[WendyTN]

I know that this is largely a personal choice, but I am *finally* getting ready to print my layouts from our beach vacation last year, and I really don't know whether to print the book as 8x8 or 12x12. This is my first photo book....in the past I have just printed layouts and put then in traditional scrapbooks. I guess I am trying to think toward the future, and I do think the 12x12 scrapbooks are a bit cumbersome.

Anyway, I was just looking for an input or suggestions from those who have done it. I did read a suggestion which was great...I printed a test page as an 8x8 on my printer to see how the pictures and font would look. I was afraid (after completing the page) that the pictures would seem too small (and thus I would print a 12x12), but actually they looked good.

Thanks for any feedback!
Wendy

[Cheri T]

Quickly look through your pages you have completed, and if your computer screen allows, look at them as full 12 x 12s. Does anything look TOO big? Then print as 8 x 8 for sure:)
I struggle with this as well b/c I still do some paper scrapping in 12 x 12 so I'd like to keep just one album, and not separate albums for digi and paper. I do prefer my digi layouts as 8 x 8 since that's essentially the size I'm looking at them at on m y laptop screen while I work on the page. So many of them just look too big to me if I print them 12 x 12.

[Burnsie]

I have not printed 12x12 books, but I have printed tow 8x8 books (one form Walgreen's and one from shutterfly). The 8x8 books looked great. I think the 8x8 works for me b/c when I am working on my LOs, they are about 8x8 size on my monitor. Whichever size you choose, be sure to your LOs don't have important stuff around the edges (give yourself about a quarter inch) because it seems that a little always gets cut off or in the binding.

[PBarnes]

I have printed a couple of albums at home at 8x8 but when I went to do my wedding album, it was special enough to me that I wanted to go 12x12. I did have individual layouts printed so that I could put them in an album that I had picked up ages ago rather than having a bound book done though. If you feel that the album will be something really special for you, go for the 12x12, but if you foresee having lots of vacation books done over the years, you might want to go with the 8x8s. The 8x8s store on bookshelves better generally but the 12x12s make great coffee table books. Just my 2 cents. There are pros and cons to both sizes.

[April Showers]

When I did my weekly layouts last year, I printed them at home in 8x8. After I was finished, I had them printed in a 12x12 photo book. I absolutely love the way it looks in the larger size.

[jhbren]

There's another option: MyPicTales.com will print 10x10 books. I had three copies of our family Disney trip printed at this size and was very happy with the outcome. It's enough larger than 8x8 that I didn't have to worry too much about print size, but it fits shelves much better than 12x12. Their printing was vibrant. There was a problem with one book - two pages stuck together, and separating them caused a blemish on the paper. But they printed a replacement, asking only for an emailed photo of the damage, and it arrived in a week - and this was just before Christmas. I don't know if any other vendors offer this size.

[ritzbits]

I've printed LOTS of 8x8 books, and I've been very happy with them... I've always told myself that one of these days, I'll do a 12x12, but I think I'd only do it if I were planning on printing a LOT of pages in it. The 8x8 books seem "skinny" with only 20 pages, I'm sure the 12x12 ones would be even more so.

HOWEVER, I think you could fit more onto a 12" page because you wouldn't have to worry about the size so much???

It's too bad I didn't see this a few days ago... Shutterfly was doing a 50% off coupon code for their 12x12 books.

[HotAirBoomer]

WendyTN, on 12 February 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

I know that this is largely a personal choice, but I am *finally* getting ready to print my layouts from our beach vacation last year, and I really don't know whether to print the book as 8x8 or 12x12. This is my first photo book....in the past I have just printed layouts and put then in traditional scrapbooks. I guess I am trying to think toward the future, and I do think the 12x12 scrapbooks are a bit cumbersome.

Anyway, I was just looking for an input or suggestions from those who have done it. I did read a suggestion which was great...I printed a test page as an 8x8 on my printer to see how the pictures and font would look. I was afraid (after completing the page) that the pictures would seem too small (and thus I would print a 12x12), but actually they looked good.

Thanks for any feedback!
Wendy

[HotAirBoomer]

You're right! It is a personal choice. I like the 12x12s for family books and vacations, simply because I put my camera in "rapid fire" mode to capture hundreds of shots while on a trip or photographing children who move so fast all the time. And it is always hard for me to NOT put all photos in a book, so the 12x12 works well for those types of books. Then I also have a standard size and they all fit well on the shelf and I know that that size is one I use for those types of themes. I also like the 8x8 for family heritage recipe books, specialty books like flowers, and gardens, small remodel projects, gifts, etc. Those are the two sizes I stick with as my personal preference, plus the 12x12 papers are easy to rezone to 8x8. But one thing to keep in mind is that the more pages you add to the 12z12s the more expensive they get. I have paid up to $160 for one book but the way I look at it, it is a once in a lifetime book that I will treasure for a lifetime and others will beyond! That's my story and I am sticking with it! Have fun picking what is right for you!

[Reminiscing]

I've mostly printed 8x8 but only because I've taken advantage of freebies/discounts and 12x12 albums are so expensive. I learned (thanks April) that Winkflash often has a great deal on 12x12 albums (up to 100 pages for the price of 20) in February so I took advantage of that and printed nearly all of my 2010 pages. I'm very pleased with the quality. I do love printing larger!

[photomom]

I've often been torn by this as well. I started making my yearly books 8x8 because I don't take a lot of photos during the year (my life is pretty boring), but for vacations I tend to take a LOT of photos, so I made each vacation book 12x12 because I hate to leave any of them out. So I have mixed sizes on my shelves. I'm thinking of changing to yearly books and include the vacations in them and printing them all 12x12. It would make my life more simple. But the 8x8 are easier to carry around and show people.

OK, I'm torn again. Afraid I wasn't much help.

[Scrapin Pat]

I like the 8X8 - the biggest advantage you can print yourself at home. I generally print as I go and it helps me to see that finished product coming together.