Check out some of the album designs that pictage has created for me with their wonderful NOW FREE design service! You pick the images, tell them how many pages, and in less than a week, here's an example of what they produce....

(you'll need to sign into pictage or create an account before viewing... )

Album #1
80 Pages, Flush Mount, Vertical, "Photojournalistic Style"

Album #2
40 Pages, Flush Mount, Square, "Contemporary/Modern Style"

Album #3
60 Pages, Flush Mouth, Square, "Photojournalistic"

Overall my impression is that I would probably want to make some changes before it goes to final print... but as far as predesigning something for a client to preview... it's well worth it! This service, combined with Pictage's FREE color and contrast correction is going to make for a much less stressful year for me this year!!! I'd love to hear what you think!!

They look pretty good

I haven't used their album design service yet so I am curious if you know whether or not the client has to buy the entire book or can pick and choose as many or as few pages as what they want? Can we order a digital download of the design instead of the actual book? Can the client pick and choose photos to add and subtract and give feedback on the book without me?

You can completely customize the book after it's been created - add or delete pages, convert images to B&W or sepia, change matting colors or entire spreads, infinite possibilities. Not sure about the digital download... I'm interested in knowing that as well. They client can create their own folder of favorites, from which an entire album can be created, but you would need to be involved if the client is making changes after the initial design (at this point)... but you can also hire an assistant to take care of that too, since it's fairly brainless work.

Soooooooo..... what does everyone think?! I know ya'll are looking!!

PS. If you think my images suck, that's OK.. most of these are older weddings... the design is more of what I'm interested in hearing your comments on.

I like the third one. I actually like designing them, but this is very intersting. They don't print do they? They just give you the design?

Pictage prints these as well, or sends them directly to the album company. Standard print and binding prices apply.

Katie - can you identify what it is that you like about the last one?

Sweet deal for $50, but I find the layouts to be a little mechanical and stale.

Kevin, I just checked out your latest album design and based on what I see, Pictage's Album Designer online is able to accomplish all of the things that you did with your album design except for creating a shadow behind individual images.

Classy
Artistic
Clean

These are important in any album for me. I have a hard time with cheesy albums...I've seen to many. They make it hard for me sometimes. I don't want them to look cheap. So that is always a struggle. The third was the best for me in that respect. Not bad for $50!

I like the last one the most as well. I think the combination of panos, aligned groups of images, and post-production done in advance create the clean yet artistic look. The nice part about this service is that you can go back in with a few clicks and change the design yourself for free.

I agree...I think YOUR work was best in that album. I think that is why I loved it the most and the album design really made it shine.

So we can design our own album in Pictage?

They may be able to technically accomplish it, but they don't in the layouts you showed. They feel boxy and template-based to me. Like I said, good deal for $50 to be sure.

K

Customization is the beauty of the Pictage Album Designer. It's all online, it can be changed at any time, and while it does give you some basic mats and layouts to start with, it's highly customizable and changeable. So Kevin... for your images that are floating all over the page and overlapping, you can go in and make those changes to the design if you'd like by simply clicking and dragging. You may also be able to give Pictage one of your samples to work from as a model for what to create.

Here's a little run down of what you can do with the Pictage A.D. 2.0 online...
choose from over 140 different mat & pano templates
drag and drop images into mat templates
resize image openings
move image openings around on the mat
overlap images and change stacking order
rotate mats for a different orientation
reverse image (like a mirror)
add keyline, sloppy, thin, or thick borders in black or white to each image
convert images to sepia or B&W
change the transparency of images
create panoramic image layouts
change background colors
make background images with a light, dark, or no overlay

The drag and drop feature allows you to load a gallery of images based on folder or category, or to drag and drop images from the entire event. I like letting the client create a folder of their favorite images, and then letting pictage do the design, with my time only needed to make any custom changes per the client's request. Another way to do it is to upload your favorite processed images ASAP, have Pictage design the album from those, and then let client give input after all images have been released (more in line with G.F.'s predesign ideas).

OMG - Pictage just announced they are now doing them for FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!! HOLY COW PEOPLE!

Free IS a good deal!

Awesome, I think I'm gonna move more and more events over to Pictage!

It's too bad it takes a week! I like to get my albums up around Wed after the wedding...

Where does it say free? I still see $49 at their site?

Holy smokes. It just keep getting better. When are they going to start taking the pictures for us.

Wait, can you design them free and still go to another company to print?!?!

Why are they free? Is this just for a limited time?

i have a question... so once they design it for you do you make changes via their software, or in photoshop? if you use their program to make changes, do additonal charges apply?

