Hey everyone. Didn't know the best place to ask this, but since it's a product type question I thought this would be the appropriate group.

What type of album sells best? To me I've seen lots of local photogs that offer either Traditional Matted Albums, Flush Book Type albums or both.

What are you guys seeing out there in your neck of the woods? And of the current product offerings/companies - which do you use/prefer. For example, I've seen some great examples of Zookbinders albums that look great, but how is the quality/service etc?

Basically doing some research into what's best to spend my time and money marketing to brides.

Andrew

Zookbinders is pretty good most of the time. 99% people don't have problems with them but I do sometimes.

I use Asuka Books.

I do offer Matt Albums but I mark them way high cause I hate them. Well I hate Art Leather. I mark them so I high I hope a client won't use them. However, Zookbinder did a study and they said people are still using Matt albums about 50% of the time.
I am probally going to use Quensberry now that I"m in the higher end market and I can market it them to my brides! I just don't get Queensberry pricing yet.
Asuka are REALLY popular with my brides.
~Alisha

Don't have a ton of experience with the album companies (I don't do lots of albums).. but here are my picks:

Zookbinders
Leather Craftsmen
Albums Australia

and Asuka book as a low cost alternative...

We used Queensberry in 2000 & 2001 (I think) and have used Leather Craftsmen ever since. We offer both flush and matted albums and I think 2/3 of the time our clients go with the matted. I don't know if it is their taste, or our poor sales skills!

We've been really happy with LC (and with Queensberry back in the day) and have only had a few minor issues over the years. They were always taken care of promptly and our clients love the albums.

I'm with Alisha on this one. Leather Craftsmen really produces a great, traditional style book. But I LOVE AsukaBook! It's so cool and everyone that sees 'em feels the same way.

We use Zookbinders, both matted and flush (Zookbook) albums. I think we sell slightly more of the flush albums, but it is fairly even. I love both kinds that they offer. The matted ones are a piece of cake to design (we use a program called Labprints that has a great album design portion to it, you can do both matted and flush, but the matted are the fastest). They have been really great to work with for us. Very responsive customer service. I like the looks of the flush albums, but they certainly take a long time to design. I like the rounded corners and gilding on Zookbinders albums better the square corners and ungilded edges on the LeatherCraftsman albums. It just looks more finished to me.

I have looked at Azuka Books quality and like the looks of them. I think most of our clients would probably choose a matted or flush album, but might like the Azuka book as a secondary album. I am planning on designing our first Azuka Book sample from the wedding we shot last weekend. We are thinking about using the same design to print an Azuka book and a Zookbook. Market it as an alternate for parent albums or an additional album.

I'm awaiting the starter kit from Queensbery and really excited to get going with them. Their albums are really stunning and pretty high quality.

I use Leather Craftsmen 800 series albums. The process is real simple. The bride picks out her favorite 100 photos puts them in a folder on Pictage. I use Album Designer on Pictage and compese the album using the brides favorite picks. I then email the bride the design. Once I get approval of the design I order the prints for trhe Album. They are mailed to me then mailed to LC.



If anyone else feels there is a better way to improve workflow please let me know.

I used to do everything PICtage album designer but going through mpix for my prints is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much cheaper! In fact that is the #1 reason I went to Pictage. And I can use a lot more creativity in PS.
~Alisha