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MyPublisher Photo Album: Pros and Cons

About.com Rating 4

By Francesca Di Meglio, About.com

Typical MyPublisher.com Wedding Album © MyPublisher.com

The Bottom Line
MyPublisher.com offers consumers a chance to create keepsake photo albums that look professional and are much more affordable than paying a photographer to do. They are a wonderful alternative to professional wedding albums, and make for lovely and thoughtful presents.
Pros
  • A MyPublisher photo album is simple to create and looks professional.
  • You have complete control of the style and look of your photos and album.
  • If the photos you've chosen are not the best quality, the program will let you know.
  • MyPublisher photo albums make for great gifts.
  • The albums help you keep track of your family memories -- from your wedding day to new babies.
Cons
  • You have to download software to your computer to create the album.
  • You can not get too creative with the photos or templates.
  • Even though it's easy to use, you still have to put in effort by creating the album yourself.
Description
  • MyPublisher albums can include text. I had a personalized cover and title page, but you can include captions and stories.
  • MyPublisher albums make for great keepsakes for you, your bridal party, or the next bride in the family.
  • Because it's paper, the albums make for a great first-anniversary gifts for your spouse, too.
  • Even though the format is rigid, you can get creative by editing your photos on other programs before making your book.
  • Coupons are often available if you get on the MyPublisher e-mail list or visit the Web site often.
  • In the end, you'll have a photo album that looks professional and was quite affordable to boot.
Guide Review - MyPublisher Photo Album: Pros and Cons
I recently created a soft-cover photo album featuring photos from Thanksgiving weekend 2008, when my husband and I renewed our vows in the United States for family and friends who couldn't join us for our wedding in Italy. One bridesmaid and the best man traveled from Italy to the States to participate in the American festivities, and this book was our gift to them. It featured photos of the couple that were taken by our relatives and the professional photographer we hired.

The quality of the photo album I created astonished me. I started out by downloading the necessary software from the MyPublisher.com site, which took just minutes. Easy to use, the software guides you through the process. The first step is choosing the type of book you'd like to create -- simple soft-cover albums or more elaborate hard-bound books in fabric and leather finishes. I chose a soft-cover album because it would be easier to carry to Italy, and it's the most affordable. It cost about $13 for a 20-page book, and then I paid about $.50 for each additional page I included. I chose the cover I wanted -- there are a range of options including soft covers featuring one of your photos and fun graphic designs provided by the company but which you can personalize.

At this point, I gathered all the photos I wanted to include in the book and organized them -- starting with the bridesmaids getting manicures and ending with the vow renewal. Next, I had to post the photos into the formatted pages. There are few template options for each page, so you don't have a lot of creative choice. You can change some of the photos to black and white and flip them if need be. I did a few in black and white to make some of the color images pop. When I was done, I received my book in just two days -- and I received a second copy free with a coupon, which are often available.

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