Pinchbook™ Photo Books DIY Photo Albums (Price per Box)

Expert Reviews

Expert Product Review: Pinchbook DIY Hard Covers & Photo Books  by Mallory Morsa
           
Hi everyone! My name is Mallory Morsa, and I am the product expert at Binding101. I have been a part of the Binding101 team since 2008, where I started out in service and sales, learning our customers' needs and how to offer truly exceptional service. After a of couple years, I moved into a role of product management that required in-depth product research, as well as training of our staff. And in my honest expert reviews, I am proud to share that extensive knowledge with you. Take a look at the product review below, which will highlight both the pros and the cons, as well as identify the ideal customer. If you have any questions or need more information, please call our customer care team at (866)537-2244. Thank you for stopping by, and please check out our Binding101 social media channels by clicking the icons above.

I RECOMMEND THIS FOR: 
Everyone! Everyone can use Pinchbooks™ for a large number of things, and they are sure to be impressed… just like I was! Because I am not only an employee here at Binding101.com, but I am also a customer when it comes to these awesome books! Whether you are an individual who wants to make photo albums, or a business that needs to make high-quality presentations for your VIP clients, Pinchbook™ hard covers are a great solutions. If you need more customization opportunities, or are a photo studio interested in creating more unique books for your customers, check out our Custom Pinchbook™ Photo Books.
 

WHAT I LIKE (or rather, what I LOVE):
I love everything about how these Pinchbook™ albums work… I really do! They are so awesome, and they really fill a need for people like me, who still like to make photo albums in our technology-driven world. Here are all of the reasons why I love these DIY albums:
 

①  They are fast and easy to make. You don’t need any complicated case making equipment to make the hard covers themselves, and you don’t need a gluing machine to bind it with your pages. All you need are your own two hands (although an extra set of hands does help). And once your pages are printed, you just stack them in the order you want, place them into the opened spine, and close the covers to bind. That’s it, you are done!

②  In addition to being simple and quick, I also am impressed with the material. For one, you can choose either a linen fabric-like material, or leather. For my own personal use, I had purchased the black linen cloth, and I am happy with the buy; it is a real deep black, not muted or grayed out like some other linen products, feels like fabric instead of paper, and adds a nice look/finish to the book. Check out the video of the photobooks I made here. This cloth option also comes in several colors. The leather material is available in black, and looks more upscale. That option seems to be preferred by businesses with high-end clients that they present quotes, contracts, and other documents to, however, is certainly not limited in any way.

③  Some sizes have windows, and some don’t. The window option lets you show a part of your first page through, so you can display a photo, your customer’s businesses name, or your own branding. It allows for the opportunity to label each book individually, so you can create a single book with one title, and the next book with something completely different, without having to deal with high production run minimums.

④  Because these books are a plain cover, there are no limits to the type of book you can make. For instance, I used the ones that I purchased to make memory books for a lost loved one, and gave them out for gifts to my family on the anniversary of his passing. They had not only photos, but some of his most memorable quotes, jokes, fun memories, and more. I just customized each page completely on my computer, printed the pages, and put them in the Pinchbook™. In addition to individual users like me, they are real popular for businesses too, because you can print contracts and quotes and bind them in an impressive way that reflects highly on your company. Check out these fun photobook and display ideas on our Pinterest page.

⑤  Possibly the most important factor when choosing whether or not to buy; Pinchbooks™ are inexpensive. As compared with custom printed photobooks from online retailers (which is where I used to make my photo books), I only paid a little more than $4.00 for each book, and then maybe another $1.00 for the printed pages. To have a book like this made online it can cost upwards of $40.00, or even more. In this case, these DIY hard cover books are a much less expensive option.
 

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
I honestly am finding it hard to even put anything in this section, because although there is room for improvements, they are miniscule and in no way affect my love of this product. That being said, here is what you should think about before making your purchase:
 

①  The color selection is not that large. Currently 6 colors are stocked, and not all colors come in all sizes. I would love to have more color options (teal, please! I love teal!)

②  You can DIY these books, but DIT (doing it together) with an extra person is easier. Pulling the covers toward each other to open the spine properly for paper insertion is easier if one person opens the book using both hands, and another inserts that pages. Large sized books are more difficult to hold open than smaller ones, so get some help if you need it. I was able to hold the larger books between my body and my desk, and insert the pages by hand just fine.

③  The leather option shows fingerprints if your hands are oily (or freshly lotioned), but I was able to easily wipe them away with a cloth. The cloth option can get lint-y, so have a lint roller handy if you have pets.
 

THE BOTTOM LINE: 
Pinchbooks™ are a beautiful way to store and display photos for individuals, as well as a professional way to create premium hard cover presentations for clients and businesses. There is truly no limit to how they can be used, and I look forward to watching them grow in popularity and, subsequently, watching the color and size options grow as well.

Pinchbook™ FAQs

Q: What is the Pinchbook™ sheet capacity?
All size Pinchbooks™ hold up to 35 sheets of standard copy paper, up to 25 sheets of standard photo paper.