Hardcover Books

I just noticed that the new Aperture 2.0 allows you to make softcover and hardcover books ordered thru the apple website.
http://www.apple.com …ources/printpro​ducts.html

For those of us who are Windows bound, are there similar options?
Or maybe print shops in Canada?

You can use Blurb (www.blurb.com) or Lulu (www.lulu.com). I'm sure there are more out there, but these frequently come up in alot of threads.

Thanks BBD!
Exactly what I was looking for!

I'm about to use http://aol.photobox.co​.uk/ this side of the pond

drisley wrote in post #4932852
Thanks BBD!
Exactly what I was looking for!

There's also mypublisher.com

Oh, by the way, you have a huge vertical and horizontal blank space built in to your signature space. I've never seen it before from any other users.

Great stuff guys! I'm excited to try!

how do blurb and lulu compare in terms of quality?

azpix wrote in post #4936511
how do blurb and lulu compare in terms of quality?

I can't compare them, but I just received a book from Blurb and was quite happy with the quality, and delivery was almost half a week faster than quoted.

The only thing I don't care for is the somewhat limited options for page formatting, but its nothing that can't be worked around with a full page image that actually has the formatting/contents desired.

I would have liked a more "free form" editor like Word where you can place text (boxes) and images anywhere on the page.

Generally, me too, & I've done two different sized Blurb books.

That was my solution, too, & don't think Word is all that easy to work with exact image placement. PS did the job very well. The only thing you have to watch for is the binder & outside trim margins.

I have made 3 Blurb books and found the quality and reproduction top notch. Also the desktop application works very well, you can also import from Photoshop.

Blurb - is what the great POTN book vol 1 was printed with.
Semi gloss paper inside.

Lulu
Matte paper inside.

Both get good reviews. Lulu scores for me on being able to design your book in your own dtp programme (Adobe Indesign / MS publisher) then upload a high quality PDF

Blurb uses its own software with limited design layouts, especially for text. I'm writing a Motorsports season review for the race series I'm involved with and you couldn't make tables of results easily (you'd need to produce it in something else and export it as an image).

Just received my first Blurb book and am really pleased with it. I do recommend following the soft proofing advice which is found on their forums with the correct printer profile. I did and probably didn't go quite far enough with it on contrast and saturation, but know if I hadn't done the soft proofing, the photos would have looked really milky. Color was spot on in the book after soft proofing.

I also found the templates a bit limiting, so most of my book (86 pages) was done with custom layout in PS. Not quite as fast as size and drop, but far more creative and adaptive. The book is better for having done that.

Also in the Blurb forums are templates for doing photos over the gutter. Mine turned out really well. Because the book is thicker than is typical for them, less than 1/8 inch may have been lost on a couple photos, but if you're careful where you position the gutter for the image, will turn out well.

Highly recommended, especially after looking at a similar (though soft cover) book today done on MyPublisher. Lower cost, too.

11/20/08 update:
Free $10 off shipping until midnight 12/5/08: Code is freeshipping

Tips Blog:
http://blog.blurb.com …php/category/ho​w-to-tips/

Step-by-step video guide to creating your book (37 Minutes)
http://www.blurb.com …ay3&utm_campaig​n=holiday3

Create a full-bleed spread across 2 pages
http://blog.blurb.com …ed-spread-across-2-pages/

Tip — adding text over photos
http://blog.blurb.com …-adding-text-over-photos/

Edit and move multiple pages
http://blog.blurb.com …-and-move-multiple-pages/

More threads:

See my post #13 for links to two books I've done in Blurb: I want to make a book but...

My first Blurb book

Tims book:
8-5-07 Album critique please

Tim Wild - Album Draft #2

Resizing for Blurb books

Free Blurb Templates

Comparison of POD printers: Lulu vs Blurb vs MyPublisher

Does the $10 off shipping count on shipments that cost less than $10?

It's up to $10, so it would.