 |
| Photo Albums vs. Scrapbook Albums | Leather vs. Cloth vs. Paper | Binding Options And What They Mean To You | Pages vs. Sheets | Extender Posts and Their Proper Use | Scrapbook Pages Fitting Into Certain Albums | Adhesives And How To Use them | why is there A Capacity Of Pages/Sheets On Albums? | What Are The Larger And Smaller Albums Used For? | Are My Photos Protected? | Customization - Which Items Are Customizable? | General Brand Comparison |
Photo Albums vs. Scrapbook Albums
The fundamental difference between photo albums and scrapbooks is that albums contain plastic slip-in pockets in which you can easily insert photos, whereas scrapbooks contain paper pages that require the use of photo corners, mounts or other type of adhesive.
Photo albums are popular because they are quick and easy to use - just slip the photo into the pocket and you are done! Most photo albums hold standard 4" x 6" photos, but alternate sizes (including 5" x 7" and 8" x 10") are also available. Many photo albums also contain space next to or below the photo for descriptive "journaling."
|
 |
Scrapbooks give you greater versatility and creative control over the layout of the book. Since you must adhere the photos yourself, you can do so in whatever layout or design you see fit. scrapbooks are available in many shapes and sizes, from small paper albums to large leather bound books. A basic scrapbook might include a few photos attached to each page with captions written below, while a more extravagant design might contain photos, newspaper clippings, cards, memorabilia, and other frills - it's completely up to the user.
|
 |
Some Popular Photo Albums:
Kolo Catalina and Hudson
Raika Leather 2-up, 3-up, 4-up, 5-up
Pulp Window 8x10.5 and 9x9
Graphic Image 1-up and 2-up
Some Popular Scrapbook Albums:
Kolo Newport, Kaji, Newbury, Vineyard
Raika Leather 8"x9.25" and 11.75"x12.5"
Graphic Image Large Leather
Rag & Bone 12x12
|
Leather vs. Cloth vs. Paper
When shopping for the right album for an occasion, many people ask us whether or not it makes a difference what type of cover material they choose. Each cover material has a distinct look and style. What doesn't change with all the albums we carry is the high quality papers that are used inside. So no matter what type of album you choose you are getting quality.
Leather:
|
 |
A variety of the brands we carry, like Raika, Graphic Image, Kolo and Swing, are available in leather. Leather albums generally have an elegant look and feel to them. The leather speaks for itself. You may want a smooth finish to keep it simple and conservative, or you can be distinct and creative with finishes that are more textured, shiny, or really pop. Leather albums are perfect for weddings or special events.
Cloth:
|
 |
Kolo, Pulp, Rag & Bone, American Crafts, and Swing are brands that we carry that are available in cloth covers. What we love about our cloth products is that they can go from casual to formal and can fit your every mood. With endless cover options you can't go wrong. Rag & Bone's handcrafted albums are both elegant and fun with their stylish cover designs. Kolo's cloth albums make it easy to start a collection with their wonderful colors and with Pulp's albums you can really use your imagination.
Paper:
|
 |
Paper albums are fun, crafty and light. Our paper products from Kolo come in bright and airy colors. Paper albums are a great add on piece to a collection and make great guest books or brag books.
|
Binding Options And What They Mean To You
Albums come in all shapes, colors, sizes and binding styles – often leaving customers somewhat overwhelmed by the choices before them. To make your choices a little clearer, I thought I’d offer up a little primer on popular binding styles.
Post Bound:
This style of album features small metal posts that screw together to secure the cover and pages of the album together. In most cases the screw is hidden from view behind an extra flap on the inside front and back cover.
|
|
Additional “refill” pages are usually available with extender posts that lengthen or replace the original posts for added room. One benefit of a post album is that it can be expanded.
Options:
- Post albums with paper pages that fit directly into the binding
- Post albums featuring page protectors into which you slip paper page inserts
- Post albums with pocket pages for slipping in your photos.
- Some albums hide the spine while others allow you to see the edge of the pages
|
 |
 |
 |
Ring Binder:
Similar to the standard 3-ring binder from an office supply store, but more presentation friendly.
Options:
- Number of rings - some albums are standard 3-ring varieties, while others feature 2 or 6-rings.
