Just felt the need to kapo in this thread, not soliciting for business.
Some of the usual problems faced by non-design trained hobbyists, wanting to create your very own books with the pictures that youve so painstakingly shot.
1) What software to design or layout with? Preferably a DTP software like Quark, FreeHand, PageMaker or PhotoShop, too expensive or complicated? There is also low cost software like Photomix, around $59. Save finished artwork into pdf, psd or jpeg. In our trade we say, print ready files. Its no good if it cant be opened or printed right?
2) Online download applications are free, but you must print with the online vendors. Limited features, OK if youre not fuzzy. Pay first, unhappy also no refund.
3) You may have captured thousands, but selecting for 30 or 40 pages is still a challenge. The pain comes in selecting what to put into the book.
4) The machine are very different in printing, it use CMYK toner or inks. The key is in color balance of CMY. Unlike photo processing shops, some bothers to adjust colors for you. Print Vendors stick to a calibrated standard, at least once in the morning and if needed, in the afternoon again. Cannot and will not adjust to your color, pick a reference, Japan colors (coated) profiles is good.
5) You have to take full responsibility in the printed book, garbage in, and garbage out.
6) The colors you see on your screen are not what its printed? RGB versus CMYK.
7) Is your monitor calibrated? Can you work with icc profiles?
8) Problem when you least expect it.
