I have been kindly invited by Saal Digital to participate in their Professional Line Photo Book test.
I opted to print a 42 pages album that showcases my print portfolio.
I chose the Professional Line, non XT, glossy paper with acrylic cover and black leather binding.
The process of creating the book is a pleasure. The provided software is intuitive and equally easy to use on an Ipad as it is on the PC. There are three main starting options. Regardless of which one you choose, you are able to switch between layout templates and manual adjustments on the fly, making it quite time efficient. The only trouble I ran into when using the software, is inability to consistently replicate a previously chosen layout for subsequent pages using photos of identical orientation and sizes. Quite possible a user error, so will definitely take some time to explore the options in depth next time. Nevertheless, the quick access to manual adjustments and helpful options to display and snap to grid, made the workflow smooth.
The ability to swap, add and remove pages on the fly with price automatically adjusting as you go make it very easy to control the layout and the set budget.
Projects can be saved for re-editing or repeat use.
The software offers auto correction for images, which I did not use, as I opted for downloading the relevant ICC profiles, as well as following Saal’s monitor calibration suggestions. This was my first time not relying on a print house to do print prep for me, so naturally I was a bit weary. Fortunately, the provided information seems spot on and I am thrilled with the results.
I received the book in less then a week.
It is by far, the best quality album I have personally had a chance to view.
The acrylic cover is spectacular, colours are rich, blacks are black.
The quality of the glossy paper is top notch. Pages are thick and heavy.
Print quality is nothing short of spectacular, for both color and black and white prints. The album looks and feels luxurious in every way.
I purposefully chose a few ultrawide shots and panoramas to print across two pages. The advertised layflat feature does not disappoint. The transition of print from page to page is seamless and does not, in any way, distract from fully appreciating the photograph.
My one regret is not having ordered the case for the album. A mistake I will certainly correct with my next order.
In summary, definitely a service I will use again and again. While the rates may seem high, the quality to price ratio is frankly spot on.
Brilliant service and product, yet again, from Saal Digital.