Shutterfly survey!!! "Tell us what you think - Classic Custom Path and All New Custom

[ElizabethW]

Where do you turn off Vivid Pics?

[MIDA78466]

you have to be in the photo album and it is under effects.

Originally Posted by ElizabethW

Where do you turn off Vivid Pics?

[KimR+]

I finally finished my book and ordered it just before lunch! I tried to share it, but I guess since it is in publication, the site isn't ready for that yet. I also ended up calling Shutterfly to talk to them about their new "title page" and how it wasn't giving me the option for a full bleed photo, even with their so called custome option. I will be sending an email also to their customer service, also suggesting to give the option of every page being full so we don't have to change it every time.

[sarahdg]

I'm working on uploading my 2011 photo book right now. I was able to find the "Classic Custom Path" option. After I chose the "All New Custom Path," there was a (very small) link that said something to the effect of "looking for classic custom path?" and I clicked that and it took me to the old Custom Path that we're all used to. It also told me that Classic Custom Path will be available only through this month (January 2012). Don't know yet what I'll do for next year's book, but I'll definitely email them and tell them what I think.

The problem with Blurb seems to be that you can't do a custom spine. Have others found this to be true?

*ETA* I just finished uploading and ordering my 2011 photobook at Shutterfly. I was able to use the Classic Custom Path with no problem. The covers and pages looked perfect. Hopefully they'll listen to all of us and not take the classic option away. I even got the 40% off that ends today--with 6 hours left in the day to spare, ha ha!

[sarahdg]

I just sent them this email, as the survey included questions I could not answer:

Hello,

I have made five photo books over the years at Shutterfly. As a digital scrapbooker, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a single-photo, full-bleed option without automatic "corrections" like Vivid Pics. It was possible in the Classic Custom Path (although still not the easiest thing to do), but I've heard feedback from many of my scrapbooker friends that it is nearly impossible in the All New Custom Path. The All New Custom Path with the embellishments, paper options, and automatic "corrections" looks great for many people, but as digital scrapbookers, we want an easy option to have one full-bleed photo per page, on every page including the covers and the title page, without Vivid Pics and other automatic "corrections." I wonder if you would think about adding an easy option to make this possible.

To summarize: The digital scrapbooking community wants a single-photo full-bleed option without vivid pics on EVERY PAGE, INCLUDING COVERS AND SPINE.

Thank you!

[tylertooo]

Well how smart you are. Great idea Annette. Wouldn't you think that shutterfly would care enough about all types of clients that they would not want to lose us digital customers. It just doen't make sense that they can't just keep the digital the way it was.

[AnnAbbott]

Maybe this will help

How To Digital Scrapbooking using the All New Custom Path books.
Shutterfly | Print Your Digital Scrapbook | Upload and Print How-tos

[AnnAbbott]

Here is the link to page, cover and spine templates for Shutterfly

Shutterfly | Print Your Digital Scrapbook | Design Specs and Templates

[Bschori]

I used these templates painstakingly the whole way through creating a 50 page photobook, followed these directions to the best of my ability, called customer service twice and was never, ever able to get my Front Cover to show up centered in the Preview. Plus, could not get an answer from Shutterfly as to whether it would be ok in the printed book even if it didn't look right in the Preview.
I finally gave up and created the book on Blurb. The software and instructions were terrific. Done in no time. I've ordered the book and will be glad to report as soon as it arrives.

[hoodsmom]

Thanks for this thread. I've done books with both the classic and new custom paths and I actually think the new path is better in many ways, but I agree it's a pain to have to pick the full bleed option over and over again and that the way they used to display their covers was better. Here's what I told them:

1) For us digiscrappers, a book format that is full bleed on every page, so I don't have to keep selecting the full bleed option over and over again
2) I need a way to tell what color frame I've used in case I forget, but need to match it later in the book. Hexidecimal codes would help in case I want to make a Photoshop element to match the Shutterfly frames or font colors
3) I keep underestimating how much I'm going to lose to the gutter. Even if I don't lose critical elements, the page doesn't always appear as I envisioned. Smilebooks does a much better job showing you what will be lost in the gutter
4) Need ability to vertically orient text
5) Need ability to align objects two pages of a double-page spread
6) It's REALLY hard to tell what the cover is going to look like if you do any customization. Some indication of where the live area of the cover (vs. spine vs. trim and bleed) would really help
7) So far, I've managed not to leave VividPics on in any of my images, but I always fear that I've forgotten to turn it off. VividPics should not be buried in Effects - there should be an easy way to tell if its on or off for a given image. A setting to turn it off for the whole book would be great

[carollee]

Must admit at the end of my lengthy email (because I couldn't get the survey to work) I finished with:

"Obviously there are some techno things behind the scenes as to why you are disbanding the Classic Custom Path, but unless you make the All New Custom Path easy enough to cater for ALL your customers, then I can only imagine companies like Blurb and Persnickety, etc. are rubbing their hands with glee."