- Shape of rings - some albums feature standard O-rings while other feature D shaped rings that allow pages to lie a bit more flat when the binder is closed.
|
 |
 |
 |
Binders are the easiest style of album if you add and rearrange your pages often.
Ribbon Tied:
These albums are held together with a ribbon. Some are removable others are not.
Options:
- Some albums feature a simple ribbon threaded through 2 holes and tied into a bow. With this option you may be able to add a few more pages or even replace the ribbon with a different style or length for added expansion.
- Other albums feature a more intricate weaving style of binding that is beautiful, but not refillable.
|
 |
 |
 |
Book Bound:
This style looks like a traditional hard cover book. Its pages are sewn and glued permanently into the binding, so you cannot add or remove pages
|
 |
 |
 |
|
These are wonderfully traditional and look great on a bookshelf, but are a bit more limiting. If you need to add or subtract pages or even change the page order, this style of album would not be for you.
|
Pages vs. Sheets
Some album/scrapbook descriptions contain references to both "pages" and "sheets." Basically, one sheet equals two pages, since you can use both the front and back of the sheet to insert or adhere photos. If a scrapbook contains 20 sheets, then it really contains 40 pages. This is an important detail to keep in mind when determining how many photos you can fit into an album, or how many refills you may need to add.
|
Extender Posts And Their Proper Use
Post-bound albums and scrapbooks require the use of metal extender posts to add refill pages. In most cases, if you purchase a pack of refills, it will come with an extender post that can be screwed onto the existing post in the book, thus expanding the capacity. Most albums/scrapbooks come with anywhere from 10 to 25 sheets and can hold a maximum of 40-50 sheets, which would require one or two extenders.
|
|
|
Please note that in the case of the Kolo Newport and Kaji post-bound scrapbooks, if you plan to add a lot of extra pages, it is recommended that you upgrade to a larger, sturdier post (available in 1" or 2" sizes, depending upon the number of pages you plan to add), rather than screwing several smaller ones together.
|
Scrapbook Pages Fitting Into Certain Albums
For albums that can be expanded or refilled, on the bottom of their product pages there is an order table that shows the exact refills for that album. If your refills and your album are from two separate brands, we can not guarantee that they will fit.
Each brand tailors their refills according to how their albums are made. They consider every corner, space and other details of their album to make a perfect fit.
|
Adhesives And How To Use Them
Our "scrapbook" albums feature paper pages that require some sort of adhesive to mount your photos. If you ever had a photograph ruined by the old -style magnetic albums, you know that adhesives matter. If this is new to you, here are the basics.
Adhesives should be ph neutral. If they're not, they can react with your photographs and memorabilia causing early aging, yellowing, etc. If they have too much water content they can make your paper memorabilia warp or bubble.
When choosing an adhesive, look out for the following "good" buzz words: Acid-free, Archival, pH Neutral, photo safe.
We offer a variety of archival mounting options - some permanent and some reversible. Our basic rule of thumb is this - is you are mounting a one of a kind photo or piece of memorabilia, we recommend using one of the reversible options such as photo corners. If you are working with copies, then it basically comes down to ease of use/personal preference.
Here is what you can find at PerAnnum.com:
Glue Pens:
Available in a variety of thicknesses, good for card stock and other items requiring a more permanent hold
|
 |
Glue Dispensers:
Dispenses a thin line of tacky glue spots
|
 |
Double Sided Tape Dispensers: Dispenses a line of double sided tape...
|
Photo Tape Gun:
Kolo dispenses a single line of double sided tape. can be found as accessories on Kolo scrapbook product pages
|
Tombow Tape Dispenser:
|
 |
Double Sided Tabs: With or without dispensers...
|
Herma Tab dispensers:
Releases a line of double sided squares
|
 |
Photo Mounts:
Kolo offers a box of double sided 0.5" squares
|
 |
Pulp Magic Dots:
Round double sided sticky dots (can be found as an accessory on Pulp scrapbook product pages)
|
Photo Corners:
Many of the brands that we sell, such as Kolo, offer photo corners as accessories for their scrapbook albums. You can choose from paper corners or archival plastic corners. Traditional photo corners are the "lick and stick" variety, like old postage stamps. Some companies are now offering a more modern "peel and stick" upgrade. Worried about lining up your photos properly? Easy, just put the photo corners on your photo first (one on each corner, and then adhere it to your page!
|
For a more detailed explanation, you can find a wealth of info at the National Archives
|
Why Is There A Capacity Of Pages/Sheets On Albums?
