Pinhole (Im)Press(ed)
I love photography and have approximately a bajillion digital photos sitting on my hard drive, but I definitely struggle with helping these images see the light of day (it wasn't until just before Violet's first birthday that I finally got a photo of her on the wall...doh). So I'm always intrigued to learn about easy ways to turn photos into gifts and art, particularly since Laurel and Violet's grandparents love photo gifts. Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares her experience testing out (for the second time, actually) Pinhole Press. Read on for Lindsey's report, as well as to learn how to win a $100 gift certificate to Pinhole Press!
From Lindsey:
Last year I tried to make a photo book with Pinhole Press and I was utterly stymied by the experience. I loved what I could see of their products and found their spare aesthetic elegant and differentiated, so I was frustrated. After calling customer service I was told that sometimes iPhoto simply "didn't work" with their interface. I was disappointed because I liked the few products I'd seen in person -- a handful of holiday cards -- and really liked the look of their site.
Well, I tried again last week and I have found the photo product promised land. Online interface kinks apparently ironed out, working with my photos on Pinhole Press was a pleasant and simple experience. It felt like a totally different site. I made a cloth-bound photo book, note cards, and note pads and in each case the interface was smooth and intuitive. It was easy and quick to both upload photographs and manipulate them within the product designs.
And then the products arrived and quite honestly they took my breath away. The hard-bound photo book is absolutely beautiful, worthy of being displayed in the living room next to the fanciest Rizzoli coffee table book. The paper is thick and creamy, the photo quality sharp, and Pinhole Press's clear design, which I had admired on the website, was even more compelling in person. The stationery cards were lovely, printed on thick stock, had a large photo on the back and a simple border and our name on the front. And the note pads are charming: the covers have two photographs and a short text box, and each page has a narrow border of photograph along the bottom and words at the top. All of these products would make great gifts.
I can't recommend Pinhole Press highly enough. Using their site is easy. The range of products they offer is wide without being overwhelming; there aren't 14 pages of card designs to click through, for example, but instead a tightly-edited selection, all lovely, classic, and timeless. Their products are not inexpensive, but they are extremely high quality. I will return to the site for gifts and books to commemorate trips my family takes.
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Rebecca!
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Now, want to win a $100 gift certificate to Pinhole Press? Check out the rules below and enter to win!
Rules:
*One lucky winner (selected using Random.org) will receive a $100 Pinhole Press gift certificate. The winner will be listed here, using first name only.