There are so many options when it comes to albums, it can be a bit overwhelming…

To keep this post reasonably short, I’ll compare only the albums included in our Wedding Options. In all options one of these albums is included with the ability to upgrade or downgrade to the other styles.

The way we differentiate in our studio is this:

Coffee Table Books feel and look like fine, hard cover books you might find at any store or library. The pages are made of a strong but flexible paper. Images are off-set printed, as in most commercial coffee table art books. Pages can be glossy, lustre, or matte. They come with a sturdy protective sleeve in glossy red or black. The cover can either have photographs designed into the cover and dust jacket, or now Leather covers are available too.

Advantage: Lighter and thinner as compared with the same number of pages in our other albums. These books offer the least expensive clone* copies. The effect is modern.
As with all our Coffee Table choices, the design options are endless, including panoramic images**

Disadvantage: If we choose to use panoramas in your design, the center of the image will be lost in the gutter. There is an arch to the center of the spread. Because they are printed on paper, however strong, they are more vulnerable to tearing than other albums. If you’re described as “rough and tumble”, perhaps this isn’t the book for you. You can not update your collection with new images. Only available in square formats (5×5, 8×8, and 10×10)

Our Coffee Table Album, on the other hand, has rigid pages, laying flat which is especially helpful for panorama images (which spread from one side of the album to the other). Made of actual photographs mounted onto archival book board, these albums offer extreme durability and a feel of very high quality.
Advantage: The quality is excellent. The weight and bulk is in between our other collections. The cover is still Classic while the interior features actual photographs utilizing modern layout effects. The feel can be modern or classic, depending on the cover treatment. Available in both square and rectangular formats, of a wide range of sizes. Leathers, silks, metal and photo covers available.
Disadvantage: You can not update your collection with new images.

*”Clones” are copies made using our originally designed album layouts. They do not need to be of the same size, but they do need to be the same ratio. For example a 10×15 original design can be used to create an 8×12 clone.

The Classic Album has a feel of long-lasting grace. Matted photographs give the most protection to each image since the images don’t touch each other when the album is closed.

Advantages: The most durable. The most damage proof since you can easily replace a damaged image or page. Updating images is simple, as is adding images over time, such as our repeat portrait clients. Many wedding clients love the classic, sturdy feel, especially in the bound version.
Disadvantage: Heavy and bulkier per page than other albums. While there are numerous mat configurations, the design possibilities are not endless, as in the Coffee Table lines, and clones and panoramas are not an option.

**Panorama is when an image spans from one side of the book to the other, crossing the “gutter” between pages.