Hi everyone in OSP land!
I've been considering signing up with Pictage (whole nether thread so no hi-jacking please), but I was wandering who has used their album design service.
Here is what I'd like to know:
1. Is it really as easy as they show it to be?
2. Do you have to use their album (Willow) to utilize the free service?
3. Can you use the free design service, have Pictage print the pages, and ship to you and use another album company?
4. Are you happy with the designes? The samples they show on-line all seem very simple/basic in design; in otherwords, they don't seem to use very many graphic elements.
Looking forward to others experiences.
Pam
Full Version: Pictage Album Design Service
QUOTE(PamB @ September 28 2007, 04:22 AM) 
Hi everyone in OSP land!
I've been considering signing up with Pictage (whole nether thread so no hi-jacking please), but I was wandering who has used their album design service.
Here is what I'd like to know:
1. Is it really as easy as they show it to be?
2. Do you have to use their album (Willow) to utilize the free service?
3. Can you use the free design service, have Pictage print the pages, and ship to you and use another album company?
4. Are you happy with the designes? The samples they show on-line all seem very simple/basic in design; in otherwords, they don't seem to use very many graphic elements.
Looking forward to others experiences.
Pam
I've been considering signing up with Pictage (whole nether thread so no hi-jacking please), but I was wandering who has used their album design service.
Here is what I'd like to know:
1. Is it really as easy as they show it to be?
2. Do you have to use their album (Willow) to utilize the free service?
3. Can you use the free design service, have Pictage print the pages, and ship to you and use another album company?
4. Are you happy with the designes? The samples they show on-line all seem very simple/basic in design; in otherwords, they don't seem to use very many graphic elements.
Looking forward to others experiences.
Pam
I can tell you of my experience but I think some of your questions can be better answered by them.
(1) I have used their design software and it is pretty good. It is versatile.
(2) No. You can use their Willowbooks or LEather craftmen albums.
(3) Or you can just print the pages and send it to yours.
(4) I haven't had them design one for me yet. I don't know if they would integrate graphic eleemnts neither (this is one question is best answered by them). But, if you re not happy with what the design you can always modify the designs yourself in their online page design software.
I have thought many timeas about using their free design service, but I love to design the albums myself so I haven't try it.
Hope this helps you.
(4) I used the free album design once because I am so swamped right now and I was VERY disappointed. It looks like they took a template and just put them in order in the template. There are images of the couple that are 9 to a page while all the large images are random details or reception candids or other random stuff. It's really awful.
You can create your own and print the pages and use your own design, which I've done and has been fine.
You can create your own and print the pages and use your own design, which I've done and has been fine.
I totally agree - their album design is very "template" oriented. I've used it quite a few times just to feel it out and see how things would look. No comparison to what we can do here.
However, I have a few clients that did not pre-order a book in their package, and I used the Pictage service to do a pre-design for them. I didn't want to spend time working on a book layout for someone that didn't want a book. After showing the Pictage layout to them, these couples actually ended up realizing that they wanted a book after all, and purchased the Pictage design. LOL.
Long story short, don't sign up with Pictage for the album design service alone. There's a lot of stuff that Pictage offers, and the design service is just kind of the 'icing on the cake'. It's nice to have for when I get swamped or pre-design for someone that didn't buy a book, but I still do 90% of my own designing along side my design assistant.
Oh - here's something completely new about their design service. They're now running a beta program that will take a look at ALL of your images from your day and design a book based on the favorites that THEY pick. I find that since they've been testing this service, the designs have become a LOT better. Plus, it saves a lot of hassle....no more going through all 2000 images to pick my favorites.
And, if I don't like thier design or if they didn't pick some of the favorites that I had, I can add to the Pictage Favs foloder and tell them to re-design a book....all at NO charge.
T
However, I have a few clients that did not pre-order a book in their package, and I used the Pictage service to do a pre-design for them. I didn't want to spend time working on a book layout for someone that didn't want a book. After showing the Pictage layout to them, these couples actually ended up realizing that they wanted a book after all, and purchased the Pictage design. LOL.
