So some of you may know that in March 2016 my other half and I got married. We had the most amazing day, it was totally unforgettable. One of the most important decisions we made before the wedding was choosing an incredible photographer to capture our special moments. We eventually decided on the fabulous Chris J Turner. We ended up going for a digital package as we weren’t quite sure what we wanted to do about a wedding album. However, since the wedding I’ve been desperate to get my hands on an album. Don’t get me wrong, I totally love looking at our lovely photos on the laptop, but nothing beats having something physical to look at and share with others. So when I was given the opportunity* to get a special album for the lovely people at Saal Digital, I jumped at the chance. I couldn’t wait to fill an album with our gorgeous photos.
So I went onto their website to get started. Like many similar websites in the same field, you are able to choose from a range of products including photo books, photos, wall decor, cards, art, photo posters, calendars and photo booklets. The website encourages you to download their software to create your project, but you are also able to use their direct upload function (which is what most other photo upload websites solely seem to use). Both options are free, so its just a question of personal preference. I decided to download the software.
So once I had got the software I wanted to get started. I had to select my options, so obviously started by choosing photo book. I was then able to decide on how I wanted the book to look – size, portrait/landscape, amount of pages, cover options (type, colour, padding etc) and if I wanted the photos to be matte or glossy. There were so many different options which allow you to get the book just how you want it. The next step was choosing the template/layout to use and there were a few differnt ones to choose from. These varied from weddings, babies, religious etc. Alternatively there is the option to keep it simple with a basic layout. Now I needed to choose the pictures I wanted in my photo book. This could be done by selecting all from an album on the computer, or deciding individually. Once I had done this, it was time to fill the pages! This could be done using an auto-fill function, or individually dragging and dropping. I was also able to play around with the layouts on each page to get them exactly how I wanted them. I was then able to add it to my cart and pay for it. The software made me check all of the pages just to make sure I was completely happy with it all which I think is a good idea. It also alllowed me to save and return to the book if I needed to.
So the options I decided on was – a hardcover photobook 28 x 19 cm 30 pages with a glossy un-padded cover and glossy pages. The price of this was £39.45. This seems to be quite competitive with other photo upload websites. They’re also offering £15 off at the moment, your unique discount code can be found here.
So I really enjoyed making my photo book. I’m not going to lie, I had moments of stress, but that was only because I wanted to get the book just right. It was a little tricky for me as I had more than 600 photos that I wanted to squeeze into 30 pages. So for ease I wanted to select the whole album and let the software do its thing, but it just wasn’t feasible for a relatively short book. Therefore I had to select the images I wanted to use for the book beforehand and this was no way easy because I absolutely love them all! It however worked out and I was pleased once I’d selected my absolute faves. It took a few times of playing around and saving and returning to the project to get it just right. Throughout the process, I had some email communication with Saal and they were helpful and encouraged me to get in touch if I had any problems. Once I had put my order through it didn’t take too long for the book to arrive. Whilst there was some drama with the postman delivering it to another house, that was obviously not the fault of the company. As soon as I got my hands on the book, I couldn’t wait to look at it! And it really didn’t disappoint. I was so happy with the quality of the photos and the glossy pages made them look so good! It is definitely something I will treasure. Here are a few snaps from the finished product …
I would definitely use this company again in the future, whether it is for another photo book or a different product.
Until next time…
Jean xoxo
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[*I was very kindly sent a hefty discount code to use to get the photobook for a small amount in return for a review. However, all opinions are my own.]
I love photo books because they are a great way to preserve precious memories. I’ve purchased a few of my boys over the years.
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I love to look at photo books too 🙂 and so nice to have them of your boys to look back on
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I have to agree with you that the book turned out lovely. It helps that they had such beautiful material to work with too!
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Ahhh thank you, we were very pleased. We had an amazing photographer!
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I love photo books! We got one for our wedding and I like the personalisations and different layouts you can choose! Although I am with you on the stress, it can be a bit annoying and take a while but it is well worth the results!
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They’re great especially for a wedding album and yep definitely worth it!
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I adore photo books! As a photographer, I find that I don’t put together our own near as often as I should after getting everyone else’s done!
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They’re fab aren’t they?! Ahhh you should definitely do one for yourself 🙂
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That is an amazing price with the discount for a hardcover photo book! I paid more than that and I went through Wal-mart which is the cheapest option here in the U.S. (at least until I read this!).
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It’s such a great price for the quality!
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My favorite photo is the love word written behind you both!! He did a great job getting photos of the two of you! So glad to hear they gave good customer service when you needed help.
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Ahhh thank you! We had a really great photographer 🙂 yeah they were really nice
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I love photo books, but only have one. We got one our first year we went to Disney World. I know of several other vacations, parties, etc, that would make an excellent photo book!
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Sometimes it’s just getting round to making one. They’re so lovely to have though aren’t they? 🙂
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Making the perfect photo book of your wedding day is so stressful! So many details you want to remember! I think future books will be easier. Will check out this company too. I haven’t heard of them before.
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No I hadn’t heard of them either. You just want it to be perfect!
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How awesome are these?! I love putting all our favorite photos into a photo book because they look so professional. My girls thing it’s so awesome when they come in the mail because they are real books about them 😉
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They’re so lovely to have! Ahh that’s cute 🙂
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Looks a nice photobooks, I love to have photobooks of our wedding soon and i don’t have any idea. Glad you share this post with us
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Yeah it’s a good one! Hope you get one sorted 🙂
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I love photo books! They’re such a lovely way to document memories instead of just keeping a box full of unorganised photos 🙂
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You’re so right!
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Omg loving the photo book!!!! I made one for my hubby a few years ago for Christmas and he loved it!
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Thank you! They’re great gifts aren’t they?!
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I love photo books because they give coffee tables a personal touch. I’m always looking for new companies to try…thank you!
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You’re so right! You’re welcome 🙂
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