Album Design, Proofing, and Printing Solutions

5 min read

Offering your clients albums of their photos is an amazing way to preserve their memories.

However, without the right software, album creation can be a time-consuming process. There’s choosing the images to be included, designing the layouts, getting them approved by your clients, making revisions, deciding on factors such as size or engraving or cover color and fabric, and then, of course, actually printing and delivering the albums!Each of the companies listed below has expertise in several, if not all, of the steps of the album making process. Depending on your skills (and time!), you may be able to use multiple companies for different parts of your workflow!

DESIGNINGPROOFINGPRINTINGSHOOTPROOF INTEGRATION
Photo Albums DirectYES. They offer a design service for you to upload your photos and the design is prepared for a fee.NO. You’ll use a separate proofing tool or company, but they do have a partnership with Album Exposure.YES. They offer a variety of albums in multiple styles and thicknesses.YES. You can pull photos from your ShootProof account into Photo Album Direct’s ordering system.
FundyYES. Choose between automated designs, or create custom designs.YES. Their Design Proofer software allows clients to comment directly on the design and offers multiple revisions.YES. They’re integrated with a handful of labs, and they have layout specs for 80+ labs and album companies.NO. You’ll upload your photos to their software.
KISS BooksYES. Choose from multiple image layouts and easily navigate through different spreads, or have their team design for you for an extra fee.YES. Clients can leave comments beside each spread (and the photographer can comment back).YES. They offer square albums in different sizes, with a variety of different cover types and a wide range of colors.YES. Connect your account and your ShootProof photos are available for designing albums in KISS.
Pixellu Smart AlbumsYES. Choose from thousands of layouts and insert photos with drag and drop capability.YES. Clients can leave comments on each page and submit feedback about the layout and design.NO. But they do have dozens of album specs for 80+ labs and printers, so files are exported and you’ll submit them for printing.NO. You’ll upload your photos to their software.
Album ParrotNO. Design your layouts using a separate album designing tool or company.YES. Upload your album layouts and send your clients a link to view, comment, and even edit them with the drag and drop system.NO. You’ll upload your completed and approved spreads to an album printing company.YES. Clients can suggest photo swaps from their ShootProof galleries and decide which images to use on the pages.

Here’s the last word: Go with Smart Albums if you’re looking for a clean, simple design and a quick and easy process that includes client proofing. Pick KISS Albums if you’re wanting an all-in-one solution, where you can design, proof, and print all in one system. Choose Fundy if you like all the bells and whistles and are looking for extra features and tools to use in your workflow. Go with Photo Albums Direct if you’d like the pros to do the design work for you, or if you’re looking for an affordable album solution. And pick Album Parrot if you’re happy creating your own layouts and are simply interested in hands-on, interactive proofing of not just albums, but also accordion books, collages, and more.

KISS Logo_Full (1)
Pixellu logo
Fundy logo
Photo Albums Directory
AlbumParrot


Already using one of these companies and loving it? Or, did we miss your favorite album design, proofing, or printing service on this list?
Comment below and let us know!

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Contributor

  • The ShootProof Team

    Team ShootProof is a dedicated group of photographers and creatives who are passionate about empowering studios to win in their business. With a deep understanding of the industry, we’re committed to providing the tools, support, and inspiration photographers need to grow their businesses.