Saal Digital Photo Book Review

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.]