Printing photo albums and books

redux032

Is there any way to print photo albums and books directly from Smugmug? I'm considering signing up for a pro account but I primarily want to sell my photos as compilations in book format. If this is not an option directly thru Smugmug do you know if any other photo book vendors offer a direct API or interface to select images from Smugmug?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

urbanaries

redux032 wrote:

Is there any way to print photo albums and books directly from Smugmug?

Nope. Only vendor I know of (and I'm sure there are many) that hosts images for prints and a direct design-to-print interface for books (on the vendor side as well as client side) is Pictage.

Andy

We don't have them, but we want 'em just as badly as you do

Stay tuned!

redux032

NOT what the doctor ordered!

Andy wrote:

We don't have them, but we want 'em just as badly as you do

Stay tuned!

Well Andy/Smugmug peeps, I appreciate the entreaty to stay tuned but meanwhile I've got a wedding and a high-school graduation where MY peeps want a "one-click" purchasing option for this stuff so I'm going to take my business elsewhere. Not out of choice, please get that!! I notice Flickr has an API or cookie-level integration with a number of service providers for this kind of stuff. It may not be high-end but it IS what various friends and clients want.

I appreciate the response though.

Regards,
Redux

Marc S

Redux,

Have you done a web search for books? There are quite a few vendors that sell wedding books either through templates they provide or ones you design.

Visit photo.net and do a search of the site. Many on the site are pros who know the ins and outs of the book business.

I currently use Aperture's book designs for printing. But I have a strange feeling Smug will soon have a book option. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Marc S

urbanaries

Marc S wrote:

. But I have a strange feeling Smug will soon have a book option. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Marc S

it would be cool if your strange feeling turned out to be reality...sometime this year, preferably! But what I'm more curious about is...will they be the $50 books geared toward grandma with her family reunion pics or premium grade products geared toward professionals intended for resale? There is a big difference, and the silence is deafening. I guess I'll just stay tuned.

Scott_Quier

urbanaries wrote:

But what I'm more curious about is...will they be the $50 books geared toward grandma with her family reunion pics or premium grade products geared toward professionals intended for resale? There is a big difference, and the silence is deafening. I guess I'll just stay tuned.

on both counts

urbanaries

Scott_Quier wrote:

on both counts

ok, just to prove to you i'm not COMPLETELY wet behind the ears...

Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound .......

(all together now)

....

Elaine

I just wanted to chime in that it would make me SOOOOOO happy to have a book option through Smugmug!!!!!

Matthew Saville

redux032 wrote:

Well Andy/Smugmug peeps, I appreciate the entreaty to stay tuned but meanwhile I've got a wedding and a high-school graduation where MY peeps want a "one-click" purchasing option for this stuff so I'm going to take my business elsewhere. Not out of choice, please get that!! I notice Flickr has an API or cookie-level integration with a number of service providers for this kind of stuff. It may not be high-end but it IS what various friends and clients want.

I appreciate the response though.

Regards,
Redux

Redux might never be coming back, but if he does I'm curious: Where else is there to "take our business" that offers what SmugMug offers AND books / Albums? I cannot find anywhere, and I've looked. Right now, using SmugMug to host photos and simply ordering proofbooks through WHCC and albums through wherever the couple wants their album works great for me. I don't know of any "one stop shop" hosts out there!

=Matt=

urbanaries

Matthew Saville wrote:

Redux might never be coming back, but if he does I'm curious: Where else is there to "take our business" that offers what SmugMug offers AND books / Albums? I cannot find anywhere, and I've looked. Right now, using SmugMug to host photos and simply ordering proofbooks through WHCC and albums through wherever the couple wants their album works great for me. I don't know of any "one stop shop" hosts out there!

=Matt=

Hey Matt,

Thanks for the referral to WHCC, sounds like a top notch vendor. I've only been pro for little over a year, so appreciate the heads up! Looks like they have larger sizes and I love the cover options.

Do they only accept photoshop files or can you design albums in Quark/Indesign? I absolutely HATE photoshop as a layout program. it's just not built for it, hence my attraction toward Pictage's album maker software, although I agree with you the client interface is hideous.

Question, how do you collect for books and large prints thru WHCC? Do you have your own e-commerce site or do you force clients to send and write you checks?

Andy

urbanaries wrote:

Question, how do you collect for books and large prints thru WHCC? Do you have your own e-commerce site or do you force clients to send and write you checks?

It's a cinch to implement Google Checkout (or Paypal) on your SmugMug site - see my portraits link on my website for an example

urbanaries

Andy wrote:

It's a cinch to implement Google Checkout (or Paypal) on your SmugMug site - see my portraits link on my website for an example

I did a few weeks back, thanks! At first I put it in its own page but am testing out putting it in the individual gallery descriptions. I need someone to test it out, though. You want to buy a portrait session from me, Andy? Just kidding, I think I will buy one from myself.

I guess I am worried people will get confused, the two completely separate shopping cart systems orderable from one page. Thoughts?

Andy

urbanaries wrote:

I guess I am worried people will get confused, the two completely separate shopping cart systems orderable from one page. Thoughts?

I've not had any problems with people figuring it out....