Show Off Your Dream - Kristen Cook

We've got a love letter from Kristen Cook of Melbourne, Australia, the other day. Many of you must already know her for her amazing talent, but check this out to see her master piece(we meant Charlie) presented in Dream Album (9x9, 30 pages ). Each image is truly art and each page is divine. See more of her work at:  
http://kristencook.com.au/blog/the-art-book-newborn-photographer-melbourne/  

She says, "I just wanted to let you know that my album finally arrived yesterday and I LOVE it!!!! I was just about ready to scratch the door down with impatience but it was so worth it - I love it more than I could have imagined (and I am very picky) I have already looked through it so many times and want all of my clients to fall in love with it just as much as I have. It's truly beautiful."

Thanks so much Kristen. We LOVE your work and product shots!!!

Wish Albums - NOW available

We have exciting news for you.

One. - Wish Albums

Wish Albums are NOW available for purchase! 

Product facts and pricing are available here.
(members only zone. scroll down all the way to download the updated PDF file)

Two. - FREE Wish Templates

All Wish Album purchasers will be given "Square Templates for Wish" for FREE! This includes twenty 10x10 mix-and-match designs, a clean and modern look your clients will love.  You will be sent a separate link for template download on the same day you place your first Wish order.

Three. - BULK discount

You can order WISHES in bulk and receive bulk discount! You may design a generic studio cover and have them made in bulk for possible last minute holiday sessions or orders. With Wish's fast turnaround, you will have a beautiful product ready for your client in no time.  Better news is the cover design does NOT have to be the same for the bulk discount. You can have as many unique covers as you want as long as the orders are placed at once.

* Wish Albums are limited in quantity. Orders will be accepted while supply lasts. 

* Please read the product facts and instructions about how Wish works in our blog before placing your order.

* The Wish holiday deadline is midnight 12/12/2009. 

* Wish covers and all other product line templates have been updated, please download them for your future orders.

* Great Wish cover design templates soon will be available to purchase at the Dream Design Shop.

If you have any questions about Wish products and services, please contact us at info@thedreamalbum.com or 866.301.6639

Designing your Dream Products - word about Guide Lines

Dream Album templates come with design guidelines to help you create the perfect product. If you have not read our tips / instructions about cover design, please click on the following two links, or anything in our TUTORIAL categories.

Dream Box Cover Design instruction

Dream Album Cover Design Instruction - Which Guide Lines Go Where?

We would like to mention a few things to keep the design process running smoothly – for both you and us.

1. UPLOAD ALL files in 5x7 ratio to be BORDERED ( for border option 1~5 and no border). We border your images by batch process. If there are any 4x6 or 8x10 images among the files, they will be distorted. The easiest way to check correct ratios is within your folder in Bridge. (please refer to the screen shots on your left)

Please crop all your images to be 5x7, unless you choose the FULL BLEED design option. This applies to ALL dream album products including 5x7 dream mats, 8x10 dream mats, 6x6-9x9-12x12 dream albums.

2. Make "the folder name" easily identifiable as your order. The folder you upload to our server must contain YOUR NAME for the quickest processing. This applies to all product orders. If you are ordering the same products for multiple sessions, you may also want to add your client's name.

For example, if the photographer Katy Smith is ordering the 9x9 Dream Album with 40 pages for her client Jones on 11/18, the folder name should be: 
Katy_Smith_DA0909_40p_Jones_1118 

3. Please USE the most UPDATED templates and guidelines. If you have not downloaded our NEWEST templates released November 2009, please make sure you do so now. Outdated templates or ignored guidelines may result in off-centered covers or production delays. You must use Dream Album templates with the center guideline for best results. Please note: photographers are responsible for all design errors.

4. Guidelines for spread designs:

We cut THREE sides (top, bottom, and sides) of the album right before we apply the cover to the inside album pages. Our spread is a single sheet of paper and there is NO cutting line at all in the center of the book.

• cutting lines: 1/4" all around 
• safe lines: 1/2" all around

But to center a block of images within a PAGE (12x12 or 9x9 square format), you must use 1/4" moved towards CENTER FOLDING line so that when all 1/4" around cut, the images will look centered. When you want any background section to shown nicely, make sure there is at least 3/4" gap between the edge of the canvas and the edge of the image mask.

If you are using album templates that are not designed exclusively for Dream Album Products, it is strongly recommended to check all your files to meet our guide lines. Please make sure layout BEFORE you upload the files. Dream Album will not be responsible for any design mistake by using templates not exclusively made for Dream Products. 

