Album Creation Software??

[JoyInPhotos]

I'm just starting to get into a more professional side of photography and am looking for a reasonably priced, quick and easy to use photo album creation software. Perhaps something that can do smaller, single page collages as well? I don't want something publisher specific as I'd like to be able to use the same file at different publishers if need be (sales, quality, options, etc).

What do you all use/recommend?

[Gavin Seim]

Well if you already have Lightroom you can do simple page design there/ I have some freebie templates on SeimEffects.com. If you're talking serious album design, weddings and the like then I say inDesign all the way. It's not cheap, but quality usually isn't.

[JoyInPhotos]

I have used InDesign as well as Photoshop to make albums, but it is quite time consuming and I am trying to figure out ways to better use my limited time. In my exploration of the topic I have come across FotoFusion by Lumapix and it looks to be exactly what I am looking for. Have you or anyone else on here had first hand experience with the software?

[Gavin Seim]

Heard of it, but not used. Hard to beat in design. But gibe it a test run and let us know what you think.

[JoyInPhotos]

So far from what I've read and seen - it looks promising, so I've downloaded it. I'll  play with it a bit and share what I think

[JoyInPhotos]

As promised, I've played with the FotoFusion software quite a bit. After some time playing and some recommendations on other forums, I actually broke down and purchased it.

So far I LOVE IT. The interface is very easy to navigate and making a BEAUTIFUL book was FAST - even for a newbie. The Auto Collage feature is AWESOME - you can select any number of pictures and have them auto populate a page, with a number of adjustments to choose from. There are tons of papers, frames and clipart included, and apparently several more that can be purchased (I've not done that  yet). I adore the fact that it has the ability to share a low res version of the book with a client directly through the program. Any editing done within the program to a picture is completely non-distructive - it does NOTHING to your original file - which in my world is a HUGE safety net.

Finally, I really like the number of options given for output. I can set the margins wherever I want and output to whatever format the publisher I chose wants. I fact I did this using Blurb's settings and have finished one book and have sent it off to them. We'll see what the printed copy looks like but I am SUPER excited.

[Gavin Seim]

Sounds like a good tool. Have you use InDesign so you have a basis to compare?

[JoyInPhotos]

I have used InDesign. In my experience so far, InDesign is far far more complicated to use and a LOT more time consuming. I was a little surprised by the fact that actually like the results from FotoFusion better - they look more professional and flow better.

By the way I did get my book back from Blurb and it is simply lovely - my ideas, my creation, perfectly in print. I think I may try a different publisher the next time around, just for comparisons sake, but so far I am quite happy.