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Photo Book Software

Desktop applications that you can use to build photo books

If you are just getting started, first see how photo books work.

Below is a list of several applications that you can use to create highly customized photo book layouts.

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Viovio Bookmaker

Platform: Web (All); FREE
Summary: Ideal for compiling large amounts of images, or page layouts into a book. Limited layout capabilities.
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Apple iPhoto
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Platform: Mac; $99
Summary: Complete PDF Book, use PDF Upload Wizard
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Adobe Photoshop Elements
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Platform: Windows; $99
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Microsoft PowerPoint

Platform: Mac, Windows; $229
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Apple Pages
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Platform: Mac; $79
Output: Complete PDF Book, use PDF Upload Wizard
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Adobe Photoshop

Platform: Mac, Windows; $649
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ACDSee

Platform: Windows; $129
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Apple Aperture
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Platform: Mac; $299
Output: Complete PDF Book, use PDF Upload Wizard
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Adobe PhotoshopLightroom2

Platform: Mac, Windows; $299
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Scribus
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Platform: Mac; Windows; Linux; FREE
Summary: Open source desktop publishing; Complete PDF Book, use PDF Upload Wizard
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Adobe InDesign
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Platform: Mac, Windows; $699
Output: Complete PDF Book, use PDF Upload Wizard


Comments

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Software

by kirstin, Thursday 18 of September, 2008 (21:15:10 UTC)
Can I use Microsoft publisher to make my layouts? any help would be really appreciated, the support email link won't work.
Reply to this comment

by Nichole, Tuesday 19 of February, 2008 (11:25:27 UTC)
A much cheaper program to use to help create a single PDF file with the layout that you want is with http://www.docudesk.com/desk_pdf_professional.shtml
It is only $30.
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Which software to use?

by solitaire, Monday 05 of November, 2007 (02:54:32 UTC)
I want to create a photo book of our Africa vacation. It's actually a photo journal ..so it's a mixture of blocks of text and photos. I have Adobe Photoshop ..should I use that? If so ..how do I get all the text / layouts ..help please!!
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Illustrator

by Kelly O'Brien, Monday 16 of July, 2007 (18:19:39 UTC)
Can I make the layout of a book in Adobe Illustrator and then upload with the FTP? If yes can you talk me through the process? I am trying to create a book in Illustrator and then convert it into a pdf file with a program called deskPDF. When I do this each page saves as it’s own separate file, and when I try and open it in the Adobe reader it opens each page separately. I don’t know how to open the files so I can view them with the smaller thumbnails and be able to see the pages with the “continuous facing page.”

Can you explain how I can upload Illustrator files that have been converted into separate PDF files (each page as it’s own file).

Also, can I just outline the font or do I need to embed the font. thanks
Also what resolution should the pictures be in?
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Re: Illustrator

by Christian Fowler, Wednesday 18 of July, 2007 (02:47:08 UTC)
Hi Kelly,

If you are making separate Illustrator PDF pages, the best thing to do is upload each separate single page PDF file into a photo gallery, and use the Bookmaker to stitch them together into a single book. (Do not load a multi-page PDF into a photo gallery, it will not do what you might think. )

Outline the fonts is fine. Pictures should be at 300 dpi. Anything above that is past the point of diminishing returns...

I gave your account FTP access, and you can now upload to galleries via FTP ( see the FTP tab on the upload page ).

Let us know if you have any more questions!

- Christian
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Converting Power Point to PDF

by Peter Panufnik, Wednesday 13 of December, 2006 (18:42:51 UTC)
If I set up my album in PowerPoint but want to submit it as a PDF should I still increase the slide dimensions by 3 times?
Or is it sufficient to just add the 0.25 trim margin on each side?
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Re: Converting Power Point to PDF

by connie, Wednesday 27 of December, 2006 (02:14:27 UTC)
Your slide size needs to be 3 times the size of your final output trim size before you create your .jpgs. So if you plan to create a 9x7 book you will want to set up your page size in PowerPoint to 27x21