Jennifer Chaney - Dream Featured Photographer

These are the Dream Album product images from Jennifer Chaney ( www.jchaney.com ), a cherished client and one of the best lifestyle photographers in the San Francisco Bay area. We wanted to share with you the amazing way she presents her simple, modern, and beautiful work using Dream Album products. 

These are her 12x12 dream albums: one is 40 pages and the other is 50 pages. 

We contacted her as our first featured photographer because the feel and look of her work, her website, and her Dream Albums are the perfect match! And whenever we see her new album orders come in, we know that her clients also cannot get enough of her amazing artistry.
Jennifer says, "Your albums are so customizable, which is important to me because the Bay Area has a large photography community, and I know my albums will always be different from ones my neighbor designs.  And I love that the same album comes in three square sizes, and with customizable covers I can really create an heirloom album for my clients.

My photography is lifestyle and candid, so my clients need an album that is large enough to show their sessions in a storytelling layout.  I can easily do this with the 12x12 album - it's big enough to handle the largest of sessions.  And with my album style being clean and classic, I have a lot of freedom in designing layouts this large.  I can do a beautiful full spread of a favorite picture on two pages, and then on the next page have 9 pictures to complete the story.  For me, it's the ideal combination because I shoot a family session much like I shoot a wedding - lots of detail shots and a lot of large portraits.  

For the clients wanting fewer pictures in their albums, I offer the 9x9 album with up to 40 images.  This has been a lovely option because my clients don't have to deal with several different album prices. The 9x9 is the same price for 30 pictures as it is for 40, so most of my clients opt for all 40 images.  I don't offer the 6x6 album as a single purchase because I don't think it's large enough to be a standalone album.  Instead I usually suggest it as a gift for the grandparents, and a number of clients actually purchase one for the newborn or child.  What a fabulous gift to give them when they either get married or have kids of their own!  I've also discovered that I can take the storytelling spreads I've already designed for the 12x12 and use them in the 6x6 - that's my favorite combination, but you have to be sure to use the spreads with larger pictures in the simplest layouts.

Which leads me to why I design the albums with a white cover, white core, and why I upgrade to the white box.  I do a white cover and layout because I want the images to truly pop and I don't want the viewer to be distracted by wording or colors.  And it's very important to me that everything I offer is timeless.  What is hip today may not be so fabulous in 20 years (feathered hair, anyone?)  This is why I also use the white boxes.  They are sleek and modern just like the albums.  At first, I switched to the white boxes because it coordinated with my packaging, but now I order them because I see them as an extension of the album.  It's what I hand to my clients, so the look and feel of the box is an important part of the finished product.  

I'm in the process of designing a couple of Dream wedding albums, and I'm excited to see how they turn out!

In the end, I don't offer what I don't love or what I wouldn't own myself.  The same goes for selling;  I would never try to sell something to my clients that they don't need or want.  And all of my clients fall in love with these albums as soon as they see them!" 

We cannot wait to see the wedding albums that Jennifer is currently working on. Knowing her timeless style and commitment to quality, there is no doubt they will go exceed our expectations - and her client's too! We feel very honored to work with such a dedicated and talented photographer like Jennifer. 

Wish Albums - new product :: Self Mount Album

We are super excited to introduce our new holiday product "Wish Albums" to you. There are so many reasons for you to wish for this album to come true this time of the year. More details including pricing and templates will be announced in our blog website within a couple weeks when Wish Albums become available to purchase. But here is the sneak peek~ (please click on the play button to view more Wish Album images)

• beautiful custom cover (same as Dream Albums')
• 10x10 24pages or 8x8 20 pages
• quick 1-2 weeks turnaround
• easy self mount (peel and stick) freedom- you will use your own favorite lab for prints!
• great price 

This will be great for last minute holiday sessions (please order by 12/7 for custom cover, or you can order bulk with generic design with your logo on the back ahead of time for be lated holiday orders. You will be so pleased to see how Dream Album Co. can turn a self mount album into a work of art. we can not wait to hear what you have to say about this!!!!
Please note that we have made them in a limited quantity for 2009 holidays. the orders will be received while supply lasts.
The images used for making our first wish album sample are from Stacy Larsen, one of our very much loved clients and top photographers in Florda. With Kristie Serra, she is offering a super fun and informative workshop called Launch for the beginner natural light photographers and they are giving a free seat on their blog right now! All you have to do is leave a comment and you are registered, it is that easy. The contest runs through November 1st (TOMORROW, hurry~~) so be sure to head over and check out their newly debuted blog. 


