Blurb Review
Updated: April 19, 2012
Click here to download Blurb's FREE BookSmart software!
Check out the photos at right of actual Blurb books I've made and be sure to check out the links to my full in-depth reviews below!
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Blurb was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area. Blurb’s BookSmart software is available for Mac and for PC. You download the software to your computer and build your book offline. When you complete your book, you upload it to the website.
Blurb’s BookSmart software allows for complete customization of your photo book. Blurb allows for a full-page bleed on the front cover and back cover, and titling on the spine, printed directly on the hard cover surface for complete customization of the exterior of the book. The cover is matte which means that it doesn’t show fingerprints and has more of a “real book” look to it. This option is known as the ImageWrap. Other hardcover options include a dust jacket.
A standout for Blurb’s software is the ability to create your own templates or alter the provided templates, and save your custom templates for use in future books of the same size. You can also do a two-page spread (a single photo stretched over two pages) and also place your photo as background for the template. The software is pretty intuitive and flows smoothly.
Look here for a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to create customizable templates in Blurb.
Blurb’s print quality is very good but in my experience, not quite as sharp as MyPublisher’s. Blurb’s premium paper however feels heavier than MyPublisher’s paper (when compared to MyPublisher’s Classic photo book), but I’ve never ordered the regular paper, so I can’t say firsthand how that compares. (UPDATE: Check out my Blurb paper comparison review Blurb offers two types of premium paper in lustre or matte finish (and two newer ProLine papers).
Blurb's photo book prices are very reasonable - additional pages are priced in groups of pages, so while base price may seem very similar to other photo book companies, adding additional pages does not cause a huge jump in final price.
Another notable feature is the ability to share and sell your book online. Blurb allows you to set your own price and keep 100% of the markup and has an easy to navigate and visually appealing bookstore where you can preview and buy authors’ creations.
Unique Features/Tips
- You can get up to a whopping 440 pages in Blurb, many more pages than most other publishers
- Customizable templates can be saved for future projects and software is easy to use
- Offers a variety of sizes including square books as well as portrait and landscape options
- Cost is based on a page range basis in groupings of 20-40; 41-80; 401-440 for example, so if your photobook is 22 pages, you may as well go up to 40 pages since the price will be the same
- Blurb now has more paper options including two ProLine papers, one with a matte textured surface (Uncoated) and one with a pearlescent finish (Pearl Photo). New endpapers and other upgrades have also been added.
- Blurb offers bookmaking tools and support in Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German
Blurb Reviews from the Blog
Aug 26, 2011: Blurb Review of Softcover Photo Book & GIVEAWAY Ends 9/1/2011!
Jul 27, 2011: How To Sell Your Photo Book Online - An Interview with Photographer Dan Lo
Jun 13, 2011: Blurb Review 2011: ProLine, Premium and Standard Papers Compared
Apr 16, 2010: Q&A: How to Create Customizable Layouts in Blurb
Mar 13, 2010: Blurb vs Mpix Review - Make Your Own Affordable Wedding Photo Book - A Bride-to-Bride Guide (with Pictures) Part II
Mar 8, 2010: A Review of Photo Book Printing Companies that I've Used: Blurb vs. MyPublisher vs. Snapfish vs. Mpix
Blurb Coupons and Deals
If you're planning to order a book from Blurb, make sure you check for any discount or coupon codes. We keep track of them so you don't have to! Save money with the latest Blurb coupons and deals.
Blurb Photo Books
Thinking about designing a photobook on Blurb? You can view a detailed chart of every Blurb photo book, including sizes and pricing. See the full list of Blurb photo books.
Quick Specs for BlurbNew to photo books? Learn the lingo
| Book Type | Hardcover & Softcover |
| Book Shape | Portrait, Landscape & Square |
| Types of Covers | Full Photo Cover, Dust Jacket |
| Min/Max Pages | 20 - 440 standard paper; 20 - 160 premium paper |
| Paper | standard - 80 lb. matte; premium - 100 lb. matte or lustre paper; ProLine 100 and 140 lb. |
| Binding | professional library binding |
| Lay Flat | No |
| Fully Customizable Layouts | Yes |
| Themes | 15 |
| Layouts/Templates | Full customization; 300+ colors |
| Backgrounds | Yes |
| Image as Background | Yes |
| Full Photo Cover | Yes |
| Customizable Spine | Yes - solid color and title only (no image) |
| Full Photo Back Cover | Yes |
| Full Page Bleed | Yes |
| Captions/Fonts | Yes |
| Embellishments | Yes |
| Mac/PC | Both |
| Download or Online | Download |
| Special Photo Importing | Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, SmugMug, iPhoto |
| Share Online | Yes |
| Sell Online | Yes |
| Collaboration | No |
| Logo | Yes - removable with fee |
| Photo Editing in Program | Rotate, Size, Borders |
| Digital Scrapbooking Compatible | Yes |
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