Reviews Mixbook Hardcover With Soft Touch Matte Finish Reviews

Last year my family went on a much-anticipated summertime trip to South Dakota. My older son who is now six, has been obsessed with U.S. presidents and the founding fathers since he was three. (I have likewise fabricated sure to include books on the first ladies and other famous women in our reading list too.) We have and so much president related stuff around the firm: books; flash cards; rulers; figurines; pens; bobble heads, t-shirts; placemats, even stuffed president dolls. Who knew in that location was so much presidential paraphernalia? I suppose I shouldn't exist surprised that our younger son who is now 2.5 years old followed in his older brother'south footsteps and is into everything president as well. So you could imagine how much fun they had on this trip!

South Dakota's nigh famous landmark is Mt. Rushmore but take yous always heard of the self-proclaimed "City of Presidents"? Nearby Rapid City, South Dakota has the distinction of hosting life-sized bronze statues of every U.S. president on its downtown streets. At the time of our visit, all the presidents through George W. Bush-league were on display. President Obama's statue was yet to exist completed but should make its fashion to a Rapid City block very soon. My ii little historians loved posing with EVERY STATUE on brandish and it was then much fun capturing these photos for posterity. I'm thinking nigh making a collage of all the photos to print on a canvas to hang in our art gallery.

Now with that groundwork, how about we get to the volume review?

Because this was a big trip for us, I fabricated not 1, but 2 photograph books of our Southward Dakota trip. Ane I geared more towards my kids and the other was more for me. I likewise wanted to give you a comparison of 2 dissimilar book types and different papers. One book is printed on standard Mixbook paper and the other is printed on a newer offering – Pearl Terminate. Delight note the book with the pearlescent paper was complimentary, provided by Mixbook for purposes of review. The other book I purchased on my own. Regardless of compensation or sponsorship my honest stance is always given.

Here's the stats on myMixbook photograph books:

Book size:	8.v x 11″ (width x peak) medium portrait
Encompass:	Imagewrap (full photo on the front and back) Hardcover with Soft-Bear upon Matte upgrade
Paper Type:	Semi-Gloss (standard)
Pages:	41
Bounden:	Standard
Price:	$72.08 $43.24 + $x.99 (standard shipping) (reflects forty% off discount with PBG coupon code)
Ordered/Delivered	2/26/2018; iii/3/2018

Volume size:	11 x 8.5″ (width 10 top) landscape
Cover:	Imagewrap (full photo on the front and back) Hardcover with Soft-Affect Matte upgrade
Newspaper Type:	Pearl Finish (upgrade)
Pages:	99
Bounden:	Standard
Cost:	$194.40 + $12.99 (priority shipping) (complimentary for purposes of review)
Ordered/Delivered	2/21/2018; 2/26/2018

The Software

Mixbook'southward software is 1 of the most user friendly and feature-filled software I've come across. That'southward ane big reason why I've chosen Mixbook for my calendar projects every yr for the last seven years and counting. The software resides online so y'all demand to exist connected to the Cyberspace to be able to work on your book. I like that once I load my photos to the Mixbook programme from my desktop computer, I tin comport my laptop around and still work on my volume anywhere in the house.

Recently Mixbook made an update to their software. It sports a streamlined, more sleek look. The menus function a chip more cleanly, with the editing options for example requiring less clicks to go to the option you're seeking. Additionally adding titles to back-trail the icons makes information technology more clear what each tool does.

The one thing I couldn't observe in the new software was the duplicate or copy part. Depending on how you put together your photo book layouts yous may not miss it, but since I do a lot of copying of prior layouts and in fact whole spreads to speed upwards my workflow, a copy function is pretty essential for me. Luckily I saw a link at the bottom right of the workspace which said "Here to Switch to Mixbook Classic". Information technology'south a little small merely you lot tin can see it in the screenshot of the workspace to a higher place. It's on the lesser right hand corner.) Clicking on that took me dorsum to the software I had become accustomed to and that version allowed me to right click to bring upwards a menu with the re-create function. If y'all don't normally utilize or need to re-create a electric current photo box or text then you won't miss it. Hopefully it gets added to the newer software also.

