Here's my question. Mpix system seems easy to use and they have a few templates... I am looking for black pages though, and I can't find the option for it. So, does anyone have any experience with Mpix books, and what the options are?

Or, do you have any other recommends for me?? I have heard horrible things about Blurb... what else can you tell me?

I like Asuka for the type of book it sounds like you are looking for.

I'd stay away from Mpix and millers press books. Asuka is great, but they don't have templates. Try apollo-imagizing or whcc press books. I don't think white house custom color has templates, but apollo does. Have fun!

My last one from www.sharedink.com was beautiful. Hope you find what you are looking for.

Erin- what's wrong with millers' books? just curious, was considering trying them out.

Yea, I would stay away from MPIX, too. I had a set of print press postcards made there & they were totally crappy (lots of black specks). Had the same set made through WHCC & they were SO much better. I believe they use different processes for printing.

Thanks all... Bummer about Mpix!! I really like the whole template thing.

I might just have to get a bunch of books from everywhere and compare, huh!! My unemployed husband would looooove that.

I was using Miller's for everything here and was really excited when they announced their press products. But I ordered some cards from them and they re-did them and still made them give me a refund. Thinking that maybe they were just getting going I talked to a rep at WPPI and looked at their book samples. I said outloud "wow, there sure is a lot of banding, do they normally look like this?"
"like what?"
"well it seems there is a lot of color banding and pixelation"
"well that's 4 color press for you"
"well not exactally"
"yes it does, and that's what our customers wanted, so we did it. 4 color press is not going to look photo quality and that's just the way it is"

I closed the book and thanked her and left. All of us know how good 4 color press printing can look and they just didn't seem to get it and she was rather short with me. I went back to the Miller's booth at IUSA this year and they don't look any better. WHCC press stuff is always sooo awsome. It just doesn't even compare in my opinion.

Thanks!

www.whiteweddingalbum.com/

Good quality. I use the Gary Fong actions to design but they offer a design service as well.

Thanks all.. I have some research to do!!

i just wanted to note that the prints that I have had made at MPIX have been outstanding. I have not tested their books or anything, but I sold 16 black and white prints at 16"x20" to a corporation that has them hanging in their offices in San Francisco. They were printed at MPIX and I was really pleased.

Apollo-Imagizing. We've used them for quite awhile and they're nice. What they say about magazine printing vs. photographic printing is true however rude they were. Mag page printing such as Asuka, Apollo and Mpix books *can't* be as good as photo printing such as Graphi, Picto & Lavie.

Thanks Terri!
I have used them for a while for my prints and have only had one color problem, which they corrected and shipped right back out.

I just don't know about their books, kwim??

For really simple yet nice books..check out my publisher.com as well. I use mpix, but have never ordered a book from them. All of my high school seniors loved these books of themselves and they really boosted average sales! I am going to use them as engagement/guest sign in books now that I started doing weddings. Check it out. It works with iphoto on mac.

Geanette
www.tlcphotographygallery.com

this is true, but they don't have to be spotty, banded of otherwise icky. I guess I was more surprised at the attitude! Sort of a "well it's sub-standard, it should be sorta crappy"... umm.... not quite was I was looking for