Who is your Album for?

Your inkjet photo album can be for your family archive – informal, but something to be proud of – a mixture of photos, story, scanned images and web-cuttings.

You can print your own inkjet photo albums as very acceptable gifts – giving pleasure to your loved-one, conveying thanks to your host or appreciation of a relationship with a social or business associate, whatever your common interest.  The album must reflect well on the receiver, must give him or her pleasure – you want them to cherish their memories and show them off.  Furthermore, you as the giver or designer must recognise that the way the book looks reflects on you.

You can print your own inkjet photo album as a memento of a party, holiday or event.  To keep its topicality it needs to be produced, printed and where appropriate distributed quickly easily but still must give satisfaction.  The source is not just photos – think of airline tickets, maps, aerial photos from Google Earth, web cuttings, scanned images from magazines or guide books etc.

Inkjet photo albums can be effective business tools too!  Your company can record an event, present its facilities or describe a product.  Again it reflects on the company’s image.  If you are producing it for your employer, it reflects on you.  But it is so easy to give those good impressions.

If you are in a creative business then you need a portfolio – of work, modelling style – or as a record of academic output.  If you are an artist your photograph album – with its associated text must show you at your best.  If you are a technician or writer – then it reflects you – Even if you consider that the content is more important than the presentation.  Even if you put the top quality work out to a professional, it is as well to be able to produce you own subsets, pre-production drafts and temporary specials yourself.  And you can afford to give the copies you printed yourself – on quality archival paper to your prospective clients.

Why not sell your work?  Inkjet photo albums lend themselves to the production of very short-run works.  You need to take more care of course and be fully aware of any copyright issues and whether an image requires a model release.

And finally – you may just be making your inkjet photo albums for fun!  Why not?  You are one of many!

Introduction to inkjet photo album design methodology

The reason for your album will determine how much effort you will want to put into it and how much you will want to spend.

If you are producing for the ultimate effect and have not a restricted budget you will probably want to outsource the production to a service centre.  The quality of the binding, the reproduction techniques, the expensive software used and the specialist staff will probably produce a document more professional than the one that you can do yourself.  However, it may not be better for you…

You have your own personality to reflect.

Not all of the material may be suitable for work with by the outside agency

The result will not be modifiable (there is usually a rigid binding)

You are tied to the service if you want to change or need an extra copy

The results are not immediate

You do not get the satisfaction of having done it yourself.

This guide is to help you pro yourself.

Chosing an Album 

The following steps cover what should be considered when producing anything from a presentation album for a portfolio or a wedding, down to the simple recording of an event such as your child’s birthday party.  The steps that you take should be the same.  Unless you are a total perfectionist, the time and cost spent on each step will vary.  Make the task interesting – make it fun.  Be satisfied by doing it – and be pleased with the results.

If you have a flexible album system such as that provided by OPUS Albums then you can always improve on your album later.

In short – don’t procrastinate! – Start today.

Cost and use comes in here.  There are specific products such as those offered by OPUS Albums.

OPUS Print & Bind - high quality photo glossy paper with smart black plastic covers for any digital camera and inkjet printer user.  A standard configuration of 15 A4 sheets (expandable to 30) is about ideal for the interest level of a single subject album and story.

OPUS Photo Art Albums  These are superior quality albums offered with a variety of covers, sizes and papers for 'pro's' and serious amateurs.

The two original papers are ‘soft textured natural white’ or ‘smooth cotton high white archival’ giclée paper.  The selection is largely a matter of personal choice, the natural white with the softer finish being the most popular.  Other papers will doubtless be available as OPUS albums are manufactured by Innova Art Ltd – a UK manufacturer of a wide range of digital fine art and digital photographic papers.

Sizes in Europe are:

     A4      -        a general purpose standard

     A3      -        for larger displays and formal presentations.

     30x30cm (or 12x12”)         -        the traditional size for photo albums

     20x20 cm (or 8x8”)  -        a scrapbooking size – too small for most Photo Albums.

In the USA the “Letter” – 8.5x11” and 11x17” sizes replace the A4 and A3 respectively.     

Covers are available (or are planned) in a variety of colours and grades, the black museum quality being the most popular.

There are similar products from such manufacturers as Hahnemuehle of Germany, Nazdar etc.