See what MNers think of CEWE PHOTOBOOK– Nikon Digital camera (RRP £169.99) prize draw for testers’ feedback!NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This thread is for the 250 Mumsnetters who tried the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK.

Here’s what CEWE say, “The CEWE PHOTOBOOK is Europe’s no. 1 photo book and recently was rated the UK’s best. With more sizes and formats to choose from than any other, the CEWE PHOTOBOOK offers a solution for everyone for all occasions.
“With our easy-to-use free software, you can create your very own personal book capturing forever those precious moments. You design the book yourself adding text, maps, clip art and even video alongside your images.

“Just recently we have launched our brand new True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK. True Matte is unique in the photo book market and offers a luxurious finish to bring out the very best of your photos.
“Whether you want to chart the early years of your little ones or capture this summer’s fantastic family holiday, there is no better way to display and share your wonderful photographs. We are proud to provide the personal touch with a professional finish, giving you a True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK to treasure forever.”

Testers, please provide your feedback by answering the following questions. Feel free to also add any other comments you might have.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

Please also remember to complete the short survey we sent to you!

Everyone who adds their feedback will be entered into a prize draw to win a Nikon Coolpix S5300 Digital Camera (RRP £169.99).

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

Another here who can't even get the software to download. Waiting for DH to return from work and I may try it on his laptop...

Q1. Overall, it was a satisfactory process. I downloaded the Mac version of the software, it was simple to install. Creating the book was straightforward but it took a lot longer than I expected. The order went through easily and it arrived in good time.

Q2. The software itself was easy to use but it kept crashing- it crashed 4 times while I was creating the book, losing the more recent formatting each time which was annoying. The background pictures were very blurry when applied to the pages on the software but they have printed fine- I was nervous that they would print how they appeared on the screen though which put me off using them.

Q3. No, this is too expensive, I would not pay more than £25 for the standard sized book. I may well use CEWE again as I am used to the software and I know that it was delivered speedily.

Q4. Yes, probably as the overall product is good. I have created mini books before with CEWE (several years ago) and they were excellent.

Q5. No, the true matt finish looks cheap- my husband commented that it looks like it had been printed on his laser printer. The images look flat and the pages show fingerprints. The cover looks nice in the matt finish but marks easily- it arrived with an arc shaped scratch on it which must have happened in processing or packing. The colours were wrong too, the contrast was much higher than on the original images- I have printed some of the photos before and they came out fine then.

Q6. I have not used a different retailer for photo books before now, I used CEWE a few years ago through Jessops. I would probably use CEWE again as the overall experience was okay.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
I like the final product, it looks very professional, love the hard cover and photos on front and back. It came very quickly. The man I spoke to on the phone was very helpful.
Creating the book took longer than I expected was reasonably easy. I however did not use many of the tools - looks like there was a lot more you could do and play with.
Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
It downloaded reasonably quickly, it was ok to use. I didn't use the assistant as when I tried it put pictures upside down etc. and I wanted them organised in a particular order for my book.
Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
I think it is a good product and looks expensive but I think it would have to be for a special present or maybe a joint present at £37.99
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I would share the book and recommend it.
Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I liked the finish in the book, but also liked the samples, I don't have a strong preference.
Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
I have used truprint to make calendars, coasters and a book before. I like to make photo gifts for grandparents so will do so again in the future. I would use which ever company offered the best value at the time.

It seems Facebook is the problem. Why does it give you the option to use Facebook photos if you can't use Facebook photos?
On one phone call I was advised to uninstall the software.
Another call I was advised that there was no reason why my pages were blank when it come to create now.
Another call I said some photos had uploaded and some hadn't he suggested it was because one had too high a resolution.
I then stopped using the assistant and on the most recent call I explained none of the photos could be dragged across if they were from Facebook and was told I couldn't use them directly from Facebook. Why on earth wasn't I told this before?

Waiting for mine to arrive, then I will answer questions. Hoping it looks good as its a lot more than I'd normally pay for a photobook!

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

Quite difficult to create and order and some of the pictures haven't come out like they looked on the screen with cropping etc being different and spoiling the picture.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
Very annoying software. Too many options to move and add etc left me bored and confused.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
I love the book that we received but the total cost was closer to £50 and I know I could never afford that price regardless of quality etc.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I Would definitely mention it and refer to the book I have received buying would add its expensive I'm afraid.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

It's very nice. I made a book for my children and it won't easily rip etc so that's a bonus.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

Have only bought photo books a few times before and always smaller and soft cover. The book I got was like a proper hard back book which I love it's just the cost that would prevent me buying another.

