Cost of Making your own Albums

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:12:26 GMT

We have compared the cost of making your own albums using Unibind covers, premium Innova paper and Fotospeed bulk ink and these compare favourably with factory produced products from Photobox etc. - And the paper is better, the repoduction better if you use the right settings - the vividness of inkjet - and it is all your own work. And it is immediate! See main article/p>

In Praise of Square Pictures: Printing Square Photos, Albums, Cards and Displays

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

VISIT TO BRETHREN IN INDIA, 5 TO 19 FEBRUARY 2010

Some of us are old enough to remember the square format Kodak 120 film. Indeed it remained a professional favourite for many years – and there are still enthusiasts. It was introduced by Kodak in 1901. This 56mm (2.2inch) square format was originally intended for amateur photography but was later superseded in this role by 127 and then 35mm film. 120 film and its close relative, double length 220 film, survive to this day as the only medium format films that are readily available to both professionals and amateur enthusiasts.

Square pictures are certainly not dead. In today’s paper (Telegraph) 15 pictures were square (including the key one on the front page (two Red Arrows colliding).

The square has a meaning too: dependability, fairness and honesty. It is not surprising that Roman streets and cities were square – to be repeated in 16^th century Germany (e.g. Mannheim) and the layout of American cities and land later. Not surprising the bible says that the ‘new Jerusalem’ will be square.

Many photo service companies such as Photobox offer square prints as an option. They would not do so if there was not a demand. Square frames are readily available on the internet.

Square pages remain popular for photo albums, 12x12 inch (30x30xcm) being the most common. For scrapbooking smaller sizes such as 8 inch (20cm) and for pocket use 5in (12.5cm) and 3.5in (9cm) are found.

For displays square canvas mounts are available – 12” (30cm) and 20” (50cm) being available from You-Frame and others.

It would seem a pity that square photo paper is not readily available. Of course you can always guillotine your own paper – but ready cut would be preferable unless you are just producing a half dozen or so pictures. To this end OPUSalbums.com, a web supplier of digital photo papers, software and albums has introduced a range of square papers and greeting cards stock in its “Photo Paper as you want it” programme.

The customer can choose from 58 different paper types, but the most popular for prints are – economy gloss, professional gloss and satin, light – mid-, and heavyweight matte, archival and art papers from Innova, Olmec and Tetenal. Paper is cut to order in 3.5in 5in, 6in 8in 10in, 11in, 12in and 16in (8, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 28 and 40cm) squares.

For albums, photo books and scrapbooks pages may be scored and punched.

For square greeting cards, of course sizes are double the normal with a centre fold. 5in, 6in and 8in (12.5cm, 15cm and 20cm) sizes being listed in the catalogue.

More information can be found on the OPUSalbums.com site at www.opusalbums.com/squarepaper

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:51:18 GMT

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Ideas for great albums

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Make a Great Digital Scrapbook Yourself!

Make a Great Photo Story Book Yourself!

Three titles - one e-book - order NOW

Nigel McNaught's Comments about Jetmaster

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:52:47 GMT

The 180,000 visitors who came to this year’s Photokina show in Cologne, to find ground-breaking new digital imaging products, found exactly what they were looking for on the Innova Art stand.

Nigel McNaught, PMA’s UK Director, said: “Only two stands stood out at Photokina. One of these was the Innova Art stand where they were demonstrating their new JetMaster Gallery Wrap system and attracting huge crowds.”

Product launches ranged from the first specially developed fine art paper for solvent printing, to new digital canvases. Together with its acclaimed JetMaster Display System and the new plug-and-play IPS studio management software package, Innova Art offered visitors innovation in every area of digital print technology.

About Jetmaster from OPUSalbums.com

For the original article

What I thought of Photokina

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:04:29 GMT

I’m back from Cologne – What I thought of Photokina 2010

As you will be aware Photokina is the biggest photographic show in Europe – held every two years in Cologne. Like many German shows it was big – ten halls – and finding ones way round was a nightmare. Direction and location signs were poor. I was there for three days last week. I guess I have been going there regularly for ten years.

What was at Photokina?

Things have changed. The message ten years ago was “Everything is going digital”. Now one would wonder whether film had ever existed. As one pointed out there are many young photographers who have never used film. One big exhibit outside of a main hall was for Lumography – Analogue for the post digital age. But I never figured what this was all about.

The players have changed. The first Photokina I went to Kodak had a complete hall: now they had a modest stand one third the size of Samsung’s next door. Canon and Panasonic shared a hall; Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Fuji, HP, Epson all had a big presence. Apple was a notable absentee.

Nobody was saying ‘you must see this!’ Of course I am not turned on by the latest and best DSLR or even compact. What is clear is that the smaller things are getting better – larger lenses with a good zoom range. Who needs ever to change a lens (We don’t – the wide angle and telephoto zooms lie unused!). On cameras the talk was mirror-less – which will compact things more.

Two halls – 4.1 and 6 were for my area – photo editing and other software, paper, binding, photo books, frames, minilabs, mounts down to ceramics. In 3 days I didn’t see everything!

I always like the Fuji stand: I don’t use one of their products but they show what the in trends are in a vivid way. The clear messages were 3D and Photobooks.

3D was Everywhere - 3D Photography, 3D Displays and 3D Printing

The sceptics would say “3D has been around since we were kids and earlier – all the time you need glasses it will never catch on. Remember the old 3D green/red glasses – and Viewmaster.” Time will show; you still really need glasses. 3D monitors were very much on show. Fuji were pushing a 3D compact camera, Sony a 3D video camera.

What about 3D printing There were some good ideas at the do it yourself level here. Watch this space.

Photo Books - A Booming Business

I think the message has sunk in. Unless a picture is printed and accessible in an easy way it is lost. That is why, whilst the number of 6x4 type prints is decreasing, the photo book business is exploding! Of course, I admit any are produced at service centres and minilabs. But there is scope for you to do your own. OPUSalbums.com started this way and will continue to offer covers, paper software and binding systems for casual users, professional and even production users.

Our partners were there too. PXLSoft was pushing its Enterprise software suite (Dg Foto Art Organizer, Krafter, Express) heavily – ideal for anybody wanting to offer a photobook service. We are now equipped to handle this product as well as Dg Foto Art Essentia and Gold. Unibind was sowing new higher end binding systems with crimping devices. For the consumer end there was the ‘talking photobook’ (not yet on the market along with themed versions of the 6x4 My book (Pics Book Jr). We also found some more cover sets for the Pics Book Jr range.

An endorsement from a World Leading Market Research Organisation!

Incidentally this featured in a presentation given by the leading market research company GfK. The left hand page shows an exponential growth in the production of photobooks. Look carefully at the graphic. It’s been lifted directly from our website (You can even see OPUS). I’m not sure whether you call that a breech of copyright from one of the world’s most prestigious market research companies. At least it is an endorsement – thank you GfK

Cost of Making your own Albums

Cost of Making your own Albums

In Praise of Square Pictures: Printing Square Photos, Albums, Cards and Displays

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 Ideas for great albums Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 Ideas for great albums Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Ideas for great albums

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Make a Great Digital Scrapbook Yourself!

Make a Great Photo Story Book Yourself!

Three titles - one e-book - order NOW

Nigel McNaught's Comments about Jetmaster

What I thought of Photokina

I’m back from Cologne – What I thought of Photokina 2010

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Ideas for great albums

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Ideas for great albums

Make a Great Photo Album Yourself!