P: Ability to create custom book templates/sizes from scratch

I use Lightroom to manage my photos but... Aperture to create books. The fixed templates of Lightroom are too limited. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to buy new books from Aperture in few days (and Photos uses templates). A good replacement would be an evolution of Lightroom !

Translation of Koch's comment: "We're getting a sizable kickback from Blurb so we don't want to rock the boat and have Lr users using other sources to print their books ... "

If this is not the case ... name one other module, app, plugin that Adobe has created that is locked into a single vendor.

How popular would Lightroom be if you could only print from Epson printers or only process files from a single brand of camera ... or create web galleries that only worked in one browser?

Why should we be hampered by a single vendor for books?

Sure we can export books in jpeg or PDF format ... but does anyone know of another vendor that offers top quality albums and books that will accept work created using a Blurb template?

Users should be able to set the page dimensions, margins, gutters and bleeds for whatever vendor we wish to use. 

I haven't believed Kmoch's comment/explanation from the minute she shared it. It's nothing more than pure poppycock.

Great -- It's now over 3 years later and we have... nothing!

In a topic merged with this one, Julie Kmoch, Senior Development Manager at Adobe, wrote on 10/9/2012:

Sorry, but we've decided that the approach we were originally pursuing to create custom page layouts was not something we were comfortable releasing to the public. The scripts we've built have worked well enough for our internal use but needed a lot of work before they were usable without a lot of guidance. We think it's more prudent for us to focus on enhancing the book module itself.

It's been nine months now since Kevin Tieskoetter was quoted in a blog interview about the new Book module in Lr 4.x ... in which he stated:

"Yes! All of the templates we ship with Lightroom are made using Illustrator, and I'll be documenting the process for creating those. We've also successfully made templates using InDesign and the freeware tool called Scribus, so if you need templates in different sizes, you'll have a range of options."

The full interview can be read here:

http://www.pixiq.com/article/kevin-ti...

Where is this documentation? Why are you holding back? When will this issue be addressed? Why did you design it to be a one-trick pony only supporting a single vendor in the first place? Are you choosing to intentionally force Lr users to seek other options for their book making needs?

Yes, you did offer the ability to export books to pdf or jpeg ... but ... if none of the six book vendors I do use don't use the page sizes available in the Book module ... what good is it? To this point ... the Book module, in it's current state, is just a waste of space on my hard drive and a useless feature I am expected to pay for and not implement because you (and/or the executives in charge) don't think it's important to keep your word and share how to create custom templates and page sizes.

I await your response to this matter ... of course ... if you continue to remain silent on the subject ... that too will speak volumes ...

It'd be good if we can get larger book layout sizes such as 12 x 16" and 16 x 16" as 12 x 12" as the maximum size is a little restrictive 🙂

1. I dream of exporting to PDF slideshows with music.
2. I very much hope that BOOK module will have a user custom page size

This was requested 4 years ago! Please Adobe at least COMMENT on this idea!?!

Given they do tie in with Blurb, I can't quite fathom why a standard Blurb/Mag Cloud  magazine template  format/size is not available in Lightroom? I'd love to be able to make magazines easily using the book module.

Thank you all for all your responses. I really appreciate you taking the time!  I checked out the LBRE and want to thank whoever put all the time and effort into doing that and making it available to fellow users.  I tried using it but fear I am going to run into the same problems:

I scan thousands of photos and then create books for my clients.  The books that I make tend to be Family History books where each page, while it may start from a common template,  evolves into it's own customized page - depending on the story being told by each picture or collection of pictures.     I feel like I would spend hours in LBRE enlarging text boxes or recreating photo box sizes depending on what is required for each page.

I REALLY REALLY want to keep my Asset Management (DAM) & photo editing & book design all together in one application to simplify the workflow.   Is there ANYTHING out there that would work?  I've spent hours searching to see if there are any other feasible options but there just doesn't seem to be.  What have you guys done for your own solutions and why?

My new options seem to be:
- Stick with Aperture for another year and hope it won't crash and burn.  Then reassess and hope something will have changed in the market.
- Switch to LR for the DAM and Editing.   Find a separate software system for book design and just deal with the awkwardness that comes with having to adjust photo edits and library work in a different application.  ARG.
- Cry.

I'm leaning towards sticking with Aperture but feel like I'm on a sinking ship.  

http://picturesonpages.com/gallery/family/ This is an example of what I create.  I'm not sure that I can streamline the workflow well enough in LR but don't know any other options.


Thanks, 
Lisa