| is a well known online retailer of photo based gifts | | | | photo book you can, then you're in luck - Snapfish's |
| and other products and services. Despite offering a | | | | design system is extremely robust. If you try to |
| plethora of photo printed products, like calendars, | | | | insert an image that is low resolution and won't print |
| traditional prints, and even drink coasters, Snapfish | | | | well, you will be warned. You can also do photo |
| seems to be best well known for their exquisite | | | | adjustments from the design area, like resizing and |
| photo books. Photo books are created by the user, | | | | cropping, flipping, rotating, red eye removal, color |
| who uploads a set of their own digital photographs | | | | enhancement, brightness and contrast, and even |
| from their hard drive to the Snapfish website, and | | | | color conversion (black and white, sepia, colorize). |
| uses their robust editing software to assemble them | | | | You can also select page backgrounds and designs. |
| into a bound hardcover book with text, backgrounds, | | | | You choose a "theme" before entering the designing |
| borders, and other fun and appealing features. Photo | | | | area, but you can change every page individually if |
| book prices start at a low $19.99 for an 8x11 | | | | you prefer it that way. Just select the "Backgrounds" |
| hardcover photo book with a linen cover, and 20 full | | | | tab and drag and drop what you want onto the |
| color pages. | | | | page. The "Layouts" tab is where you can choose |
| Before you can start designing a photo book with | | | | how many images you want per page, if (and |
| Snapfish you must first register on the website. To | | | | where) you want to place text, and the size and |
| create a photobook, navigate to that section of the | | | | placement of images. There are a total of 78 |
| website and select the size you want to go with. For | | | | different layouts to choose from, as well as "magic" |
| hardcover options they offer 8x8, 8x11, and 12x12. | | | | layouts that allow you a much more customized |
| There are two different options for the 8x11 | | | | layout experience. You can even add borders to your |
| available - Leather or Linen covers with a "window" | | | | images here, but that option isn't necessarily |
| (showing a portion of the image on your first page), | | | | compatible with all layouts. |
| or a printed cover or jacket. You make these | | | | The hardest part of designing photo books is keeping |
| selections before entering the designing software, | | | | track of which images you have and haven't used, so |
| but you can change it later if you desire. | | | | that you don't end up with duplicates, or leave some |
| Before you start designing your photobook, you | | | | out. Snapfish makes your image management easy, |
| should first select and upload all of the images you | | | | however, by placing green checks next to images |
| want to use in that photo book. Once all of your | | | | you've used. The full list of your images (and these |
| images are uploaded, Snapfish offers to automatically | | | | checks) is found on the right hand side of the design |
| design and fill in the photobook for you. While this | | | | area. If you decide you want to remove an image |
| makes your job super simple, it may not do things | | | | from use, or from your list, you can do that in this |
| exactly as you would. Images are filled in in the order | | | | area as well. |
| they're uploaded, and page layouts are somewhat | | | | Once you've completed your photobook, you can |
| random. The design system will lay out your images | | | | view a 3D rendering of what it should look like by |
| in plenty of different ways. Sometimes it will put two | | | | clicking "Preview" at the bottom of the design area |
| images on a page with a text area, or one full page | | | | page. This is a navigable preview that lets you view |
| image with no text, or sometimes three images on | | | | pages in order, like you would if you were looking at |
| one page and a page of text on the next. This is a | | | | the real book. |
| great option for people who don't want to spend a | | | | makes some of the best photo books on the web, |
| ton of time working on the book, but takes some of | | | | and hopefully with this article you are now better |
| the personal touch out. | | | | prepared to navigate their website, and design the |
| If you really want to dive in and make the best | | | | best photobook possible. |