EDIT: oh wait what just happened, now its free?

hahaha

Pictage seriously ROCKS MY WORLD!! I only pay them $150 a month and I get an employee who does color correction, online image hosting, credit card processing, order handling, email marketing, shipping in pretty and sturdy packaging, free advertising on the wedding channel, a private forum for members only, high quality printing, and now album designs?!?!? I'm soooo in love!!

i dont get it, what is the catch? they cant just do things for FREE.

Just ordered a design for an engagement session to see how it goes. Woo! Thanks for the tip, A!

k

I think think this is a win-win situation for pictage. Photographers aren't ordering albums because they haven't been able to design them. Taking the design out of the photographer's hands leads to more products in the customer's hands... and more sales for the photographer and pictage.

and then you can use anyone to print/bind album?

have you used there color correction services? if so how do you like it?

So are you like their new spokesperson like the other rockstars? ha ha

That's awesome to hear it's free design now. Makes paying the $150 a little less of a sacrifice. I look forward to trying them out, but I'm with Katie, I actually like designing myself too. But if i ever change my mind, it's great to know Pictage can be my employee to do it for me.

I'm just a philanthropist, working for charity.

Here are some official answers from VP of Product Mgmt.:

1. The album design service requires you to print through Pictage, but you may bind with other vendors.

2. This is not a limited time offer. The service is now free.

3. The sequence looks like this:
a) The design is released to you (the photographer) to view online.
b) You may make tweaks/changes through the Album Designer software (ADS).
c) You release the design to your bride to view online.
d) You may continue to make changes through ADS at any point.
e) When ready to order your options are:
- Sequoia (Willowbook) or Leather Craftsman through Pictage
- Printing of the pages shipped to you (which can then be bound with another vendor)


Liana Lehman and Jules Bianchi have tried the auto color correction and been very happy with the results. I haven't tried it yet.

Here are some more album design samples from Pictage (these are not my images). When viewing these, you may want to take into account how many images are on each page, what processing was done to the images before they were uploaded, and the actual style and content of the images. I think a great album design averages no more than 3 images per page. (JMHO)

Trendy Sample

Photojournalistic Sample

Modern/Contemporary Sample

Traditional Sample

+1

I think its great for many. Personally I really like making the album.

I would have a hard time finding someone else I could only pay $1,800 a year to do everything pictage does for me. The free album design service is also available to members who only pay $50 for one month ($600 per year). And it's a free service to people who try pictage for free and then cancel their membership. You don't HAVE to purchase the album once it's designed, there's no commitment in that respect.

As someone who shoots over 25 weddings a year, the money coming in from pictage's marketing campaigns have more than paid for my membership fees. You also have to take into account that the service includes free credit card processing, free premium packaging for your prints, free server space to host all of your images for an indefinite amount of time - archiving them off-site in case anything happens to your studio. To me, yes it's worth it, and it has given me more freedom in my life.

Each person has to decide what is best for their business, and thankfully there are many options out there to choose from.

Glad it's working for you Anne. There are some great people working for Pictage.

Are you implying that I work for pictage? If so, I just want to clarify that no one has paid me to share any of this information. However, if anyone from pictage is reading this, I'd really enjoy a trip to New Zealand for my husband and I!!

Do they still charge collage fees? That means that for every image used per page, they add on $1.75. So a 10x10 page that's $2.00 with 4 imges on it will actually cost $9.00. So the 80 page album design that averages 4 images per page can run you roughly $720 to print. And you can't print it anywhere else.

Please somebody correct me.

Such a naysayer you are!!!

1800 bucks a year makes me $5000+ each Christmas season... as well as color corrects my proofs for free.

Repeat after me. Pictage is not just a lab... they are a business partner!

I am HARD-pressed not to see only positives concerning a the album design service!


edit: just realized I was basically ditto'ing Anne I should read more

I believe Bumatay is correct. This only applies to flush mount pages and not to matted albums. However, if you order multiple copies, you are only charged the print fee and not the per image fee for additional copies because all of the individual color correcting and balancing has already been done on each image at that point. You can also just upload your own designs directly to pictage and have them print WYSIWYG for only $4 per page.

If you price your albums according to $$ per page and you charge a minimum of $30 per page (based on a 30/70 model and utilizing Bumatay's 4 images per page as a guide), an 80 page album would cost the client $2,400, $40/page x80 = $3,200 and so on. How you figure your album prices should always relate to the costs involved. You should also consider how much your time is worth and what it costs to outsource things if/when you are unable or too overwhelmed to do the job yourself.



Seriously... people don't need to get on the bandwagon, but they don't have to throw rocks at it either. Do what works for you - you are in charge of your business, these are all just options that are available.

AMEN! I can't believe they are doing this for free now...damn I just did about 4 album designs and missed the free ad at xmas and now its all free and I paid $200 bucks waah

Anyway, this is awesome. I hate doing album design and now I can get them to do the design and pay nothing woohooooo

BTW, Album designer 3.0 is coming out mid january!!!

