Create Your Own Great Photo Book

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CREATE YOUR OWN GREAT PHOTO BOOKS Introduction to self-publishing techniques to create an amazing book of your photographs or illustrations.

JOANN SONDY Creative Aces Resource “Decks” March 2015 [v1] Copyright 2015

Joann Sondy ◆ Creative Aces Corp.


CREATE GREAT PHOTO BOOKS AN INTRODUCTION TO SELF-PUBLISHING TECHNIQUES TO CREATE YOUR OWN AMAZING BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHS. This is ebook is the companion to a hands-on workshop, in which, participants can immediately apply this new knowledge to create and publish of their own photo book. The workshop will include an overview of current print-on-demand publishing platforms for photo books. An introduction to self-publishing options for photo rich books from print-on-demand providers. TOPICS: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Image Sequencing & Storyboarding Front & Back Matter Page Layout and Structure Typography Cover Design Image Preparation Overview: Shutterfly, Lulu and Blurb Resources

From the first edit of images to printing books, this workshop/course is intended as a practical introduction and overview of tools to create Photo: Ciao Newport Beach Blog beautiful photography books. Core principles of a great layout and design, and applying to self-published book projects. Participants will learn the ins and outs of typography, page layout, image editing & sequencing, front and back matter, image preparation, cover design, and more.

On the cover: "Carolus Linnaeus" (1982) by sculptor Robert Berks, located at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. Photo by Joann Sondy

Create Great Photo Books


BEGIN WITH A VISION OF THE END PRODUCT. Beginning with the end in mind. We'll work toward producing the kind of book you want to publish. Review the print-on-demand book options with your own book product in-mind. CONSIDER ■

Dimensions

Soft cover or hard cover

Number of of pages (24/48/60/100)

Image wrap or dust jacket

Bright white or pearl finished interior paper stock

Full color or black & white

Bleed or no bleed

Now, let’s reverse engineer the book and begin the process of storyboarding.

Create Great Photo Books


IMAGE SEQUENCING FIRST: Own the rights of content. If you don't own the content, obtain legal/proper rights from the owner. SECOND: Theme or story line. ■

Be a “Ruthless” Photo Editor

Begin with a large batch of images to support your theme

Edit into three piles: 1=Yes, 2=No, 3=Maybe

Discard/archive the rejected images

Edit the “YES” pile to support the number of pages plus a few extra

“QUALITY VS QUANTITY” Editing and sequencing the images is an art. Intuition plays a huge role and powerful role, however, you must learn to remove your own emotion(s) from the process. Select images that express concepts and support the main story or theme of the book. Visit the library and (used) bookstore, and ask for a second opinion. Every image selected must have purpose to the theme.

Create Great Photo Books


STORYBOARDING Typical structures are 1) beginning, 2) middle and 3) end. Organized as: flat, arc, cluster or scatter. Most photobooks will be a hybrid of these four organizations. ARC

FLAT OR LINEAR ■

Beginning – front cover

Build tension, excitement, drama

Middle – photos

Equilibrium

End – back cover

A disruption to the equilibrium

Flat narrative

A recognition of this disruption

Reference books

An attempt to restore the equilibrium

Collection rather than narrative

A restored/new equilibrium

SCATTER

CLUSTER ■

Organized groups of images and text, think chapters.

Challenge the viewer/reader to make connections

Breaks up a flat or linear sequence

Sections should work on its own as well as in a group

Can use text, aesthetic pairings to put the narrative across

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t

N H

N H

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Create Great Photo Books

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CONDUCT YOUR SYMPHONY Investing time to sequence your images is time well spent to add energy and emotion to your photobook. Designers and editors use structural techniques to create cognitive flow within a theme: add pauses, build to crescendo, emphasis on single images and tell a story visually. PAIRINGS

N H NtH MOTIFS

Make connections

Still images are static on their own but together they make a moment

Chain of pairings, not just a pair

Recurring aspect

Selected styles for light, color and cropping

Stay true to the theme or storyline, guiding the reader

TEXT

RHYTHM/FLOW ■

Trying to curate the method of reading

The text should support the images and theme

A person will roughly spend the same amount of time on a spread

Shouldn’t use it for the sake of using it

Start to make connections

Eyes naturally fall to the right hand side of the spread

Background color can affect the flow of the book

RESTS

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N H

A blank page is NOT always the answer

Negative (white) space balance

Use an image across the spread (both left & right pages)

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RECAP: IMAGE SEQUENCING WHAT IS MY MESSAGE? WHO IS MY AUDIENCE? ■

Collect all information into one location – you may start to see things you that you didn’t notice before.

