| My Shop
(prints
& canvasses)
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8,
Rue Porte du Mas, 47170 Sos
Open by appointment:
05.53.65.60.36
marcel@photo-marcel.com |
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You can get my
photos online at : |
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Review -
Saal Digital Wall Decoration
With the Saal Digital Design Software, you have a complete design studio
on your computer. Not only can you design and create a photo book (See
my previous review), it also allows you to design pictures, cards, posters,
calendars, photo gifts, wall decoration and business products and have them printed.
For this review I got the opportunity to check the wall decoration
and there are plenty of materials to choose from: Alu-Dibond, Hard Foam Plate,
Acrylic glass, Gallery Prints, Canvas, Picture Box and Alu-Dibond Butler Finish.
My photo 'Fig Jam' has attracted much attention lately,
is also sold on canvas once already, and I was very curious how that one
would look on Alu-Dibond 30x40cm. And for attaching, while there are
three options, I chose the standard hanging system.
Within five minutes the order was placed and the package was delivered
within five working days. The package was solidly prepared for his journey;
a hardcover cardboard box containing an also hard cardboard
envelope comprising a soft foam layer and the Alu-Dibond plate.
"The plate consists of a layer of polyethylene, between two layers of
aluminum. In our lab your image is directly printed on the Alu-Dibond
plate with our UV-direct printer of the latest generation.
This plate is known for its extremely flexural strength, light weight and
weather resistance".
The standard hanging system consists of two holders that are easily to be
sticked at the back of the plate, and two soft buttons which ensure that
also the bottom keeps the right distance from the wall.
I'm not going to test the weather resistancy unless we'll get a leak
in the roof ;). but I definitely can endorse it's flexural strength and
the light weight. But what impressed me even more, was the color reproduction, the
sharpness, dynamic range and, most of all, the atmosphere and ambience of
this exceptionally beautiful form of wall decoration. |
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| Update on the Saal Digital photo
book review: After reading about the warped pages in my review, they immediately took action and sent me a new book. Service with a capital S ! |
Review - Printing a book with
Saal
Digital
Being a photography enthusiast, I make dozens, if not hundreds, photos per year.
Most of them end up on my computer, some I post on my social media. And in my
web shops of course.
After my first year in photography I got the chance of making a photo book. Which
meant that I had to look at my photos in a different way. I had to make a choice
of not just the photos that were good, they also had to be appealing for potential
clients. So I made a selection and created my first book which was seen by
a lot of people and had the function of some kind of portfolio. That book was
outdated and not representative for my work anymore.
So when
Saal-Digital gave me the opportunity to make another book,
I already knew what I wanted. When we were eight
months in Provence, I made a lot of beautiful
photos which deserved to get some extra attention. So I made a selection of
the photos I think are the most beautiful ones
from that period.
The software.
Saal-Digital has their own Design Software which
downloads and installs very fast. The opening
screen is quite simple and it's easy to add
photos to the book from the left side of the
screen. To adjust the mark-up, you can use the
tools at the right side of the screen. The
software consists of a diverse range of
possibilities to add different styles, lay-outs,
backgrounds and clip-art, but I chose a simple
one photo per page. I was surprised when I
discovered that the right mouse button had a lot of functions within this software. Another great
feature of the software is that it automatically
indicates if the technical quality of the photo
is high enough for the print.
For someone who is used to work with this kind
of software, it's probably very easy to work
with. I myself needed some time to get to know
it's full potential. It gives you almost
unlimited possibilities in creating your
personal and personalized photo book. And when
adding pages or features to your book, the software also automatically calculates
the extra costs on screen.
Ordering.
Once I was satisfied with the result, I clicked
the order button in the software that took me to
a page where I could order the book and have it
shipped to the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany.
When I sent an email to Saal-Digital to tell
them that I was in France, they immediately
adjusted the process so orders can now be sent
to more countries. Payment is possible through
bank transfer, credit card and, very convenient,
through PayPal.
Communication.
There is a chat function built in in the
software. Which I didn't use. I did email them a
couple of times and on working days they
responded the very next day. After weekends or
holidays they always responded with regrets for
the late response because they only work week
days. I think you don't need to apologize for
that, but it illustrates the way they take
communication and service very seriously. Though
I myself prefer a more informal way.
The result.
The high-glossy pages look like plasticized and
at first sight that appears somewhat cheap. But
when going through the book, that also makes
that the book has a sense of permanence. The
print quality is astonishingly high, razor
sharp, up to the smallest details. The colours
are beautiful. The pages are slightly warped,
I'm going to see if I can cure that by putting a
stack of books on it.
In
conclusion it has become a beautiful book that I
will show regularly and proudly.
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