You will be able to add text, add/delete openings, open the aspect ratio now if the template has a square you can make it a rectangle, rgb color picker so now you can have any color background under the sun

Now if there was only a way to export the design into showit so we could brand it to our site it would be golden!!!!

Swwwweeeeeet. I wonder if they'll add drop shadows for Kevin's albums he he he!

same thing I was thinking. Even if they just dropped the $1.75 per image. YIKES!

Dan,

I don't know that I'd say the $1800 is "just to have an account with them." That's making it sound like you have to pay just to say you're a member. For the $150/month, you get _unlimited_ uploading of files. I've got about 12 gigs of high-res final images on their sites right now. It's a nice backup, for one, but beyond that, they're promoting those events for me. I don't have to touch a single print order. My brides don't have to worry about aunt Margie ordering a single 8x10 from them. That's worth $150/month to me. The fact that I make money off it is just bonus.

I agree Kevin... and time is money.... btw.. I put in a request to see if they could add the drop shadows to AD 3.0 It may be too late, but wouldn't it be awesome if they did? I can't wait to see the new sleek interfaces... crossing my fingers about some of those requests I made last year! It's awesome that they are listening to photographers and actually giving them what they ask for... that makes me a happy partner.



I'm curious what you guys are paying now and how much time you're spending on albums? Just for comparison's sake.

I am really beginning to think I need to get rid of my current gallery system and switch to pictage. if I sign up now it is only $75 feb march and april are free. I just know I will be paying more in cost but I am assuming I will make more sales and It will free me up to deal with new stuff. Do you pay a commission on sales?

Wohoooo! I just got my first Pictage check! $415 in print orders and all i did was upload!

HIJACK, kindof...waiting for my first free ADS album from Christmas time! Can't wait to upload two or three more.

Charlotte,

Part of that offer is that you get $100 off your first Sequoia album. Another incentive after the free design. My brides love these albums.

regina

I pay between 3-400 for printing and binding. I spend about 3-4 hours on the design.



Yes. You pay a commission. From what I've seen, roughly 50% of your order goes to Pictage.

K

There are two ways to sell to your clients on pictage. One is to collect the cash, credit, check, whatever directly and to place the order on the photographer side of the site. You can choose to have prints shipped directly to you or to the client (the packaging is gift wrapped either way). You can also choose the speed and method of shipping (which you pay for), as well as handle any custom cropping issues, or photoshop work that may arise from the client's image choice. When orders are placed in this way, there is no commission charged, and pictage is merely functioning as a viewing gallery.

When clients use the pictage interface to purchase items directly through the website, there is a 10% commission added to the order (this amount is based on your retail price). Pictage handles the credit card processing, any custom cropping or toning selected by the client, prints and ships items either to you first or directly to the client - based on preferences you have predetermined with pictage. The client pays for shipping and handling of all items. Then they cut you a check each month for the profits (retail price- commision and wholesale cost). This is what allows you to earn sales in your sleep.

What makes the pictage interface so nice is that there are many options for customization. You can require a password, or not. You can require people to sign the guestbook, or not. You can choose which print sizes are available for clients to order as well as determine the prices for any of those prints. You can choose to offer other pictage products or even add categories for your own custom products. You can offer your clients a stepped discounting incentive to purchase prints, or not. You can choose to have pictage automatically mail all guests a gift certificate to encourage print purchasing, or not. You can include print credit in your packages, send it to your client, and let them order when they're ready instead of tracking who has ordered and who hasn't. You set how long the credit is for and when it expires. Clients can make images private so that only they can see certain images, while their guests only see what they want them to see. Clients can create folders and collections which you can then use to order from, or use to gain more feedback about that client. Clients can add comments to photos and have a myriad of ways (too many) to view their images. I'm sure there are more... but I've already given away enough free information today. (can you tell I'm tired?! ... think I'll get a free trip to hawaii out of this?!)

Anne, thanks for this info about the free album design I most have missed the e-mail. I have been using the album design from the very beginning and it has gradually gotten better. I love to Pictage one of the best decisions ever made my photography business. This free album design is going to be real time saver can't wait to try it. You can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink and that's OK because I guess we don't all like drinking out the same through. Put I sure like drinking from the Pictage through.

They haven't officially announced it through email yet! This was just posted on the forum today by the VP of Product Mgmt. I'm a forum junkie, and their post just so happened to coincide (or perhaps cleverly coincided) with a post I was already making about the great job they did on the album designs.

I love your analogy!! I'm always happy to share, but I also know that I'm better off if other people aren't drinking out of my trough!! So.. the fewer, the merrier?!

HA HA SOLD I'm in gonna do that first thing tommorow. Thank You for all of the information! I will tell pictage to send you to Hawaii. We will see if it works!