Professional Perfection from Saal
I was recently very fortunate to be given a voucher to try out the Saal Professional Photobook range in return for an honest review.
I’d heard of these guys before on various photography forums and I was aware that their quality is of a very high standard, so naturally I jumped at the chance.
The first thing that was required was to download the software from Saal’s website. You can also download a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and InDesign to give access to templates within these programmes if you prefer. In creating my book, I chose to use Saal’s software. After a few clicks, the software was soon downloaded and running and I was presented with their range of products, along with the various options such as material, paper, and so on. The whole process of installing and laying out your photobook couldn’t have been easier. I found the software very intuitive and easy to understand, with many layout options to get you going. Saal also have videos on their website if you are unsure where to begin. I toyed around with a few designs for my book and finally settled on something that suited my needs. The hardest part was deciding what images I wanted to include and in what order I wanted them to go in. This gave me a good opportunity to review, re-edit, and also look at some old forgotten images. Once I had finished, it was a case of uploading the images to Saal and then paying. This step is simply a breeze and is taken care of via the software.
To say that I was excited to have the book in my hand was an understatement. I can never stress to people enough the importance of having your work printed. There is just something special about having the physical image in your hands rather than on a screen.
I had placed my order on the 29th April and was given a delivery date of the 11th May. However, the book arrived via DHL on the 7th, so I was very pleased with the turnaround.
The book was well packaged and upon sliding it out of the cardboard packaging, I was just in awe of it. I opted for the 30 x 21 Professional Line Photobook with an acrylic glass cover, and I must say, it looks fantastic and has this really nice 3D feel to it. I was skeptical of having this at first as I do like the simplicity of a plain leather cover with text, but I wasn’t disappointed and I’m glad that I opted for the acrylic option. I chose the matte professional paper which gives a gorgeous finish to your printed work, and the colour rendition is spot on to my calibrated screen. The images that I chose to have on a double-page spread look amazing and with a lay-flat design, work perfectly. The leather binding also feels very premium and long-lasting. Without a doubt, this is a really high-quality product that enables you to present your work to a very high standard.
I would happily recommend Saal any day to someone requiring a photobook or even any of the other products that they offer. For me, this photobook was a collection of my favourite images from the last couple of years to have as a coffee table book, and also as a tool to present to others when looking to exhibit my work. This would be ideal for weddings and events, and you can even opt for a gift box if required so that it can be nicely packaged for your client.
From start to finish, I honestly couldn’t fault Saal and would happily use them again.
