Lots of talk about calendars lately... !! The printing company that I have used for the past several years, to print my annual calendar, has gone out of business. I had to switch gears and find another company to print for me. The company that I eventually selected was less than ideal. The print quality was OK... and the images came out looking OK. But, the software that they provided for me to work to layout the calendar was less than ideal. And, the aspect ratio of their template was not well suited to images shot in 4x5 format. I usually compose my images to fill the frame but found that I had to crop them to fit the format of the calendar. Next year I will be better prepared. This time around the 2023 version of my calendar turned out OK... but not great. I will distribute the ones that I printed over the coming days. Below is a copy of the cover of the calendar........
Which company did you end up using? And do you have any idea where you will print in the future? I attempted printing a calendar for family for the first time this year and was very disappointed in the results. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFor several years I used a company out of Calgary called Calyptic Creations. I think it was a small home based business, but I liked the layout program that they had, the print quality was reasonable for the price, and the service was really fast. When I went to print my calendar this year I found that they were no longer in business. So I switched to PhotoBook Canada. This is a bit misleading because they do not print in Canada. The calendars came from somewhere in southeast Asia and I had to pay additional import costs when the calendars arrived.
ReplyDeleteThe print quality is good, the prices were a little lower than what I had been paying, and the service relatively quick. But, the templates that they offer and their layout program is rather tedious and cumbersome and I struggled with it. Now that I have done two calendars with them, I have a little better idea how to work with it, and it will be easier next time.
Thanks for your detailed reply, it's very helpful. I hope you print the vertical calendar, the images are very striking!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was unable to use my usual printer, I searched online for someone that offered a calendar in portrait format. I couldn't find any. But I did find a square format with Photobook Canada. This allowed me to use both landscape and portrait format images, on a white background. Stay tuned to my blog as I post some of the images over the coming months. The first calendar that I printed this year is my annual one that I give away to family and friends. It was less than ideal as the aspect ratio did not fit the 4" x 5" images that I typically shot, without cropping. But the square format one that I printed later, allowed the images to be used uncropped. That calendar includes images from David Thompson Country, out around my second home in Nordegg. It is available to purchase at the Beehive Artisan Market in Nordegg.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest in my work....