Photo collage capabilities

jimking · 11-18-2009, 12:41 PM

As many of you know, I'm printer-prepress person so this thread is to gather info for my boss's clients. Here's the question from the client:

"I'm the Webmaster for the WDCGA and we have a photos section on our site, we currently just link to Shutterfly so members can print their own. However, we have been spending the past year digitizing our scrapbooks from each each - we have some from the 30's as you can see in our photo section.

Here's my issue, we have scanned in many other years and instead of linking them to shutterfly, I want to display them more like a scrapbook so users can page through them on the site - and I need it to have zoom capability so that the older newspaper articles can be read. All the pages are .jpgs.

Do you have any recommendations? I've come across several on-line but it's hard to sort through which is the better and easier to use product."

The impression I received was it shouldn't be too costly or over complicated.

Any thoughts, thanks.

eugenetyson · 11-18-2009, 12:52 PM

Well you can layout this in InDesign Cs4 and export it to a Flash file, then you can zoom in by adding some tools in Flash later on. There would a page transition and you can choose to have the page flip like a book.

The only issue I see with this is that you have to have the jpeg images high enough quality so that they're either legible at the size in the Flash file or that when you zoom in you can read them. But this will add the file size and the length of time to download/stream the flash file.

The other way you could do it is to split the scrapbook up into manageable indesign files, and combine them in a book panel. You could make individual flash files for certain sections like "The 1930's" and so on.

You could then also offer a complete scrapbook to download and view on their own computer.

Pretty straight forward and shouldn't be too hard to implement.

The flash file could be presented on their website no problems.

jimking · 11-19-2009, 02:04 PM

Thanks eugenetyson. Your response sounds to me to be the logical approach, however, the client is looking for the easy button I think. They emailed a site pertaining to a software. What do you think of this program? http://page-flip.com/about/

Thanks
jim

eugenetyson · 11-19-2009, 02:38 PM

It looks ok. Seems you need a PDF or some sort of html structure in place.
*edit, seems like it comes with some sort of interface for making the flip book, or the pdf flipper version supports pdf files. Either way you're going to have import the images, sounds, movies etc. into some sort of layout program, be it indesign or this one or flash. I don't see what you linked to being a one button solution*

If you're going to lay it out and do a PDF, you might as use CS4 and Export it to a flash file.

Does the same thing from what I can see.

Perhaps the advantage with this (you'll have to check with the company) is perhaps they can provide analytics to which pages are being clicked the most etc. If that is needed?

Other than that there are other sites, like Issu that do the same thing, you host the file on their site though.

jimking · 11-19-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eugenetyson

I I don't see what you linked to being a one button solution*

Thanks again eugenetyson. The easy button is a US joke around the states. It pertains to advertising from a company called Staples in which they claim they are as easy as pressing a button to fulfill your needs in which they've designed a easy button and sell it. http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marke...ton/index.html

eugenetyson · 11-19-2009, 03:23 PM

That button rocks. Every keyboard needs one. Worked with a company before who's salesman would come in looking for his job. "it's not plated yet" "Why not, just press print!" Then he'd frantically press the print screen button on the keyboard. Nevermind that we have to comb through the job and fix it up before printing though. Hee hee those were fun times.

Anyway, no easy solution though. Seems the software does the same as indesign does.

I'd go with what the client wants. get a trial of the software and check how easy/flexible it is and take it from there.