flush mount books...help! :o)

[lifelovelaughter1]

For all of you that have portfolios or create books for your clients, how do you go about creating a flush mount book? Who do you use? Do you pay for the company to design it or do you?

I've been hired on to do a few senior picture, engagement and wedding sessions and was wondering what the best route would be if my clients are interested in books. I've been using Mpix for a year or so now and very happy with their quality, but they don't (at least I don't think) offer flush mounting. I'm looking for the heavy, almost cardboard like paper that is most often seen in books today. I couldn't find it on Mpix and am hoping to find another site that does offer it reasonably and which is as user friendly as Mpix.

Thanks for your help!

[NicolaB]

Which country are you in?

[slugger]

I use Art Leather, I've only ordered one album from them, and I'm waiting for my 2nd one to come I the mail. I'm a bit of a control freak, so I design my own, but they have great software that you install on your computer with easy to use template if you chose to use templates. Or you can go from scratch and build your own pages and upload them to the software.

I ordered one from nations photo lab before, and although it was beautiful, with very thick hard pages, the software is not client friendly....meaning, I can't sit my clients down with me and show them the album layout before placing the order like I can with art leather.....art leathers pages aren't as thick and heavy, they are slightly more flimsy.

[lonni]

Asukabook are good, but a little pricy and i like Whcc quality but havent tried their books yet, but i have been told they are good, and i think they have a flush mount.

As for design each lab usually has pretty good instructions for how to prepare the books, you can generally use photoshop.

If it is design you are worried about there are some people out there selling album template, all you do is drop in the photos. I met a girl the other week who does the, i think she is just starting out, but i liked her samples, reed creations i think.

HTH.