Active

Watching

Add post

I'm on

Search

Nope still no luck with the software. What am I doing wrong I wonder?

I am finding the software very unstable and awkward to use. I'd actually given up on it until the code was extended. I'll have another go.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to test the CEWE photobook. I have my book and it is lovely.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
The software took ages to download and open but once downloaded I found it easier and faster to use with more functionality than using a web-based process. However, it took a very long time to investigate even a fraction of the buttons available and a long time to find a button to do what I wanted to do each time. I think you can make it a lot more personalised than some books and I liked the clip art idea although there needs to be more clipart, especially of a nature type theme that is less cartoony. If I was to design another book, however, I think it would be a lot quicker now that I have got my head round the software to some extent.

The book is good quality, I like the hardcover with the photos and the pages are not flimsy.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I think it is quite easy to use but it would be overwhelming to someone less computer literate. A simpler option would be good for some people and if you wanted to make a book quickly. It took me hours to make my book, fiddling about with backgrounds and frames and clip art and there was a lot more I could have done if I had time. It is nice to have that option if you want it but equally, if you want a relatively simple book, this software would be difficult to negotiate (see comments above as well).

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

Assuming there are deals available, this isn't too bad as a starting point. I have only ever bought a photobook on a half-price offer, which probably would be half the CEWE RRP. I would purchase a CEWE photobook again on offer as the quality is good and I think I could be more efficient now I know my way round the software a bit.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, if they wanted a special book and had the time to put into it. The book is good quality and there's a lot you can do to personalise it. However, for some people, I wouldn't be able to recommend it as they would find the software too complicated.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
The True Matte is lovely on landscapes and black and white/sepia photos but I don't think the colours look very good on the colour photos and the poorest quality photos don't look great whereas glossier photos seem more forgiving of this.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
I've most recently used Tesco to do a smaller book, I prefer the standard paper of this to the True Matte for the colour photos but if I had known this in advance, I could have used the True Matte to better advantage with black and white and landscapes so I would be interested to use the standard or glossy papers for CEWE. The quality of the pages of the CEWE book is better and it is definitely a more personal product. Family have said they can tell it took a lot of time as it is so lovely. I would use CEWE over other retailers if the price was competitive.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
It took a long time but once I worked put what to do, I found the software very powerful.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
The software let me do everything I wanted and once I had played around a bit my book looked great.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, it seems a lot but is equivalent to other companies I have used before.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would as it is much better quality than others I have seen.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I find that a Matt finish always looks more professional.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
I used Blurb before and I was impressed with their books but what makes me like Cewe better is the software. It took a while to download and when using a lot of photos the programme runs a bit slowly on my computer but the options for photo placement and editing among other things are far better with Cewe.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

I think the process of putting the book together and ordering it was simple and something that I would be happy to do again. Making things like this always takes a while (especially as I wanted to do mine from scratch), so it was time consuming, but straightforward. I had no problems downloading the software.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I found it easy to use but thought the layout could have been better. The options on the left such as the picture selection and page layout could've done with being all on one page. Also, I would have preferred every single layout to be on a scroll down list rather than separate tabs for 2 photos, 4 photos etc.

The only thing that really annoyed me was that with some photos the software would place them in a box at a zoomed-in view for no apparent reason. I wasn't able to minimise them, so had to change my photo choice.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I had a book with extra pages which would've been closer to £55. I have to say that if I had paid for it, I would have felt like sending it back. Some of my photos were darkened considerably compared to how they looked on my phone and I would expect a professional looking photobook to enhance my photos, not make them worse. I would be happy to pay about £15 to £20 for what I received and no more.

I don't think I would use CEWE again, but if I did I would try the glossy paper as I think the true matte made some of my pictures really dull.

