Nata Leto
SmartAlbums 2019 Review | Photo Album Design Software
Initially this article was supposed to have a long intro paragraph, describing how meticulous and time consuming the process of creating and printing photo albums used to be 30 years ago. We’d point out the constant search for optimization, efficiency and growth that the modern photographer and business owner practices. Then, we realized that it’s ironic to waste your time reading things that you already know. So let’s cut straight to the point.
This article is about one of our favorite Album Design softwares. It’s very intuitive, literally fun to work with, powerful in terms of layout designs, and a HUGE time saver. You’ll actually have to stop yourself from sending the album to your clients immediately after creating it, in order to keep the impression that it involves hard work and they can’t do it on their own. Obviously we’re speaking about SmartAlbums, especially since they’ve just dropped their new, improved version – SmartAlbums 2019.
As you may know, we love Pixellu products and the hardworking team behind this brand. Last year we reviewed SmartSlides and shared our ideas on ways you can use it to increase your website traffic and boost your client satisfaction rate. As prints regain their demand and more photographers start adding albums to their pricing packages, we figured it’s a good time to test and share our own opinion about SmartAlbums, particularly their new, 2019 version.
WE GOT YOU A DISCOUNT TOO: We went ahead and got you an extension for the launch deal. If you’re a new client, the code will offer you 25% off your first 12 months of subscription. If you’re an existing SmartAlbums user reach out to the Pixellu team directly to lock in a sweet discounted price. The code is FLO25 and expires on August 31st, 2019. Claim it here while you grab a SmartAlbums solo package, or the All Apps Bundle, which also includes SmartSlides and Cloud Proofing (allows you to share an online draft of your album for quick and easy client feedback).
Shall we? Here are 5 reasons why SmartAlbums is one of the best photo album design software out there:
#1 Incredibly Intuitive | Easy to Use Interface
Even if you decide to skip all the video tutorials (which are short and straightforward) you’ll still easily find your way around SmartAlbums’ dashboard. Everything is as simple as drag and drop and takes only seconds to adjust.
Upload your images into the dashboard, select a few, and drag them into the empty canvas. They will immediately be applied onto a pre-designed layout.
SmartAlbums includes a whole list a predefined layouts which you can use out of the box to save time. You do however have the freedom to tweak each layout individually, save it as a template and use it again in the future. Naturally, in the beginning you’ll spend some time checking all the pre-designed options, trying to decide what you like, and WOW in surprise at how cool your images look with all these fancy compositions. Nonetheless, after creating several albums, you’ll figure out your favorite templates and cut down the process of designing to 15 – 30 minutes.
#2 You Can Tweak Everything | Fully Flexible Album Layouts
We love the full control that SmartAlbums gives you when it comes to tweaking their predefined layouts. You can move elements around, reposition and center everything with the help of their smart guides (similar to Photoshop).
You can adjust the size, cropping and opacity of each image.
You can add text and style it with a huge variety of fonts and typography options available within your dashboard.
You can also flip the layouts horizontally with the spread mirroring feature, then save it all as a new, custom template.
#3 Tone Adjustments right inside your SmartAlbums dashboard
Yep, the team at Pixellu really thinks about photographers and tries to make their life easier. They’ve introduced with SmartAlbums 2019 photo tone adjustments to help you make small tweaks right inside your dashboard and keep your workflow streamlined. They also integrated several B&W presets. Designing a photo album has never been more interesting and fun.
#4 Save tons of time | Cloud Proofing
SmartAlbums will not just save you lots of time on designing and editing your photo album. It will also spare you from confusing back and forth email exchanges, where the client tries to explain their feedback and change requests without mixing up the pages and images.
With SmartAlbums’ Cloud Proofing service, you can easily share an online draft of your design with your clients, collect comments directly on each spread, and effortlessly make adjustments.
#5 Integration with 100+ Printing Companies
There is a directory of over 100 album printing companies available via SmartAlbums’ settings, which means they’ve agreed on a partnership with these companies, found out all the printing requirements and integrated it into their software. You don’t have to worry about knowing specifics and can easily print your design anywhere around the world.
Bonus Reason
Being a small company allows Pixellu to communicate directly with their clients, listen to their needs and requests, adjust their strategy, improve and enhance their products based on the feedback they receive. They genuinely care about their customers, and want to help them grow their businesses.
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There you have it. Six reasons why we think that SmartAlbums is an amazing photo album design tool. If you’re looking for some extra source of income and would like to scale your photography business without breaking the bank – get the All Apps bundle. It will rock your marketinersify your offerings, and will steal very little of your time.
Don’t forget, till August 31st, you can save 25% by using code FLO25 on any package. Shop here.
