Print Packaging

[mmishkin]

How do you package and present prints to your clients? Which vendor do you purchase your materials from? Thanks!

[tim]

My print orders are all sent via courier. Clear plastic ziplock bags, inside a rigid cardboard envelope, inside a courier bag.

Albums are the product my customers mostly get, they're presented in a much nicer way.

[PMCphotography]

Albums aren't a big part of my business, for some reason. I include them in a few packages, but the clients are never that excited by them for whatever reason. It depends a lot on the client to me, actually. I will bring some clients their photos in a nice hard backed, leather "executive-type" folder, or if my clients are more practical, younger and a bit more "funky" i will give them a tote bag with my logo on it. It's nice to see them around town!

My prints are done at a local lab, i pick them up by hand when they are done.

[tim]

Albums aren't a big part of my business, for some reason. I include them in a few packages, but the clients are never that excited by them for whatever reason. It depends a lot on the client to me, actually. I will bring some clients their photos in a nice hard backed, leather "executive-type" folder, or if my clients are more practical, younger and a bit more "funky" i will give them a tote bag with my logo on it. It's nice to see them around town!

My prints are done at a local lab, i pick them up by hand when they are done.

What kind of albums do you use?

[PMCphotography]

I usually use photobook australia.

They are great quality and the prices are okay, but what my clients usually are more excited about is a DVD slideshow of their photos. They like the multimedia component of that, i've been told. I always put the music they walked down the aisle to and their first dance, things like that. They usually go for around 20 minutes to half an hour. I always do a custom DVD insert as well. I like to send one to any parents/grandparents who couldn't attend as well.

Don't get me wrong, they like the album, but get much more excited about the DVD slideshow, so i focus most of my energy putting that together.

[tim]

You should try using real albums instead of books, they're MUCH more impressive. Albums Australia, Jorgenson (sen?), Queensberry etc.

I've recently taken DVDs out of my main package, I really don't like making them so now I charge $500. For that, i'll do it. Just. You should be careful of using copyrighted music, unless you have a license you could get done for it.

[PMCphotography]

Oh i've used Albums Australia as well. I used to have several different options of albums and books to choose from but the enthusiasm just wasn't there so i took them out.

[tim]

That's odd, I find people really like my albums, and like the slide shows but not as much as albums. My favourite sample album's 18x12" covered in red leather, it's pretty cool!

[snyper77]

mmishkin, I looked everywhere for a professional way to present my photos. I thought I'd never find a wholesaler! I bought a case of 8x10 boxes and a case of 16x20. Then, I ordered a case of black tissue paper and a roll of gold stretch string to give it a little "touch of class". Links here....

Boxes (http://www.wildcatwholesale.com/productcart/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=23&pageStyle=H)
Tissue paper (http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-7097BL/Gift-Grade-Tissue-Paper/Black-Tissue-Paper-20-x-30-Sheets)
Gold stretch string (http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-12355GOLD/Gift-Wrap-And-Supplies/1-16-x-50-Gold-Stretch-Cording)

These materials cost me about $130, but it's enough to last me through about $4000 worth of sales. Not a bad investment.

[Krapo]

You should try using real albums instead of books, they're MUCH more impressive. Albums Australia, Jorgenson (sen?), Queensberry etc.

I've recently taken DVDs out of my main package, I really don't like making them so now I charge $500. For that, i'll do it. Just. You should be careful of using copyrighted music, unless you have a license you could get done for it.

Tim, I checked out the references you mentioned and they indeed look extremely nice. Do you have an idea of the price range? I mean, is it in the 200-300$ range?

Any European equivalent?

[tfizzle]

WHCC Premium packaging for me. It's $7ish for each orders on prints up to 8x10 (maybe a little bigger).

All the photos are sorted and put into plastic sleeves, packed in a chocolate colored box with tissue paper a ribbon around it. All I do is take it out of the shipping box, check the order, and deliver it.

[Peacefield]

I use Mpix for my prints and they offer "boutique packaging" for a fairly modest cost. Come the day I do this full time, I may design my own labeled packaging, but this is fine for now.

[Red Tie Photography]

I use mpix too. It works fine for now.

[tim]

Tim, I checked out the references you mentioned and they indeed look extremely nice. Do you have an idea of the price range? I mean, is it in the 200-300$ range?

Any European equivalent?

I'm sorry but I don't post cost price information to public forums. But I will say that you won't get anything for $300.

[Krapo]

I'm sorry but I don't post cost price information to public forums. But I will say that you won't get anything for $300.

I very well understand that you prefer to keep your cost base private.

But if those companies charge much more than $300 (USD, I meant), I assume that the final product must be charged at least $1K to the couples (adding up the photographer's work and margin).

While I agree the result is superb, I tend to understand PMCphotography's comment above about the fact that it was rarely selected.
Some high-end customers can definitely afford it, but it's probably not the majority.

[tim]

But if those companies charge much more than $300 (USD, I meant), I assume that the final product must be charged at least $1K to the couples (adding up the photographer's work and margin).


You're still way off, with cost and customer price. My start price for an album is NZ$1800 and the most i've charged is something like $4000 for a huge leather album with tons of pages. I know a photographer who's made an album that cost the customer AU$9000.

[PMCphotography]

Yup, albums aren't cheap. They are high quality works art in their own right, and you pay for it.

[Krapo]

You're still way off, with cost and customer price. My start price for an album is NZ$1800 and the most i've charged is something like $4000 for a huge leather album with tons of pages. I know a photographer who's made an album that cost the customer AU$9000.

Ouch, I was quite off indeed!
This being said, I see the value in paying a few thousands for something that will be the best way for the couple to remember this unique day.
Also, it is not that expensive compared to the total cost of a high-end wedding.

[tim]

It's not unusual for people to pay $120 to feed each of 100 guests, so $12K for dinner that lasts an hour or $4K for an album that lasts a lifetime would seem to be an easy enough choice, at least to me.

[Mike30D]

How do you package and present prints to your clients? Which vendor do you purchase your materials from? Thanks!

Nashville Wraps for bags, etc. - http://www.nashvillewraps.com

DNL photo for print boxes - http://www.dnlphoto.com/

Some of the labs now are offering custom photo boxes for prints.

There's a company that I want to use their bags for delivering albums but I haven't ordered any yet. - http://www.onebagatatime.com/

I have a bunch of packaging links somewhere...I'll look to see if I can find it.