Renaissance Album Assembly

Will someone put me out of my misery please! I am assembling my first Milano album with hinged pages...Oh.My. GOODNESS! How frustrating! The pictures are in the matts, which was no problem, but now sliding the matts into the pages is a whole 'nother story. Any tips, tricks, or hints? I do NOT see this type of album in my future unless some wise album expert shares some tips!!!!!

KRM wrote in post #3904368
I do NOT see this type of album in my future unless some wise album expert shares some tips!!!!!

My biggest tip is to let them assemble the album for you, if they offer that service. Queensberry do, it doesn't cost much extra. I've only ever tried to put a couple of images in an album to replace a faulty image, it went in slightly crooked, i'll not bother doing it again.

KRM wrote in post #3904368
Will someone put me out of my misery please! I am assembling my first Milano album with hinged pages...Oh.My. GOODNESS! How frustrating! The pictures are in the matts, which was no problem, but now sliding the matts into the pages is a whole 'nother story. Any tips, tricks, or hints? I do NOT see this type of album in my future unless some wise album expert shares some tips!!!!!

My advice is to use the small brown card that usually comes with the pages. Use it to run up and down the the slots where the mat inserts into the page holder. In general they make the page holder slots too tight, and by doing this it makes it much easier to insert the mats into the page holders. I think the name of that small card is called a print shoe...Best of luck.

Thanks! I will try the tip with the card. I saw it, but wasn't sure...they don't really explain things that well, I had no idea it would be so difficult! One of the pages is starting to come apart already from my attempts.

I will be definitely looking for a different solution for albums, this just isn't worth my time!

Like Tim suggested, if you can find a place to put them together, do it, save your sanity!! traditional albums will drive you right over the edge into madness!!

KRM wrote in post #3907402
Thanks! I will try the tip with the card. I saw it, but wasn't sure...they don't really explain things that well, I had no idea it would be so difficult! One of the pages is starting to come apart already from my attempts.

I will be definitely looking for a different solution for albums, this just isn't worth my time!

Sorry, you don't just use the tip of the card to run up and down the slot, but the whole side of the "print shoe" card. Once you feel it slide easily then slide the mat into the page holder. I am not sure why the page holders almost always require this process before inserting mats, it may be that it make it more difficult for the customer to remove the prints from the album and prevent copying.
Best of luck
Joe

Print shoe card? I'm at work and the album and pages are at home, I'll see if I can figure out what that is.

If I don't get the hang of this, I will definitely be figuring something else out! Unfortuately I've already lost my behind on this particular album, poor planning on my part, I don't want to bleed anymore money...so I'm stuck doing it myself!

KRM wrote in post #3907823
Print shoe card? I'm at work and the album and pages are at home, I'll see if I can figure out what that is.

If I don't get the hang of this, I will definitely be figuring something else out! Unfortuately I've already lost my behind on this particular album, poor planning on my part, I don't want to bleed anymore money...so I'm stuck doing it myself!

In the old days before the album companies came up with mats, to insert into page holders, they just had pages, where you would insert prints. Thus the term "print shoe" came into play as it helped you insert prints into the albums.

That brown card that came with the pages is now called a print shoe for any better term.

The advantage of assembling albums yourself is these days mostly a matter of convenience, as with digital there are many other options for albums these days.

What I have found is that most photographers don't take into account the amount of time they spend in the assembly of albums and in how they price their services. And customers need to be educated and sold this extra service in terms of the actual time involved on the photographers part, not just on the markup of the album price itself. In fact a 100% standard markup on albums may not in fact cover your time spent.

Once you get a system figured out that works for you I have found album assembly to be a less stressful way to generate income than the wedding work itself.

In the old days escaping into the darkroom provided this same type of enjoyable release. Many times I actually felt guilty charging for some thing I enjoyed doing so much!

Best of luck,
Joe

oh yes, pricing.....*sigh* it's being revamped, that's for sure.

Okay, so you are saying use that brown card to loosen it up some?

Thanks for your help!

Well that card didn't hold up. It's already all bent up. I'm about to have a bonfire with this album. I daresay I hate it!!!!!

Update...hopefully this will help someone else...what I ended up doing was cutting down the mats, just a little bit, with my paper cutter...they slip in much better!