Good and bad images – 'focus' on the theme of your book.

Decide what sort of structure is appropriate for your storyline.

Make pairings and sequences.

First sequence should include rests and rhythm.

PRO TIP: Storyboard your book and create a mock up. This helps you envision the finished book as a singular piece, versus assembling it page-by-page.

Create Great Photo Books


FRONT & BACK MATTER When you're doing your research in the bookstore or local library, take note of the pages after you open the over. These page are very important despite the mundane appearance.When you're structuring your book, the following (or part of the following) should be included. FRONT MATTER can have several elements, not all will be necessary or appropriate for your book; review and decide which will be best for your photobook. HALF TITLE—This page contains only the title of the book, the first page the reader sees when opening the cover. FRONTISPIECE—Left-hand page of the title page. TITLE PAGE—Contains the title, subtitle, author and publisher of the book. Illustrations or images are frequently placed here> COPYRIGHT PAGE—Information on this page includes: copyright notice, edition information, publication information, cataloging data, legal notices, and the book’s ISBN or identification number. Additionally, credits for design, production, editing and illustration are listed on the copyright page. DEDICATION—Optional, page following the copyright page. EPIGRAPH—Optional, a short quotation from the author about the book, its theme or creation. TABLE OF CONTENTS—Also known as the Contents page, this page lists all the major divisions of the book including parts. Even digital books should have some sort of table of contents or navigation for guide the reader LIST OF FIGURES/IMAGES—Depending upon the theme and structure of your photobook, you may want to consider a list and thumbnail of the images. (In a digital book, this could be an oppoortunity to link to online gallery/shop.) Include a list of all figures, their titles and the page numbers on which they occur.

LIST OF TABLES—Similar to the List of Figures above, a list of tables occurring in the book may be helpful for readers. FOREWORD—Introductory section, usually written by someone other than the author, a Forward may provide insight into the context of the book and the author. Always signed and dated. PREFACE—Written by the author, describing the idea and vision of the book; signed with name, place and date. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS—An opportunity fo rthe author expresses gratitude to individuals and/or organization for the creation of the book. INTRODUCTION—An explanation by the author about the purpose(s) and goal(s) of the work and setting the stage for the organization and theme of the book. PROLOGUE—In a work of fiction, the Prologue sets the scene for the story and is told in the voice of a character from the book, not the author’s voice. SECOND HALF TITLE—If the front matter is particularly extensive, a second half title identical to the first can be added before the beginning of the text. The page following is usually blank but may contain an illustration or an epigraph.

BACK MATTER is reserved for author/photographer bio and contact information, index, glossary, notes and other material that is not part of the body of the book. Front and Back Matter was cultivated from Joel Friedlander's website. The Book Designer.

Create Great Photo Books


CHECK LIST OF YOUR PROGRESS: ✔

VISION OF FINISHED PRODUCT

FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPECIFICATIONS

STORYBOARDING AND IMAGE SEQUENCING DONE

FRONT AND BACK MATTER OUTLINED

TEXT WRITTEN AND EDITED

IMAGE FILES PREPPED AND ORGAINIZED


PAGE LAYOUT AND STRUCTURE The concept of reverse engineering your finished book can ease the pain of putting it all together. Understand and commit to the format and size of the book. The specifications provided by the printer should be followed exactly. An experienced graphic designer can eliminate confusion when setting up and submitting files for book production. The following is an overview to elements a designer uses when creating a book.

1

Spread: Opened, displaying left and right pages

Inside margins

Top Margin

Botton Margin

Header and Footer

Center of Content Area

Body Copy

Font size (points) and line spacing (leading)

HEADER

6 3

4 7

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FOOTER OR PAGE NUMBER

5

2 9

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3

8

FOOTER OR PAGE NUMBER

Create Great Photo Books


KNOW YOUR PAGE SIZE Use ample margins for top, bottom, outside and inside margins; thus creating a wide gutter. This is extremely important for hardcover books.

PRO TIP: Every chapter/section WILL begin on a RIGHT facing page. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Add a running header and/or footer to your page structure, these serve a guidepost for your reader; critical if you’re including a table of contents in the front matter. Small margins make a page look to cramped and can be interpreted as difficult to read. Use a running header and footer on your interior pages, keep the page numbering simple and easy-to-read. ESTABLISH A FOCAL POINT ■

Where do yo want the reader/viewer’s eye to go? In a printed book, the eye naturally goes to right page.