I was, however, impressed with both sides of the cover and how well my photos came across on them. They seemed much more vibrant than the pages in the book.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

No. I wasn't very impressed to be honest. I think they are overpriced and the quality of the prints is not great.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not at all. I thought it might be a bit more of a luxury finish but it actually just looked dull. Glossy would be much better. I had a few pictures of the sun sparkling on the sea and it did them no favours.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

I have used photobox before and I think I would return to them if I wanted a photobook in the future.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
Pretty good: it's a nice looking book that didn't take too much effort to make

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I found it straightforward; some features I liked (auto alignment was generally good), some I didn't (snapped pictures together when I didn't want to). I have made many books elsewhere before though, so I think for a first time user it could be a steep learning curve

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I think it's quite expensive, but that's more the nature of the books. I tend to go for smaller, more affordable sizes. I don't think other places are much cheaper

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Possibly - depending on what they look for

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I quite like it; not sure I'd pay extra for it though

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

I probably won't switch for my usual books (A5 ring binder format) which CEWE don't seem to do. Would consider it for one-off special books

Thanks for the opportunity to try this out

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
I found it fairly straightforward. I used the assistant to create the book and was happy with the suggested layout. It grouped the photo's together sensibly (I am guessing by the date they were taken). I could have spent ages fiddling around with it, but with two toddlers I do not have the time ! Overall fairly easy.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
The software only took a couple of minutes to download and I had no issues with downloading it. However, it would be easier not to have to download anything and to use you the website.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would not pay that amount. I would probably pay about £25.00 to be honest, whereas the book I received would have cost me nearer £54.24. I think I will just stick to photos in an album in future as they work out cheaper. I would not rule out another photobook if there was a good offer on though.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would probably just show people my book and let them make their own minds up. I would mention I was disappointed in the time it took to arrive. I ordered it on Thursday 16th, it was despatched on Wednesday 22nd, but did not arrive until the 28th. That seems quite slow considering postage and packing was £4.25 on top of the cost of the book.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I think I prefer gloss to be honest. I just think it seems more durable. I would worry that if this book is looked at a lot it would go tatty.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
I have used a photobook retailer before.

Thanks to MN and CEWE for selecting me

I've just ordered my book. Once we picked the pictures it was much easier to organise the photos ourselves than use the editor. Will add my review when it arrives!

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
Once we got going it was fairly simple. However it did take us a few hours to complete.
Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
It was quite difficult to download the software and then figure out layouts and designs. It was very time consuming

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
It is very expensive so probably not unless it was cheaper.
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would recommend it if they had a few hours on their hands and also spare money.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
The photos came out good but look quite dull. So I would probably go for gloss if I did another one.
Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
This is my first photobook.

I haven't forgotten but book has still not arrived.....it's a little disappointing that if you go on to track the book it doesn't actually give you any more info than that it's been dispatched, which I already know.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

I love photo books and have used a few different companies in the past. I think that the CEWE program is easy to use - particularly if you need help making it - and the process was straightforward.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

It was easy to install and quite self-explanatory to use. I think if you would like help creating your book, this works really well. Pages are easy to organise and the layouts are simple to work with. I have used other programs in the past that have had what seems to be a higher level of customisation / personalisation when it comes to themes, colours, fonts, illustrations etc. but if you want something that keeps things simple and is easy to use, then based on my experience, CEWE is a great option.

It's also really easy to add photos from different locations, such as Facebook or on your computer. This really useful if you don't tend to ssave your photos all in the same place.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

The photo book looks really good and I was very pleased with the quality and how good the photos looked printed. I do think that the price is a little high - although it is in-line with other companies offering a similar product. I think the more you customise and take time to design your book, then the better value can be had as your finished product is much more detailed, but this can take a long time to do (I spent eight hours creating one with a different company as I wanted to add so many personal details).

It is great quality and the service is very good. I would tend to wait for a special offer or voucher to be launched before ordering.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would. As I say, I've used a few different companies to make photo books and I would recommend CEWE if the person I knew wanted something that was simple to use. The end product looks great and really makes your photos come to life.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

The true matte finish felt very premium and the book had a quality feel to it.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

For ease of use, I would consider CEWE again. If I wanted to make something much more detailed or personal, I may consider another retailer I have used in the past. It depends on how much detail I'm looking for and how much time I want to spend. CEWE made it easy and I am really pleased with the result.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

Book has just arrived and is very good quality. We are all excitedly revisiting our holidays and it makes a great souvenir.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

It was a bit annoying having to download the software. There were a lot of buttons i never used/understood. I wish there was a massive 'undo' button though. It was easy to import pictures and the 'wizard' did most of it fot me. The clipart feature was good.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would look for a deal or offer and buy one then. The rrp is too steep for me

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes. The finished product looks good

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I do like the finish. It gives the photos more 'depth' (sorry non technical)

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would use whichever had an offer on, sorry

