any experience with lulu?

[danmc]

Has anyone tried turning your digital scrapbook into a hardbound printed book via some place like lulu.com? They don't do 12x12 but they do 6x9 and also 8.25x10.75 in hardbound and some square aspect ratio (but smaller than 12x12) in paperback.

What is the more common thing? Do people print out their 12x12 pages and then put them into a removable page scrapbook?

I've seen an online service that has a web based tool for making scrapbooks that you turn into books but I'm not very keen on any approach where I don't have more control over the files. With their product, you can't ever get your pages in "soft" format that you could print out in 20 years if they are out of business or modify for something else.

Thanks
-Dan

[SgD DESIGNS]

I haven't done anything like that. I normally just print my layouts in 12x12 and put them in 12x12 insert albums. I usually order my prints in batches close to a main family reunion (birthday, christmas, easter hunt) so that I can give copies to my friends and families of the layouts that I created for them. I love to see the expressions of their face.

[nifty]

I've never used them but Viovio does 12x12 books at reasonable prices. There are lots of others, but some are pretty expensive.
I do both paper and digi so it makes more sense for me to print individual files.
I know a lot of people who do both... it is really up to what works for you. The printed books make great gifts (and you can resize the 12x12 down to say 8x8 for gift books). I scrap very random, I might do old pictures one day new ones another time, just whatever I feel. It might make sense to do loose prints then because you can reorganize your books whatever way you wish. If you scrap chronological (or pretty near by the time you get around to printing) a book might be very nice, and professional and less bulky.

[twinsmom1]

there are several places that do 12x12 prints. I think it is much cheaper to just get the 12x12 prints and put them in your own book. I know you can pck up books for next to nothing when they are on sale. Most places I have seen will only put 20 pages (10 front and back) in a book for around $40-50. And, if you want more, than there is an additional charge. I have found that it is much cheaper to have them printed and sent to you to put in your own book. Give me a little bit and I can get some places for you!

[nifty]

Viovio was about $25 for a 24 pg book if I recall correctly and about $1 a extra page up to 160 pgs. Plus you have a full image front/back (short of a small piece where they put their info. Their loose page printing is very inexpensive too. I might do my next holiday all digital and print as a book to check it out.
Most other places I've checked are $40-80 per basic plain cover book.

[lanesmom]

Arts cow is pretty resonable and they do 8x8 and 12x12 and even smaller...They send out coupons for a lot of different products and a lot of time shipping is free...I have ordered a lot of stuff from them...I have also ordered a 8x8 book from Shutterfly and it was a 80 page book, it was a gift for mom and daddy for x-mas and they loved it...I also go to Costco and get my 12x12 pages printed and put in a traditional photo book...They are pretty resonable on there prints and they do them in a hour...

[carter2]

No..nothing like that