Long story short, don't sign up with Pictage for the album design service alone. There's a lot of stuff that Pictage offers, and the design service is just kind of the 'icing on the cake'. It's nice to have for when I get swamped or pre-design for someone that didn't buy a book, but I still do 90% of my own designing along side my design assistant.
Oh - here's something completely new about their design service. They're now running a beta program that will take a look at ALL of your images from your day and design a book based on the favorites that THEY pick. I find that since they've been testing this service, the designs have become a LOT better. Plus, it saves a lot of hassle....no more going through all 2000 images to pick my favorites.
And, if I don't like thier design or if they didn't pick some of the favorites that I had, I can add to the Pictage Favs foloder and tell them to re-design a book....all at NO charge.
T
QUOTE
It looks like they took a template and just put them in order in the template.
Which is what you get with most design services. And this is fine so long as you or your client likes the simplicity (or quirkiness) of the layouts. Adding graphics effectively is an art, and time consuming. Especially if the graphics are also custom and not stock.
Wedding album design follows the trends of wedding photography itself. There are many inexperienced and ill-equipped folks becoming wedding photographers, and there are now many inexperienced, ill-equipped "designers" popping up. Of course, the quality and beauty of the end-result speaks for itself.
Templates are a great solution with limitations. Client satisfaction is important.
Thanks everyone for you input!
But I'm surprised that only 4 people have responded. I truly thought there would have been more that have used the free design service.
But I'm surprised that only 4 people have responded. I truly thought there would have been more that have used the free design service.
I have used the album design service. I find it is a great starting point for me. And I can go in and tweak as necessary.
While I do design custom albums with graphic elements, it really isn't everyone's cup of tea and I do have clients who really prefer a simpler style album. I have found that my favorite style is the Trendy/Hip (you are given 4 styles to choose from).
I also think it is a great option for vendor albums.
While I do design custom albums with graphic elements, it really isn't everyone's cup of tea and I do have clients who really prefer a simpler style album. I have found that my favorite style is the Trendy/Hip (you are given 4 styles to choose from).
I also think it is a great option for vendor albums.
I used the beta design service. It was great that I didn't have to pick any favorites. It took maybe 5 minutes to complete the form for the design and about 5 days to get the design completed. The only problem I have with the service is that I don't know how to show the design to the general public (of course I can see it and edit it).
The design is something similar to what I would have done myself. I've only designed a couple albums, so you might say the design is simple and somewhat amatuerish. I agree that it looks like it's from a template, but don't think that's inherently bad. I believe it would be sufficient for your average couple, but a more elegant couple with high expectations (more money) may want a more sophisticated design.
The design is something similar to what I would have done myself. I've only designed a couple albums, so you might say the design is simple and somewhat amatuerish. I agree that it looks like it's from a template, but don't think that's inherently bad. I believe it would be sufficient for your average couple, but a more elegant couple with high expectations (more money) may want a more sophisticated design.
Interesting, I just happened to try this service out for the first time this week. I got the link to the design Pictage created last night.
My opinions:
I have designed some of my own albums http://www.pixoflife.com/VE-album2/
Between concept to final client revision, that probably took about 20 hours. So, I thought I'd give Pictage a try and it was awesome to just put a folder of photos together and get a design back in a few days.
Here is a sample to the design that Pictage created (without any of my revisions.)
True, it is not near as personalized as the ones I created and I did not agree with some of the large image choices, but some layouts worked well and the revisions I want to do shouldn't take more than an hour or so with their easy software.
I also like they're album slideshow for client viewing, which again, saves me a step.
I think what I plan on doing is offering standard albums designed by Pictage but giving clients the option of having the customized design I would create for an upgrade fee. After all, I'm starting to realize with all the extra work, a custom design is a premium service and should cost as such and honestly, though I have an art/design background, I just do not have the time to design every album.
My opinions:
I have designed some of my own albums http://www.pixoflife.com/VE-album2/
Between concept to final client revision, that probably took about 20 hours. So, I thought I'd give Pictage a try and it was awesome to just put a folder of photos together and get a design back in a few days.
Here is a sample to the design that Pictage created (without any of my revisions.)
True, it is not near as personalized as the ones I created and I did not agree with some of the large image choices, but some layouts worked well and the revisions I want to do shouldn't take more than an hour or so with their easy software.