Some of the design tools you may not ordinarily see in other company'due south software include:

• Adjusting the opacity of photos and backgrounds (great for layering);
• Adding shadows to photo boxes;
• Embellishments, photos, and other elements can cross the middle of the spread (especially good for lay flat designs);
• Automatic and intuitive alignment tools tell you whether your chemical element is centered.

Sizes and Book Types

Mixbook offers books in landscape, square and portrait orientations. Landscape books come up in 3 sizes: 8 10 6″; eleven x eight.5″ and 14 x 11″. Square books come in 6 x half dozen″; viii.5 x 8.5″; x x 10″ and 12 x 12″. Portrait books come up in 8.5 x xi″. Portrait books are one of my favorites because of the types of layouts I can brand with them. I attempt to make portrait books whenever the opportunity arises.

Styles

Mixbook books come with ii chief paper choices: Semi-Gloss which is described as a "classic, smoothen paper with a subtle gloss" and Pearl End described as a "pearlescent lustre" which "adds a bear on of sheen and silky feel". If you upgrade to Mixbook's Premium Lay Flat photo book, the paper is described as an "ultra-thick premium newspaper" with "luxe matte end". Note that not all sizes and book types can be upgraded. All square books in all sizes can exist upgraded to the Premium Lay Flat. The xi x 8.5″ landscape is the only size that can be upgraded to lay flat. Portrait books are non available in the layflat configuration. Additionally, about merely non all books can be upgraded to the Pearl Finish paper. So, earlier you make any final decisions on size and style, be sure to check out the bachelor options equally you lot make your basic selections before starting the book. When you notice a theme you like, click on the "view full product info" link at the bottom. This takes y'all to a pricing and way selection page. I similar how you can come across the price and options upfront earlier you begin your book (see in a higher place). Some sites really bury this information. With Mixbook y'all run across clearly how changing the options changes the price so in that location are no surprises.

Page Maximums

With standard semi-gloss or pearl terminate newspaper the page maximums are a whopping 399! With lay flat the limit is 99 pages. With most companies topping out at 100 for standard pages, Mixbook maximums are well higher up the norm. Information technology'southward nice to not have to worry nearly going over the standard 100 pages. Extra pages range from $0.65 per folio to $2.29 per page for the largest size in standard paper. In the upgraded Pearl Finish extra pages run – $1.79 to $2.69 per folio.

Cover Options

Comprehend options are too dependent on the other features you choose so not all styles will exist available for all books. Softcover, Hardcover – Glossy; Hardcover – Soft Touch Matte; Hardcover – Soft Bear on Matte with matte dust jacket and Leather with matte dust jacket are the possible configurations. Personally I'g partial to the hardcover soft touch books and I chose it for both my books. It adds an interesting smooth finish to the encompass, kind of a velvety experience. This upgrade adds $v.00 to the total cost.

Book Quality and Construction

I was impressed with how both books turned out. The colors were vivid and authentic. The text was crisp and clear. The binding was tight and peachy and the hardcover soft impact matte lends a high quality feel to it. I call back it makes the book look more refined and more expensive and well worth the $five.00 upgrade.

In terms of the papers, the standard newspaper had a squeamish weight to it and bleedthrough (the power to see the other side's epitome come up through) was minimal. The pearl paper book also produced accurate colors and clarity. While it did add a pretty iridescence to my images, it probably was not as suited to my subject matter. The post-obit photos I tried to give y'all a thought of the reflective quality of the paper. I think y'all can run across the iridescence pretty well in the middle of the sky and just to the left of the prairie dog.