Where will text blocks and cut line be positioned? In a photobook, the images usually take precedent over copy; however, the position of copy should not be an afterthought.

Can you do image grouping? A larger image with small grouping (cluster) is a layout which can emphasize your theme or organize ideas throughout the book.

Are full page images, page-after-page, the linear story you intend?

Create Great Photo Books


ESTABLISH A GRID Create a page grid which serves as a foundation to organize all the elements on the page. A grid is the foundation and provides consistency for placement of objects (images and text) throughout each page of the book. A book designer adheres to a grid based on the “golden circle,� for an aesthetically pleasing division of space on the page. This is a ratio that balances content blocks (images, text) with white space. The "Golden" Circle

RECOMMENDED READING: THE SCIENCE & ART OF PAGE DESIGN: Retinart: Secret Law of Page Harmony 51 Elliot: Canons of Layout

The rule of thirds, used in writing, photography and design, is a the description of how our eye naturally gravitates to an intersection on the horizontal and vertical plane. Thus, you can create the content area using a "rule of thirds" structure for all your page elements. PRO TIP: Using a 3-column page structure give you several configurations for position and size your images and text blocks creating consistency. Create Great Photo Books


"LESS IS MORE" Don’t overcrowd the page with numerous images, unless it is done purposefully and fits within the scatter or cluster technique.

LEFT PAGE

GUTTER

RIGHT PAGE

Expertly placing your images on the page to add white (negative) space allow the reader's eye 'rest.' During the image sequencing stage, flag images that can be used as full-page images. Look for the bold, dramatic or emotional. There are several consideration when selecting an image to be placed across the spread (left and right pages flat). ■

How will the image fit across the gutter?

Can I scale or englarge the image without loss of detai (aka dpi)?

Does the image have any negative space for headlines or blocks of copy?

PRO TIP: Note the difference when the top and bottom to avoid an awkward split across the page gutter. Techniques used: enlarge the image and placed so the gutter falls between the two figures.

Create Great Photo Books


SETTING TYPE Selecting fonts for your project can be very personal. However, there are some points to consider when making selections:

BODY (SERIF)

HEADLINE (SAN SERIF)

Adobe Caslon

Myriad Pro Bold

Are you syncing with your existing brand identity?

Do you need/want a decorative font for headlines or title?

Minion

Poppl Laudito Medium

San serif versus serif?

Adobe Jenson

Franklin Gothic Demi

What fonts are available via the online layout application?

Are these Open source fonts?

CHOOSE WISELY Connecting the font style to the theme of the book will accentuate the images. For example, a serif font family (serif is the small line attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol) would complement a historical or traditional theme. San serif font is well suited for contemporary themes.

FONTS TO AVOID Comic Sans Papyrus Times New Roman Brush Script Courier

PRO TIP: Serif fonts like Garamond, Jenson and Carlson provide comfort to the reader when used as a body or paragraph font family.

Keep your font families limited to two, definitely no more than three, for the entire book. Book designers usually choose two fonts 1) body text, cut lines (aka captions), chapter heads and 2) headlines, footers and front and back matter.

Create Great Photo Books


SETTING TYPE PART 2 Be generous with the font size, and comfortable for reading (mininum of 11 point), about 10-15 words per line and keep the line height (leading) open. Don't force it to make copy fit on a page. Justified paragraphs are a must! A ragged right edge of your body text makes your pages look unfinished. Full justification and NO hyphenation are details that add to the professional appeal of your book. Indent the first line of the paragraphs. Another detail which contributes to the appeal of the final project. Block paragraphs with the empty space after each will make your book look like a business memorandum.

The backstory

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PRO TIP: Give chapter openings special treatment. When you’re at the library researching books in your genre, take special note of how the publisher artistically presented the chapter or title page. Every chapter begins on a RIGHT facing page and contains the chapter number, chapter title and some illustrative or graphic.