I also like they're album slideshow for client viewing, which again, saves me a step.
I think what I plan on doing is offering standard albums designed by Pictage but giving clients the option of having the customized design I would create for an upgrade fee. After all, I'm starting to realize with all the extra work, a custom design is a premium service and should cost as such and honestly, though I have an art/design background, I just do not have the time to design every album.
I tried it and I didn't care for it at all. I can see how it is hard to make a pretty design with images that someone else picks out. I found it really hard to make a design when my clients were picking out images. So I get that.
But...
I think it is great that they offer it. I can see situations where it would be useful.
But...
I think it is great that they offer it. I can see situations where it would be useful.
I've used it on a few albums and I really like it so far. I love that I can have them design an album—for free—while I continue to work on other projects. I can go in and change anything I want to, but they give me a great starting place for album conversations with clients.
QUOTE
QUOTE(PamB @ September 27 2007, 11:22 PM) *
Here is what I'd like to know:
1. Is it really as easy as they show it to be?
2. Do you have to use their album (Willow) to utilize the free service?
3. Can you use the free design service, have Pictage print the pages, and ship to you and use another album company?
4. Are you happy with the designes? The samples they show on-line all seem very simple/basic in design; in otherwords, they don't seem to use very many graphic elements.
Looking forward to others experiences.
Pam
Here is what I'd like to know:
1. Is it really as easy as they show it to be?
2. Do you have to use their album (Willow) to utilize the free service?
3. Can you use the free design service, have Pictage print the pages, and ship to you and use another album company?
4. Are you happy with the designes? The samples they show on-line all seem very simple/basic in design; in otherwords, they don't seem to use very many graphic elements.
Looking forward to others experiences.
Pam
1. Yes. I give my clients the choice to either have me create a sample design from the images I choose for their slideshow (my faves), or let them create a folder of their faves for the initial design. I tell pictage which folder to use for the design, and they usually have a design ready for me within a week.
Once the initial design is ready, I take a quick look at it to see if there are any minor changes I'd like to make (which is as easy as clicking & dragging). Then I send it off for the client to view. I ask the client to take a week to look at it and then email me with any changes they'd like to see made - or to call me so that I can update it over the phone while they're talking to me. Again - super easy to do in real-time. Once they finalize the design, I bill them through pictage's P3 (credit card system) for additional pages they may have added to their album and then send off the order to Willowbook for a Sequoia. No forms to keep track of or fill out... it's all automatic. The final album arrives to me in about 6-8 weeks. It's that easy.
There are samples in the info section of my website of Pictage designed albums (some with client customizations made).
2. You don't have to buy an album to get the free design - it's free even if you don't end up placing an order at all. You only have to order the prints through pictage... you're not obligated to use Willowbook (though their binding is really excellent) There's a per image fee of $1.75 because they individually color balance each image to work together well on the same page (I've been very impressed with the printed results!) 10x10 print = $2.00. (matte/luster... extra for metallic)
So, for example a recent album order I placed.... 136 images @ $1.75 = $238, 36 pages @ $2 = $72. Total for 36 10x10 pages with collage design of 136 images = $310 (+tax & s/h) Any additional copies of album prints will NOT be charged the per image fee - only the cost of the print.
3. Yes, you can send them to whatever album designer you regularly use.
4. There are four different design styles which I select based on my client's preferences and so far my clients have been very happy with them - especially after getting the chance to give their input and make their own changes to the design. As an artist and someone who looks at wedding albums ALL the time, I know I could probably do a better job or pay someone a lot of money to do a better job... but many of my clients are very impressed with what they see, which means I don't have to sacrifice additional money or time to make them happy.
5. (because there's more to know)
I've had occasions where Pictage has created a design from my favorites and the client has changed their mind and decided they wanted to choose their own favorites instead and pictage designed an entirely different album of the brides favorites from the same event without any question or delay. I don't know of any designers out there who would let you scrap an entire design and start over for free. It's also nice that the design is saved online and I can update it from anywhere through the online album designer. The free album designs are worth 3-5 times more than the monthly cost of membership.... and it's one less employee I have to hire.
Thanks Anne! I really appreciate all the time and thought you put into your reply. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.