Perhaps it would lend itself to a more glamorous bailiwick such as a wedding and was less compatible with our rustic trip to South Dakota. It's subjective though and my bespeak was to give you lot a look at two different paper options, so I hope having the comparison hither tin help you make a decision based on your detail projection and personal style. If upkeep is a factor, then the standard paper makes a great selection. (For the photos you run into in this mail, the portrait oriented volume is on standard semi-gloss paper. The horizontal volume is printed on the Pearl Cease paper.)

Design Tips – Make It Yours!

The portrait book I did was intended to be more fun – geared towards my six-year-old. I really like a lot of Mixbook'southward ready made themes. They are well-designed, professional looking and with more contemporary options to adapt a more modern wait. Archetype options are available too and y'all'll discover lots of options for your projects. I found this i chosen Hand Lettered Travel and used a lot of the pre-designed layouts as is, with some tweaks here and there to fit the orientation of my pictures. What is so groovy almost Mixbook's software is that you lot can utilise a designer theme as a foundation and and so brand tweaks to accommodate your needs. Many times with other companies I love the theme but then you're locked into the size or orientation that just doesn't fit with the photograph you want to utilise. That doesn't happen with Mixbook. Tweak to your heart'due south content, or leave as is.

What appealed to me with this theme was the pre-designed word fine art and the travel related quotes. The travel quotes inspired me to add a few of my own that were appropriate to our trip. I accept three other tips I wanted to share that I used in this volume and that I use in many of my other photo books as well to add some fun and custom design elements.

Tip #ane: Ane was the "Rapid Metropolis, SD" graphic. It's super easy. It's just a cherry circle and and so two dissimilar fonts. I used this here and there throughout my book. Not merely does it lend some continuity, simply I also used information technology equally a filler when I had an odd balance of photos. I created it once and then used the copy/paste function to add together information technology to other pages. I resized it when necessary. Easy!

Tip #2: The 2d design tip I accept is also another graphic element. I'm not i to add a caption to every photo, but I do similar to title a location so the person viewing the book has a reference point for where the photograph was taken. (Plus I'm sure years downwards the line my memory volition need some jogging!) I used i of the pre-designed layouts only and then picked a graphic bar fabricated upwards of vertical lines and so added a title for the location at the bottom. I carried this throughout several pages to tie them all together. I changed up backgrounds here and there and it came out pretty nicely I think. The second one with Mt. Rushmore is more subtle but it is there!

Tip #3: Utilize your own photo equally a background. When I'm taking photos, I'thousand ever thinking ahead to my photograph book layouts. I proceed an eye out for images I can use as interesting backdrops. For this one I took a shut upwardly photograph of a replica of the Announcement of Independence. This made for a relevant and unique backdrop for 1 of my presidential statue layouts. In detail I beloved to keep an eye out for themed wallpaper. For example I took a photograph of the cool antique looking map wallpaper in Walt Disney Earth's Animal Kingdom Lodge which I know will make an awesome backdrop for my photograph book of that trip. I as well captured a few shots of the really quirky president wallpaper at the Hotel Monaco in Washington D.C. which likewise makes for a cool properties for that trip's photograph book. The ability to be really artistic is what makes photobooking fun! Equally for backdrops Mixbook has a ton of ones that match your chosen theme and I used several of those in my books as well.

Turnaround Fourth dimension

I was very impressed with how quickly my photo books arrived. The portrait book I ordered with standard shipping and it only took 4 business days to turn effectually. The mural volume I ordered with priority shipping and I received it within 2 business concern days from when I placed my order. I'm sure that turnaround time will depend on their volume of orders and might take longer effectually the holidays, merely I was pleasantly surprised to see my books come so fast!

How to Save on a Mixbook Photo Book

Bank check out my special bargain for PBG readers! You lot can get 40% off whatever Mixbook photo book through the end of March! Just enter coupon lawmaking: PBG2018. Mixbook also runs new deals every calendar week. Be sure to bank check my deals page for the latest promotions and discounts.

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Source: https://www.photobookgirl.com/blog/what-we-did-last-summer-review-of-two-mixbook-photo-books/

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