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Railroad ferries regularly crossed the Great Lakes before cars, trucks or modern interstate highways existed. During the nineteenth century railroads had grown to the point of being the most efficient way to cross the country. There was a certain difficulty that accompanied the railroad’s growing success. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the most efficient means to cross the continent had developed a traffic problem. Railroad ferries were created to resolve one of the nation’s first, and largest, examples of gridlock. Chicago was where the nation’s railroads converged, making it the hub of the country’s transportation system. Manufactured goods and fuel from the east passed through Chicago on their way to western destinations. Agricultural products, from the Midwest, were directed through Chicago. Beef, from the southwest came to Chicago, was processed and sent back out again to be distributed nationally through the rail system. Passenger trains were also part of the mix. Trains moving people were forced to slow-down while passing through Chicago’s traffic-jam. Freight trains usually just stopped; they had to wait while the passenger trains passed. Sometimes entire freight trains became lost in the maze of switching yards adjacent to Chicago. Locating a lost train, and sending it on its way, could take as long as a week. There was a huge “means of access” problem plaguing the very center of the entire national railroad network. The railroads implemented a pragmatic solution: Rail car ferries simply circumvented the clogged-up pinch-point. The Steam_Ship_Milwaukee was one of the first generation Lake Michigan railcar ferries. She carried rail freight across Lake Michigan. Grand Haven Michigan and Milwaukee Wisconsin were her ports of call.

The Backstory

1

Create Great Photo Books


COVER DESIGN The cover should be the “essence” of the book's theme. Entire books can be written about cover design, below are some 'guidelines' to designing your cover. AN INVITATION TO ENTER Sketch ideas for the cover. Execute after interior is complete. Executing your storyboard and sequencing the images into a book oftentimes ignites the cover design. Immersion with each element on every page casts new perspective for the cover. After editing, repositioning and tweaking the content, what you may have considered as the cover at the onset of the project, maybe disconnected to the book.

BEST PRACTICES ■

Avoid slanting type or titles.

Vertical type (except on the spine).

Font weights (extreme bold or light weight type).

Color evokes emotion–use it to your advantage.

Make sure it is legible as a thumbnail.

Consider using your BEST image that defines the theme on the cover.

The cover is a puzzle–all the pieces fitting together to form a complete image. Make it easy for the reader to understand the message without (visual) confusion. Organizing the pieces in order of importance. Obviously the title and author’s name are given priority. Layout the pieces of the cover so the reader’s eye will naturally flow from one to another, like title to author’s name. You are using the cover to tell a story about the book, using imagery that depicts the theme and evokes emotion, but avoiding cliches.

Create Great Photo Books


IMAGE PREPARATION Another topic worthy of in-depth discussion is image preparation. Image sequencing is complete and selections made for inclusion in the book. The next step is to review the specifications from the printer or print-on-demand provider. Understanding the specifications of the book are KEY to successfully preparing the images for printing.

Importing Images into Blurb’s BookWright or BookSmart® You can only upload JPG (jpeg) or PNG images. All digital cameras can produce JPG, but if you require a transparent background then use PNG (8 bit non-interlaced) ■ Image resolution should be 300 PPI and certainly no less that 150 PPI ■ sRGB color profile, including B&W images ■ No image should exceed 10MB or 4000 pixels in width or height. Largest images (for covers and pages with full-bleed images) should be no larger than: ■ B/W Text 5”x8”: Cover 1663px wide x 2550px high; interior pages, full bleed: 2063 x 2076 ■ Square 7”x7”: Cover 2225 x 2142; Interior pages, full bleed: 2063 x 2067 ■ Standard Landscape 10”x8”: Cover 3038 x 2555; Interior pages, full bleed: 2884 x 2471 ■ Standard Portrait 8”x10”: Cover 2530 x 3080; Interior pages, full bleed: 2363 x 3000 ■ Large Format Landscape 13”x11”: Cover 3955 x 3342; Interior pages, full bleed: 3788 x 3263 ■ These dimensions will all give resolutions of approximately 300 PPI (pixels per inch) ■ ■

Lulu.com’s book sizes are similar to Blurb, the above can guide you when preparing images; best to review the product specifications. If you are using InDesign and comfortable working in CMYK, all images will converted when the print-ready PDF is exported. Blurb’s plug-in for InDesign brings all the tools to set-up and deliver your files for production. Apple iBooks Author image requirements are different: ■

All images except the book cover should be 2048 width x 1496 height pixels.

Your book cover should be 1004 width x 768 height pixels

sRGB or Adobe RGB color mode

Save images as JPEGs, maximum quality

Shutterfly.com makes it easy to upload images directly from your smartphone or social media accounts to produce books and other photo products. Shutterfly’s photobooks are very template driven and lack the professional level tools to customize. NOT recommended for professional-level projects.