Was that cheeky? I hope so. I want to remain loyal to Shutterfly but they are really making it hard for me to do so.

[thessh]

Originally Posted by carollee

Must admit at the end of my lengthy email (because I couldn't get the survey to work) I finished with:

"Obviously there are some techno things behind the scenes as to why you are disbanding the Classic Custom Path, but unless you make the All New Custom Path easy enough to cater for ALL your customers, then I can only imagine companies like Blurb and Persnickety, etc. are rubbing their hands with glee."


Was that cheeky? I hope so. I want to remain loyal to Shutterfly but they are really making it hard for me to do so.

I wish we had a "Like"-button!!!
I don't think that was too cheeky! It's the truth.
I've been very happy with my Shutterfly-books, but I am jumping ships!
I like when companies make it easier for their customers - not harder...

[blkcow]

Good for you Carol.....I have started my P52 per your advice with "booksmart" on Blurb and couldn't be happier. I am somewhat nervous...as it is SO EASY.....after working with shutterfly I thought it needed to be frustrating. Blurb is a breath of fresh air and will have my business.

I wish shutterfly would listen to our comments and act accordingly.

[dugarner]

I have sent them emails and feedback in various formats and keep getting variations on the same theme. "Follow these directions to print your digital scrapbook . . ." but it doesn't fix the cover-centering issues or the title page issues. It's really a little insulting how condescending they are, as if we're making up this trouble. They never answer the question from a development point of view, they just try to say, do it this way.

Argh! I built a book with Blurb and was ready to go and the cost wound up just as much as Shutterfly. I was hoping they'd stay a little cheaper, since the product isn't as high-quality.

[blkcow]

[QUOTE=dugarner;344598]I have sent them emails and feedback in various formats and keep getting variations on the same theme. "Follow these directions to print your digital scrapbook . . ." but it doesn't fix the cover-centering issues or the title page issues. It's really a little insulting how condescending they are, as if we're making up this trouble. They never answer the question from a development point of view, they just try to say, do it this way.


Well...Sarah, at least you got a response. I have never heard any response to my suggestions what so ever. I am so over Shutterfly.

[dugarner]

Well...Sarah, at least you got a response. I have never heard any response to my suggestions what so ever. I am so over Shutterfly.

My feedback has been on the heels of frustrated customer service calls, and in response to emails I get that say "Give us your feedback." It's always been a canned response, though, I can tell because it says exactly the same thing. It really feels like they're trying to shake scrapbookers off their feet. I used to work at a Help Desk in a large IT department and we would give canned answers like these frequently when we either couldn't (because of time or budget) or wouldn't (because it was beyond our purview) deal with a specific request. It was an answer designed to make the customer think we cared about their particular problem, while dodging the issue. But we weren't providing a product---we were support-based only. Shutterfly really needs to wise up and think about this course of action. The loss of our business might not be a drop in their bucket, but we're a growing demographic with huge, far-reaching networks of influence.

I'm going with Blurb.

[thessh]

I just talked to my sister in Seattle.
She's made 10 or 12 books (most of them in 2 or 3 copies) with Shutterfly "the old way", and was trying to get the title page and covers right the new way...

Before we hung up, she downloaded Blurb's "BookSmart" and is now moving her business there!

[echogirl]

Isn't Blurb much more expensive than Shutterfly. I can always count on a good Shutterfly sale...I'm sounding so cheap!!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by echogirl

Isn't Blurb much more expensive than Shutterfly. I can always count on a good Shutterfly sale...I'm sounding so cheap!!

Typically Blurb is a LOT less than Shutterfly. For a 101-page book, without any sales at Shutterfly I was going to pay $180 plus shipping. At Blurb, the same book was going to be $135 plus shipping, and that was with premium paper. Blurb does give you the flexibility of much bigger books, and their prices are set for a certain range. So you pay the same for an 80-page book as a 100-page book. That's helpful when you're worried about a charge for each page.

[thessh]

Originally Posted by echogirl

Isn't Blurb much more expensive than Shutterfly. I can always count on a good Shutterfly sale...I'm sounding so cheap!!

My sister said exactly the same! ;-)
She always waited for the Shutterfly sales.
But I showed her Blurb's pricelist, and they also have sales, coupons and promotions from time to time!

[Janet1949]

and Blurbs shipping costs to Oz are much cheaper... I dont have to worry about my pages being darker than what I uploaded (they often were with SF).... Im very happy with BLURB, and sticking with them...

[ccblue]

I'm Blurb all the way too. After choosing Blurb because I had more than 100 pages, I'm spoiled. Love the two page spread they have now, I've always done two pages at once to see how they work together and that saves a ton of time. Wanted to pull my hair out the last time I loaded pages for SF, then the books all came out too dark again...