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| AdoramaPix 8x8, Fuji HD Glossy paper |
Basic Information
Since I was not 100% satisfied with either the lustre or the Fuji Deep Matte papers, I decided to try one last option from AdoramaPix: Fuji HD Glossy. I didn't select this in the beginning, because I'm not a big fan of super glossy finishes. However, I thought I should give it a try, and what do you know, I actually think it's a wonderful finish for casual photobooks like my year-in-reviews.
As a bonus, it is only about 15% more expensive than the standard lustre paper!
I also tried their square 8x8 size, since my other year-in-review photobooks from other companies have been this size. It's quite a nice size!
For the content of this book, I basically reprinted my Artisan State and Snapfish books (as I was not satisfied with their quality), so at the end of this review, I've also included comparisons between the AdoramaPix and those books.
| Basic Information |
| Website | AdoramaPix (link) (referral link*) |
| Product | Photo Book |
| Size | 8 x 8 Square |
Actual Dimensions
(exterior cover) | 20.7 x 20.3 cm
(8 1/8 x 8") |
Actual Dimensions
(interior pages) | 20.1 x 19.9 cm
(7 7/8 x 7 7/8 ") |
| Cover Type | Hard Cover (image wrap) |
| Spine Printing? | Yes (text and image) |
| Type of Pages/Binding | Lay Flat (seamless) |
| Type of Paper | Fuji HD Glossy |
| # Pages | 40 |
| End pages? | Optional |
| Pricing |
List Price
(excl. shipping) | $72.30 (pricing info) |
| Shipping Cost | Free shipping over $39 |
| Promotion Used | 25% off |
Total Price Paid
(incl. shipping) | $54.23 |
| Cashback at time of order? | 6% on MrRebates (referral link) |
| Shipping |
| Date Ordered | 12/31/2015 |
| Date Shipped | 1/7/2015** (USPS) |
| Date Received | 1/8/2015 |
| Software |
| Photobook Editor | Online |
* If you create an account through the referral link above and place an order of $15 or more, I will receive a $10 credit, and you will receive a $5 credit. You can still use cashback!
** AdoramaPix was closed for New Years Day 1/1
Software Review
Please see
this post for my review on AdoramaPix's photobook software.
Product Pictures
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| Cover. I decided to play with the cover fonts a bit more this time too! |
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| Inside front cover, and end page on the right. These are in the same HD Glossy paper as the rest of the book. |
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| I had to rearrange a few pictures in these reprints, since the Artisan State book was 6x8, but it didn't take me too long |
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| I also lightened a few photos that printed too dark originally. |
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| Inside back cover and end page on the left |
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| Back cover. You can see a bit of the front cover wraps around to the back, same as my other two books. |
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| Bottom of book |
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| Spine |
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| The book construction is a bit different compared to others (e.g., Shutterfly), as you can see here. |
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| Clean construction, as usual from AdoramaPix |
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| Seamless layflat page construction, same as the other two |
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| The center fold is not too distracting, even with super glossy paper |
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| Another shot of the paper surface - you can see the reflection of the light from my windows. |
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| In contrast to the front cover (compared to Shutterfly), the bend in the back is as wide as the spine to accommodate how the pages lay as you flip through the book. |
Comparison to 4x6 Prints
While I did adjust brightness in some photos for this reprint, the following comparisons to the ProDPI control prints are pictures that I did not edit.
Like with the Lustre photobook, the AdoramaPix book is very close to the ProDPI prints.
Comparison to Artisan State
As a reminder, Artisan State also prints on photo paper (lustre finish for mine), so there is not a big difference in print quality compared to AdoramaPix (in my opinion), but the Artisan State prints are overall a bit lighter than AdoramaPix (and
the control 4x6 prints). In terms of book construction, though, I strongly prefer AdoramaPix.
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| I lightened the bathroom picture, but in the main Brownstone picture, you can see the Artisan State print is lighter than AdoramaPix (the shaded grass in particular) |
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| Again, the Artisan State prints are lighter than AdoramaPix |
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| The Artisan State prints are also a bit warmer than AdoramaPix. This is a Kodak vs Fuji photo paper difference, I believe. |
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| The jellyfish pictures are quite different in real life between these two, but I like them both. |
Comparison to Snapfish
I strongly disliked my Snapfish book due to poor construction and print resolution. This comparison is pretty unfair to Snapfish, but just so you can see the difference. Note that Snapfish has lighter pics in every case compared to AdoramaPix (which was also the case compared to my
control prints).
Macros
Finally, some macros for you to peep at.
Again, soft corners are due to my camera and not the book itself, so concentrate on the center of these images.
Final Thoughts
Surprisingly, I found myself really liking the Fuji HD Glossy paper from AdoramaPix. I thought it would look cheap, but it actually works really well for this kind of photobook!
Now, my only doubts are paranoia about pages sticking together (as originally mentioned in my
overview post), and the pages being
too thick for my personal preference.
However, I am very happy with the quality and price of these AdoramaPix books. If print quality is your #1 criteria, I don't think you can go wrong with AdoramaPix. You may just have some trouble choosing which photo paper to use! Overall, I highly recommend AdoramaPix.
Pros
- Glossy paper does not attract fingerprints like most glossy paper
- Amazing colours and detail
Cons
- Same as for the Lustre book, I would advise you lighten/brighten your photos before printing (or using the colour correction option)
Additional Reviews
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