Create Great Photo Books


OVERVIEW: SHUTTERFLY Shutterfly is the company's core business for photo books, cards and gifts. Other entities: Tiny Prints (premium greeting cards), Wedding Paper Divas (wedding stationary), ThisLife (on-line storage for photos & videos); and, Borrowlenses (photograhic and video equipment rental. Three options for begin a new photo book project: CUSTOM PATH: You have more creative control. SIMPLE PATH: Shutterfly arranges the pictures for you. PHOTO STORY IPAD (ONLY) APP: book creation tool for iPad; option to add finish via website. ■

Sizes range from 8x8" to 11x14"

Hardcopy and softcover options, review availability for book sizes.

Die-cut cover options, addition fee ~$10 per book

Hardcover choices include: padded, genuine leather and crushed silk.

Offers lay-flat pages for hardcover books only.

Matte or satin finish interior paper options.

No ability to upload offline print-ready file (PDF or InDesign). Lacks distribution and selling options. Suggested uses for personalized books, weddings, family albums, portfolio, etc. Order a proof! Visit the website for more information: shutterfly.com

Create Great Photo Books


OVERVIEW: LULU Self-publishing for print-on-demand books, ebooks, music, images and custom calendars. Authors set their own royalties and control the publishing process. Publishing and selling a photo book is just one avenue available. Please note that ISBN numbers are NOT required to sell the finished product, however, ISBN is required if you intended to distribute to resellers like Amazon and B&N. Overview of photo book options: ■

Sizes range from 8.5x8.5" to 12x12"

Prices per book $12.50 to $45; depending on options and page count

Hardcopy and softcover options, review availability for book sizes.

Cover choices: hardcover, softcover and casewrap.

Interior page templates/guides

Spin width calculator

Print-ready PDF upload for interior and cover (these must be seperate files)

Limited interior page finishes; best choice for photobooks is 80# Gloss.

Sell on-line, set your retail price and royalty.

Suggested uses for photography & text. Ordering a proof is a must. Visit the website for more information: lulu.com

Create Great Photo Books


OVERVIEW: BLURB Blurb® is a self-publishing and marketing platform, boasting that it's book creation tools "makes it easy to design, publish, promote, and sell professional-quality printed books and ebooks." Three options for begin a new photo book project: BLURB BOOKMAKING TOOLS: Online, Bookwright (MAC/WIN) and BookSmart downloadable applications. ADOBE PLUG-INS: Plug-ins for InDesign and Lightroom t. UPLOAD PRINT-READY PDF: Upload your own PDF file; built to specifications. Sizes range from 7x7" to 12x12", 13.x11" landscape (webpage) ■ Cover choices: softcover, hardcover (w/dust jacket option) and image wrap. ■ Five interior papers: Semimatte 80#, Matte 100#, Premium Lustre (hint of gloss) 100#, ProLine Uncoated 100# and Proline Pearl Photo Glossy 140# ■ End paper color options ■ On/Off choice for Blub logo (fee to turn off) ■ Starter templates which are primarily page structure and guides. ■ Consult with "Dream Team" or freelancers ■ iPad conversion for ~$10 Sell via Blurb AFTER you've purchased minimum one copy. Set retail price and royalty, no seller fees. No ISBN required. ■

Sell via Amazon and Apple iBookstore. Distribute via Ingram (globally) ISBN number required. Seller fees apply. Visit the website for more information: blurb.com

EXAMPLE: 7X7" PHOTOBOOK 40 interior pages ProLine Pearl Photo Glossy 140# Imagewrap cover Black End Pages w/ Blurb Logo QTY <10 = $45.00 EACH Create Great Photo Books


RESOURCES

ABOUT

Joann Sondy, creative director of Creative Aces, is a design and publishing firm with a focus on visual storytelling.

• How to Prepare Images for InDesign or PDF to Book Using Adobe® Photoshop® • How to Prepare Images for Blurb BookSmart® Using Adobe® Photoshop® • How to Prepare Black and White Images for Blurb BookSmart®

Specialty is high-quality digital publishing of pitch decks and publications. Since 2005, Creative Aces has published six books and products associated with each. We currently have three books available on Apple iBookstore and Amazon. All six have been self-published by us. Design, layout and content by us. I have personally consulted with friends and colleagues who have self-published their own books.

Universal Pitch Deck The Ultimate 12-Slide Structure For Any Presentation

Visit us: www.joannsondy.com www.creativeaces.com

CREATIVE ACES Marketing “Decks” for Small Business Marketing

Email: joann@creativeaces.com I WANT TO HELP YOU PUBLISH YOUR BOOK! CONNECT & SHARE

Please forgive any overlooked typos and grammar; I did not have the budget to include an editor and proofreader for this project.

Create Great Photo Books

July 2012


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