First 2 volumes
I have taken delivery of the first two volumes of the printed blog (2011 and 2012) and I have to say that I am thrilled with the result. It has been a lot of work – particularly 2012 which was 184 pages – but worth every minute. It will be a keepsake for us and anyone who cares about our travels (siblings and children, mostly). The books were not cheap. In quantities of 10 they worked out to nearly $6 and $24 per copy, respectively.
I used staples for the 2011 volume because it was just 28 pages, but chose the spiral binding for the larger 2012 volume. I think that was an excellent decision as it reduces wear-and-tear on the binding when being read. That should improve the longevity of the booklet. I will use spiral binding for any additional volumes of more that 50 pages.
I was also thrilled both with the quality of the paper (70# silk finish) and the cover (100# silk finish). The vivid colors in the photographs and the overall clarity of the images were also more than satisfactory.
Example of high-quality images
My printer is printi.com, in case you were thinking of doing a similar thing. Highly recommended.
2013 is at the printer now.