SmileBooks Online Photo Book Review

This SmileBooks Online photo book review is based on their online photo book software. Smilebooks also offers a uses an downloadable version and the software review is at Smilebooks.

Many photo book printers offer either an online program or one that you can download. This is the first printer I've seen that offers both! The online photo book software has similar features to the downloadable version, but is missing just a little bit of some features. What it misses in features is made up in the ability to collaborate with other people to make a book. One collaborative feature is full integration with Facebook, Flickr, or Picasa. I was able to take pictures from my Facebook albums or any of my friends albums. The only problem is that these pictures have a low resolution and will only look good in small pictures in your book.

You have three choices when starting a book: creating a personal photo book, a community photo book, or a shared photo book. This is the height of collaboration and ranks the highest of any of the photo book printers we have reviewed.

As with the downloadable software, you have an almost unlimited number of layouts and more backgrounds than you could possibly use. You can also use your own photos as page backgrounds. The only feature that is not as functional as the other version is the ability to edit your photos.

There is no Photo Book Assistant that creates the book for you in Smilebooks Online. I usually choose to do it myself, so this is not a personal issue. If you like the speed and ease of having the Photo Book Assistant put your book together you will need to use the downloaded photo book software.

The paper that Smilebooks Online uses is 135 lb. This is thicker than most photo book printers who use 100 lb. paper. The books have twenty-six pages, where most printers have twenty.

Updated: January 27, 2010

Smilebooks Online Photo Book Review

What is the Quality of the Photo Books?

The review on this page only reviews the software that you use to make your photo book. In order to review the quality of the photo book you receive or the quality of any help please go to Photo Book Experiences. Here you will find what other people have said about this printer/publisher.

The quality of these comments are only helpful if Make Your Own Photo Books site visitors take the time to leave comments about their experiences. Please pay it forward to other site visitors by taking the time to leave a comment (good or bad)if you have made a photo book.

Comparative Photo Book Software Review

Background Themes	Numerous
Layout Variety	Over 170 layouts
JPG as a Background	Yes
Digi-Scrapbooking Friendly	Yes
In-book Editing	Limited.
Text - Variety and Full Page	Add unlimited text to each page
Embellishments and Corners	Yes
Full-Page Bleed	Yes
Final Grade	A