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

My photo book turned up today (28th October) having ordered it on the 20th October and being sent a dispatched email on 22nd October which I thought was quite a long time.
The process of creating my photo book was quite time-consuming although I had no technical issues downloading the software required. I am not the most technically savvy individual and personally I would have appreciated a wizard tutorial (or similar) explaining how to create the photo book. Before I had read some of the MNers feedback I didn't realise for example that you could put all of your photos in a letter shape. I also read the info beforehand and apparently you could add clip-art pictures. Again I didn't know how to do this. I also didn't realise (but did workout) that you could adjust the number of pictures on a page or make the pictures larger or smaller.
I spent a good few evenings working out how to do everything but found the ordering process itself quite self-explanatory.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I found the software easy to download although I may have been cautious doing so had I not been ordering this as a product test.
I didn't like the way you could not delete just one page from your book for example and that you had to delete or remove a number of pages at a time.
I personally found the creating process quite tricky and found I had to keep loading the photos on again if I was returning to the book the following night. A more technical person may have found this a lot easier.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I added some extra pages (my photo book was 34 in total) and with these extra pages and p&p, the total amount for this book would have been £48.24 which makes it quite a bit more than the £37.99 RRP guideline amount.
I think for a special occasion like my wedding or the birth of a baby I would be tempted to buy but would be more tempted if the cost was nearer to the £40 mark.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend the cewe photo book to friends that are more technically savvy as without instructions it was quite complicated to create.
In terms of quality of end product I can't recommend it highly enough. My photo book arrived this morning and I was thrilled with it. It far exceeded my expectations and the whole family were delighted with it.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

For my photo book personally I loved the true matte finish. My wedding photos were taken 12 years ago on a non-digital camera and did not have the best lighting. My wedding was a winter wedding in Verona, Italy so we did not have the sunshine to aid the photographs and quite a few of them were taken inside ancient buildings with murals on the walls where you cannot use the flash on a camera. They have come out beautifully on the photo book. The true matte finish has made the photographs look quite classy. I included two photographs, one of the Roman arena and one of a Verona scene and I enlarged them to take up a full page each and they look incredible with the true matte finish. I also had some digital photographs taken of our return trip to Verona with our children years later. They have also come out extremely clearly.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

I have used Tesco before to make a smaller photo book and the software was a lot more user friendly. It was a lot quicker to create but there didn't appear to be the page layout options that the cewe photo book offered. I think I would be tempted to switch to the cewe photo book especially if a wizrd tutorial was added. I do think the name of the company needs to be changed because I'm not sure how to pronounce it (q - maybe) but I cannot recommend it to friends if I can't pronounce the name of the company!

Thank you Mumsnet and Cewe for the opportunity of producing a beautiful photo book that I've been meaning to do for years.

Okay, it has arrived so I can update!

I LOVE the Matt paper, like I said, I am more of a Matt than a glossy kind of girl but this is super. I love the way it feels, it is very tactile, it feels lovely to touch.

The quality is great, some of the pics that were older were a little pixalated but that is purely down to the quality of the images but still look really good. The newer photos look great and are a superb finish.

I created it as a book for my 6 year old from birth to 6 with key events in it. First haircut, first footie match etc etc and my boyfriend almost cried when he saw it. It is so lovely and will be a good memory when he is older of how cute a baby he was (will need to review this on a regular basis when he's a stroppy teenager!)

All in all 10/10 and a big ??????

Posting an update to my earlier feedback...

Have now finished creating my book . 62 pages for £12 after deducting the voucher and I hope the printed version looks as good as on screen.

Took me a while to put it all together, but that's due in part to how our photo collection is organised.... Someday I will get around to filing my photos in a sensible way....

Overall the software is good and helpful tho I found it better not to use the assistant

I found it frustrating as the assistant grouped pictures differently to what I wanted to achieve so it was easier to work through on my own

I think the finished product should be great, having made similar books before, and love the way it makes s talking point rather than sitting down for hours of "holiday photos" as in years gone by...

It is expensive though and without the voucher or if money was tighter, I wouldn't have done it...

Thanks Cree and mindset for the voucher.., now I need to find the cash to do some wall prints too....

Put my photo book together today and the finished book looks like it should be great (will update when it arrives) but in all honesty if it hasn't been a product test and I was having to pay I would have given up and used a different site to create the book.

The software took a long time to download (oldish laptop probably partly responsible) and I found it very clunky. It also crashed on me frustratingly often.

