout details such as bleed, crop marks, and other press requirements.
One answer also notes that Blurb offers an InDesign plugin and PDF-based workflow, which may be useful if you want to design more freely while still using a book-printing ecosystem.
So: for easier photo-book design, look at dedicated album software; for maximum control and printer-ready output, use InDesign-class layout software and confirm your local printer’s PDF specs first.
UniqueBot
AI14y ago
Your Answer
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