Some albums and scrapbook descriptions include a suggested capacity that lets you know how many sheets can fit in the book. Most of our albums and scrapbooks can hold between 40-50 sheets - this is an approximation based on standard use, but the exact capacity can vary depending upon the size or thickness of the photos, artwork, clippings, etc., that are being used in the book. Thicker photo paper, for example, can result in a lower page capacity.
Please note that if you fill an album past the suggested capacity, it is possible that the book could become unstable and fall apart - it is usually best to err on the side of caution.
|
What Are The Large and Smaller Albums Used For?
Larger albums such as the Kaji Top-Load Scrapbook 12" x 12", Window Scrapbook 15"x11", Ribbon Bound Albums, Leather Large Bound Scrapbook Album, Newport Leather Scrapbook 11" x 14", and the Leather Scrapbook 11.75" x 12.5" are made large for a reason. They are great for simply storing more photos in one elegant book. If you have a lot of photos for one event, it certainly would be better presented in one album. They are also meant for allowing you more creativity in arranging your photos. This way you can fit more photos while still having space to write a side note or add your own bits of art. Larger albums also can fit large pieces of artwork or photos. It allows for a cleaner presentation.
Smaller albums such as the Top Load Scrapbook 6"x6", 1-Up Leather Binder Album, Pocket Brag Book, and Noci Photo Albums make great gifts and showcases because they are all about bragging. Grandparents will love to flip through your best photos of your children. Also, if you are planning on getting married soon or have a major event coming up, these smaller albums make great favors. They are also great for leaving them on your coffee table by filling them up with a recent trip/vacation.
|
Are My Photos Protected?
Memories are priceless. Photos that elicit those memories? Equally so. That is why we offer only the highest quality archival albums we can find.
Print or digital storage…what to do?
It used to be that magnetic albums were one of the most prolific dangers for destroying photographic evidence of a life well lived. In this age of digital technology, it is easier than ever to lose a year's worth of memories (or more) with an accidental click of a button or a hard drive epic failure.
Prints can fade or even be lost to a natural disaster. Hard drives can fail, digital storage sites can go out of business and technology can change -- all resulting in the loss of precious memories. For that reason we think redundancy is a good thing. Make digital copies of traditional prints and make traditional prints from your favorite digital photos.
Here are some of our suggestions:
- Scan traditional prints so that you have a digital copy of each.
- Store digital copies of all of your favorite photos (in two places, preferably one in a different location - in case of natural disaster). You can use an online gallery service, but make sure to make DVD back-ups of your galleries and/or use portable hard drives.
- Print your favorite digital photos and store them in archival albums.
How should I store my prints?
We recommend storing your favorite prints in archival albums and/or archival photo storage boxes. When choosing an album, think about the following:
- Is it archival? Look for the following buzz words: archival, preservation, acid-free, lignin-free, fade resistant, photo-safe, pH neutral.
- Is the album user friendly? (Do you prefer slip-in pocket pages or scrapbook style pages that require photo corners or another adhesive?)
- How often will the album be handled? (This will help determine if you need a photo-safe plastic sleeve covering your prints.)
- Will you be displaying several albums together? Do you want a series of matching or coordinating albums for a bookshelf display?
Whatever you decide, we recommend keeping your albums out of attics, basements and anywhere excessive temperatures and moisture can cause damage.
If you want more detailed information on archival storage, the National Archives has several in depth articles:
|
Customization - Which Items Are Customizable?
We offer personalization on various different items from our site. Product covers that have a smooth finish (not textured) and are a solid color (not striped or decorative) are customizable.
A "Customizable" link appears on all product pages that have products that can be customized. In order to add personalization on your item you must first select the item then add a quantity and click on "Add to Bag." You will be then prompted to either "Customize" or "Continue." Press "Continue" and then you will be able to add the wording. You may also choose silver or gold imprinting.
|
General Brand Comparison
The PDF file below may be viewed using Adobe Reader version 5.0 or higher. Click here for the latest version of Adobe Reader. |
 |
