Best book maker for World War II Veterans' Project?

Janell Wood , Jan 05, 2010; 06:09 p.m.

I want the best book publisher for a special project and I need some advice from people in the know. I am in the middle of working on a project involving photographing WWII veterans. In addition to the current portraits, we have also been scanning old photos and interviewing each participant. I hope to have all the interviews done/portraits taken before the end of February. We will then go through and create a page of text for each veteran, and a page of photos- showcasing the current portrait. I am also thinking about including an additional page that says the person's name and a quote from the interview. I anticipate having between 30-40 participants. So, perhaps up to 120 pages. I'm not sure on the size yet. The plan is to get this book to the publisher (whoever that may be) by the beginning of April. We are scheduling a viewing/dedication of the book in May. The book is being donated to the local senior center. Who would you use for photos AND text? I'd like the best quality coffee table book that's out there. And I need a guaranteed turnaround time of no more than 6 weeks.
Thanks in advance for the advice!

Responses

Charles Webster , Jan 05, 2010; 09:18 p.m.

How many copies are you considering? That will make the difference between a POD (print on demand) publisher like Asuka or a press publisher.

If you're looking for a high-quality one-off, check the wedding photographers for who they use for albums these days.

<Chas>

Janell Wood , Jan 06, 2010; 12:21 a.m.

One copy to begin with, although I am hoping to be able to offer more copies if veterans or their families wish to purchase them. Should I post this in a different forum? This is the first time I've posted a question here and I really need some guidance. Thanks!

Keith Dunlop , Jan 06, 2010; 02:12 p.m.

Janell,

I am a wedding photographer, and I am also working on a similar WWII veteran project with my uncle who flew B-24's. I primarily use flush-mount albums from Leather Craftsmen for wedding albums, but I like to use Asuka Book when I want something more like a coffee-table style book. They provide a variety of book material options, with sizing up to 10x10 for square format, and rectangular proportions up to 8x11. Regarding page count, you can get anywhere from 20 to 100 sides in increments of 10. There is also a new lay-flat version of the books coming soon so you can avoid the gutter present with book-bound construction. You design the book using their downloadable templates in Photoshop, then use PDF creation software they provide to upload your design for printing.

There are other book makers that wedding photographers use like KISS and Finao, as well as others, but my experience has been with Asuka Book and I've been pleased with the results.

Janell Wood , Jan 06, 2010; 07:24 p.m.

Thanks Keith. I had originally planned on using Asuka, but I wasn't sure about how the text portion would turn out. Most of the samples I've seen do not include text. I have been signed up with them for awhile, and have heard good things about them, but have yet to use them yet. I appreciate the advice.

Keith Dunlop , Jan 06, 2010; 09:24 p.m.

Janell,

Good luck with the project, and I'd love to see a copy of the final layout when it's done.

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