The inside design layout was by Dream Album Designshop and a template of 20 various square layout for Wish Album will be sent to anyone who purchase Wish Albums before 12/31/2009.

The beautiful cover design was by Luxecetera as always. Thank you!


Dream Album Team

Show Off Your Dream - Cindy Chen

Remember this? We've got these images from Cindy ( of Cindy Chen Photography ) long time ago, and finally we are posting here.  For those who are new to the blog, please visit the earlier posting how to design a full bleed cover when there is not enough width in image. When Cindy contacted us if she could design the cover with one image that her client chose as a full bleed, we absolutely loved the idea and started work on the image together. And when the album came out, by the way it is 9x9 40p Dream Album, we LOVED it even more!

She added, "I am absolutely IN LOVE with dream albums and my clients are too. Once they see the dream album, they have to have one!  As a photographer, I love the versatility of the custom designed cover.  It truly makes each and every album a unique and treasured work of art for my clients.  The album itself is outstanding… high quality and very well made.   Thank you for making my dream album… literally! "

Her client must have LOVED it, too! We are thrilled to see the wonderful work of art presented in a very special way in Dream Album... Thanks so much for the images and great work, Cindy. 

Show Off Your Dream - Marci Lambert

What a beautiful boudoir book!  - we just received the images from Marci (of www.marcilambert.com ). They are 6x6 20p mini dream album and she had them in Milk and Black core color. Depend on the color of images, you can choose core colors to match the total look. We are in LOVE!

She said, "These are the first of the Dream Albums I've ordered and I hope there will be many, many more. I made two albums for my boudoir clients and they flipped over them. They couldn't believe how beautiful they are. I agree, especially with the wraparound covers. And I liked the ability to use either black or white cores, depending on the images. Thanks so much!"

We are very excited to show off our amazing dream photographers' creative work. It is so inspiring! Thanks Marci for the images. We just sent a special thank you gift coupon for you!

Show Off Your Dream - Lisa Woods

Look these great product images from Lisa (of now and then photography ). When we received the images from her, we thought the CD with this great looking branding and Dream Box made a perfect digital package.   

She said, "I just got my 2 5x7 dream box's in today.  I immediately headed out the door into the field behind my house to grab a few shots of these bad boys!  I adore them!  Thanks for a great product!"
These are the coolest bad boys... Lisa. Thanks so much for sharing. 

Side note: we receive great product shots for "show off your dream" with water marks, but we can not post images with watermarks here. please make sure to send us images in 1000px width (either collaged or individual shots /  with NO watermark ) with your story to ensure your images to be posted, and thus you will receive our special thanks credit!!! We LOVE to hear from you.

Show Off Your Dream - Andrea Halsey

We've been meaning to post these exciting SHOW OFF YOUR DREAM images from Andrea (of Andrea Halsey Photography). She custom designed the covers of all three dream albums in 12x12, 9x9, and 6x6!

She added, "The Dream Albums have become my album arsenal in my product lineup. Each time I put them on display or show them off at consultations, everyone's heart just melts away. When I had my 6x6 album, I sold one to every client, when I was showing my 9x9, I was selling that to every client... and now that I have a 12x12 album, even lower-budgeting clients determine to find a way to have one for themselves. I can claim that my Dream Albums have thrust me into a whole new world of album selling, increasing my profits, and making my clients thrilled." 

Above is one of her 9x9, 30 page (our the most popular item)  Bridal Album - it's beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing Andrea! We just sent you a special thanks credit for your show off images.

YES! We do reward for SHOW OFF YOUR DREAM images when it is posted on our blog. Don't forget to send us in your product shots!

And our holiday schedule is out today. Please check out 

http://thedreamalbum.squarespace.com/09-holiday-schedule/

and 

http://thedreamalbum.squarespace.com/lead-time-and-services/

for detailed information. 

Show Off Your Dream - Lora Carr

We are in LOVE~ when we saw the images Lora (of Lora Carr Photography took of her beautiful 12x12 Dream Album.) The colors are so bright, the design is simple and live, her work is stunning! We would call it as  "A PERFECT MATCH!" 

She said, "I finally had the opportunity to photograph my 12 x 12 dream album.  It is gorgeous! It sits on an acrylic coffee table in my studio's sales area and clients cannot keep their hands off of it. It really is a piece of art that families will treasure for generations to come."  And we thought it was so true.  Thanks Lora! Will send you the gift credit right now~ 
Again, we are SO CLOSE to have 15% off sale as promised! It is in any minute, we just need TWO MORE twitter followers. - well, I have been waiting this moment for a while- Let's get rolling. Don't forget, it is for 48 hours!!!