Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Blog in Print

I spent quite some time researching and seeking out ways to EASILY have my blog converted to print for posterity. So many stories contained within these electronic walls, even if they are somewhat sporadic of late.

I first started off with Blurb, which offered the most control in the way of formatting the layout. However – 1. this was NOT user friendly, and 2. it slurped up the WHOLE blog in its entirety in one hit, not allowing for any filters to be applied beforehand. One then had to remove the posts that you didn’t want to include (this takes a while if you have been blogging for years).

Next I went to Blog2Print. Hear the angels chorus. It allows limited formatting options for layout BUT filters the dates you put in, if like me you only wanted to print a one year at a time.

Let me point out that blog photos are generally reduced in resolution for web viewing, so not optimum for printing. There is a way around this – if you want gloriously large images you can one by one replace the images you have used with the full sized ones from your computer. Did I do this? NO.

I have now printed FOUR years of blog books and the family adores them….

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I did blog in 08/09 I think but the posts sporadic and not worthy of collating.

One can choose the colour of the cover and a pattern. Can also choose a photo to put on the front AND the back. I picked my favourite of the kids for each year and the annual Christmas shot for the the back.

The front page inside the cover also allows for a short dedication or few words (not pictured) for a little bit of literary prose to sum up the year.

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The layout seems to vary from book to book and sometimes the pics are slightly out of order from the text…but I’m not overly worried. As you can see the images aren’t big, they are as big as they can be given their resolution.

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I have printed the comments usually (you can ask it to NOT include them) as some of the best bits are there.

IMG_0720As you can see I still ended up with pretty hearty looking books, which was another reason why I decided I wasn’t overly fussed about making the layout all pretty. I think each year has cost around $100-145 to print, which as I have hardly printed a photo in the past four years, pretty cheap. If I never ever print or scrapbook again, these stories are saved.

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And…they take up so little space on the shelf opposed to the regular old (albeit much loved) scrapbook album. These really have cemented in me that I will be doing digital and printed albums from now on, even just the regular yearly gathering of photos (a great many of which don’t ever make it to the public blog by their very nature!) which I have spoken about before.

We love our blog books,the kids and husband often get them out and peruse, and I often go searching for something I know I have included to check on date etc.

Do let me know if you have any experiences in transferring your blog to print, and if you have used any different company.

10 comments:

  1. What a super record - and you even have the comments too :). That's going to be a wonderful record to look back on ... I have never done this, so can't offer any thoughts, but you are making me think!

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  2. What a great idea! Love it! This would even make a great gift. I think I like it so much I might have to try it.

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  3. I get my photos printed in book form each year but hadn't thought about printing my blog. Good idea. Do you edit all the typos in the comments?

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    1. Hi Anne, pretty sure one can't edit text, but I like it how it is (even though I've seen some of my own typos throughout!)

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  4. I love my blog books............have only used blog2print.................yes they are a bit expensive but as a printe record I thought it was worth it.........I also print my a year at a time............love looking back thru them it is something you don't do online..............

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  5. I have been using Blog to Print since I starting blogging in the beginning I used to do a year at a time but I wasn't posting every day so that was ok but since I started a post every day my books have to get done in 6 month lots it works out about $70 a book which is still the same as my yearly books.Its just a pain that I cant get it all together but they have a set page limit.-love dee

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  6. Good on you Sharon. I'm two years behind (or is it three now) and MUST really get onto it. I looked at Blurb too because I wanted the larger images, but it was going to take sooo long to get organised that I'm just going to stick with Blog2Print. Hoping another of their 15% off sales coincides with some free time for me. These kids love them too, often find them using them as their bedtime reading material. Brings back lots of memories.

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  7. I've got 2 years of my blog printed that way and happily it takes 5 mins to slurp it all up and I can tell it the dates I want (ie 1st January, 2012 through to 31st December, 2012). I need to print last years though. It's so easy and of course with the small photos you have all the story as well. The books are great and we love looking through ours as well. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

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  8. Sharon
    I've been meaning to do this (blogging 6 yrs now) and was going to blurb, so pleased to hear the ins & outs of blog2print:) You mention the photo quality, are you still reasonably happy with it?
    and thanks to Fiona for mentioning sales, hadn't thought of that!

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  9. YOU LEGEND. These are superb. My aunty printed out the first year of mine and put it in a folder and gave it to me for my birthday last year, but these books are fantastic x

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