HI, It would be nice if we can create the new lay flat books from blurb directly in Lightroom. This can use the same templates, though adding some extra lay-outs for the lay flat books would be appreciated (2 side spread pages).
Had a very unpleasant surprise when I discovered that features available in Blurb are not supported in LR Classic CC. May have to switch book making software.
Indeed, Adobe has invested little in the book module since it was first released. Going forward, Victoria Bampton (Lightroom Queen) wrote, "Future development of Lightroom Classic is being refocused on improving performance and enhancing the editing tools." So the minimal focus on fixing bugs and improving features (other than in Develop) over the past many years will be even more reduced.
Perhaps Blurb can add this option to their 'Order' interface when ordering a book. You can already change paper and end sheet in the ordering process. Blurb offered me "Lay Flat" for reprints of a book I already had printed, so it's up to Blurb I think. Nothing needs to change in the Lr Book Module. Double-page spreads are still Double-page spreads in Lay-Flat. (Layflat paper page limits are between 20-110 pages.)
Blurb Quote: Photo books just got an upgrade! Photo books with Layflat paper make
great gifts for holidays, anniversaries, weddings, or any other special
occasion. Layflat paper allows images to spread across a two-page
spread, allowing your images to take center stage and make a bigger
impact. Now, I know what you might be thinking, “I already made this
book, I don’t have time to recreate it,” which is where the best part
comes in: You can easily reorder any of your existing photo books with
the Layflat paper option.
Unfortunately, your second sentence is incorrect, with respect to initially creating the book in LR and uploading directly to Blurb. If one chooses Premium Matte or Lustre, those remain the only options when finalizing the -initial- order on Blurb. If one chooses a ProLine option, the choice is restricted to uncoated or pearl.
Nowhere does layflat become an option at initial order time. Yes, I just tried this out.
And while reodering may provide this option, as long as it's not an option at initial order time there remains a problem that Adobe and Blurb together need to fix. But my money's on Adobe because they're going to need to present the option to the user, and handle related details.
It may be possible to select the Layflat paper option using the LR Book module's PDF Export function. This creates two PDFs (Cover & Pages), which can be manually uploaded to your Blurb account using 'PDF To Book' on Blurb's website . For more information scroll down to'For existing books made with PDF Uploader' in this Blurb article on 'Reordering an Existing Photo Book with Layflat Paper.'
Layflat books are limited to 20-110 pages maximum so keep that in mind. Blurb also says, "Carefully inspect the preview, as the Cover may need to be re-sized and elements may move slightly. If you decide to create a new Cover PDF for your book with layflat paper, see our Specifications Page to get exact dimensions."
It appears the cover PDF is the only part of the book layout that requires modification. This is due to the thicker Layflat double-pages, which increases the width of the binding. If your cover and pages look OK in the Blurb online preview then you should see that results in the printed Layflat book copy. If not you can try modifying the book cover layout inside LR, upload the revised PDFs and check the preview again.
Thanks Todd and Gary for your comments. I have never sent any of my books to Blurb with PDF uploader, I always [Send to Blurb] from the Lightroom Book module interface. (Does this achieve the same result?) The fact that Blurb offered (in an email) to print my "Existing Book" as LayFlat led me to believe that it might be possible for a simple option on the Blurb ordering page. I could not see any reference to Layflat at- http://www.blurb.com/make/pdf_to_book/booksize_calculator#book-attributes I look forward to Adobe making it a simple option in the Lr Book module.
That page is only helpful if you're using InDesign or Acrobat Pro, which allow editing the cover layout dimensions. For the LR Book cover PDF you will need to do this manually based on what you see in the uploaded PDF on Blurb's website. The wider binding when using layflat paper will cause placed photos and text on the cover to shift slightly towards the binding. You can move these placed items slightly in the LR Book module if necessary, upload the revised PDF, and check the preview again on Blub's website. As I mentioned the cover may look fine without any changes depending on your cover layout.
Try uploading your LR Book PDFs at the Blurb 'PDF To Book' link, select the Layflat paper option, and check the cover preview.
PLEASE make this a priority! I was so excited to see Blurb added the lay flat option! So excited, in fact, that I built my very first Blurb book in Lightroom two weeks ago only to find that I could not order lay flat? WTH? I couldn't believe it, after hours of laboring over getting my first, ever Blurb book via LR just right. So upset. I never thought LR wouldn't have been able to manage lay flat once Blurb thought of doing it, isn't there a partnership here? Thanks....frustrated.
A few days ago, I read on Blurb's support area that doing this was not recommended from Lightroom to Blurb as the pdf file dimensions would be slightly off. Now that I have searched for it again on Blurb, it seems to mysteriously be missing, I will keep searching and share here if I find it. Thanks for the suggestion tho.
It's really important to read most or all of the comments above which already address the idea of exporting from LR to a PDF.
If LR doesn't understand that layout of the book, especially the cover, as well as how the pages join, then creating a PDF isn't adequate. No amount of "work around" is going to get you a good result.
So what Valerie points out (again) is (still) correct.
The only solution is to use the blurb tool. I just did this, excellent results, not difficult, other than having to collect and export my images as large, hi-res files. The end result was worth it.
Don't waste your time on layflat layer. I just order one, the result is awful... And I was really happy with the "usual" print option. The layflat come from another printing company .
Mine was brilliant: vivid, exact color, robust paper, and a smooth cover.
None of which matters as it's off-topic. This thread is about LR supporting a Blurb configuration, not whether we like the resulting product. And good or bad, it would be nice if the option were available.
I've just attempted this and still having the same issue. And received the same response from Blurb - Adobe is responsible for the Book module within Lightroom. Blurb will be working with Adobe to see if they will add support for Standard Layflat Paper.
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