Again being completely honest I feel I could have got the same product cheaper on another site (if I'd been paying) and I can't say that cewe would be my first choice next time I get round to making a photo book.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?
Overall I'm really impressed with the book, looks professional and well finished, at least to the same high standard of anything I've order previously from other companies. Delivery and printing took a little longer than expected (although I'm in NI and delivery always tends to!) and more of an update of where things were up to would of been nice.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I found the process a little complicated; I would have preferred a web based application rather than download it - I have limited data and the download used nearly my entire months worth! Initially I thought I would use the wizard, I selected from the file the ones I wanted to use and yet appeared to upload the entire file and duplicate some of the images in the book. It also created 192 pages, which I was able to change but it took some difficulty.

To be honest I found the entire software a bit too complicated and advanced; I am very familiar with DTP programmes and photographic editing software, and whilst I was able to use the software it just seemed a little over worked. There seemed like a lot of buttons and options and it wasn't particularly user friendly; more order or split into sections or options when you first start creating would have been good.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?
How many pages is this? how much for delivery (particularly to NI!)? - these are the bits that always make stuff more expensive than you think. I think I got 50 pages and had to pay an additional £6. The price is probably about right but to be honest I only ever get items like this (or calenders, canvases etc) when I can get an offer, money off or bogof.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I'm going to recommend it to my dad, but again he will probably only take advantage when there is an offer on. I will also warn that the software is a little complicated, but the finish is good.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?
I like it, has a bit of a vintage-y vibe which works as I used it for a wedding album. I like the matte finish but depending on the subject matter wouldn't always choose it; flashy holiday would deserve a flashy finish etc.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?
The software makes it too difficult for me, it just took too long (well over 4 hours I guess) I will probably stick with the company I already use as their software is more user friendly and they have lots of offers.

All of the above said, I am really pleased with the book; looks great and my friends and family are really going to enjoy it.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

I have never made a photobook before although have been meaning to for ages. I enjoyed making the book although I found the process of doing so a bit daunting as there were so many options and I had so many photos to choose from! Creating the book probably took longer than I anticipated because there were so many different ways to customise the book.

I was surprised about the length of time the photobook took from being dispatched to arrive - a week. If I had been paying for this I would have expected this to be quicker.

I was really pleased with the photobook when it arrived. It is of good quality and looks really professional. I'm looking forward to showing it to friends and family.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I found the software easy to use up to a point. A lot of it was intuitive and it was easy to switch between layouts, move photos around and add text. I struggled with deleting some pages and didn't appreciate that you could change features of the page e.g. enlarge or decrease the size of photos or add an additional text box until I was almost finished.

I thought there were too many different background options and would have preferred fewer. I also found it quite difficult to determine what these would look like without actually selecting them. I liked the cliparts and frames.

I also found the design of the cover pages tricky. Whilst I'd got that the blue and white mountain scene was used for places that you could put photos, I didn't appreciate that you could have a big photo over the whole of the cover pages and, when I came to order, kept getting a message that I hadn't selected images.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

I don't know how comparable the cost and quality is with other products at this is the first photobook that I've made. It does, however, seem quite expensive. I would be happy with a more basic product at a lesser cost.

I really like the photobook and would consider purchasing another book but would wait until there was an offer on.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend the Cewe Photobook in terms of customisation options and the finish. I would hesitate to recommend it on price.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I think that I would have preferred a gloss finish for the type of book that I created (family pictures) but can see that the matte finish would be ideal in other instances such as for landscapes or more arty projects.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

N/A - haven't made a photobook before.

Q1. What are your overall impressions of the True Matte CEWE PHOTOBOOK and the process of creating and ordering your photo book?

I like the idea of a photobook over a traditional album as there is more flexibility in terms of presentation. However the overall process of creating the photobook was onerous and time-consuming this was fundamentally down to the software which I will explain further in the following question. The final stage of ordering was simple and straight forward.

Q2. What do you think of the software you used to design your CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Did you find it easy to use, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I found the software very difficult to use. Initially it took a long time to load which is frustrating, the initial page could be simplified so it could load quick depending on the product the user was after. I liked the option of auto-filling the photobook as this would save time, however I wanted to reorder and move images once they were inserted and this was restricted to the double page spread i was working on, moving images throughout the photobook was very difficult. I would have like to have been able to 'shuffle' my images along one or back on depending automatically rather then moving them manually. I found it difficult to have an understanding of scale of the photos and zooming in and out was arduous. The software crashed 3 times during the process costing me time, in total I spent almost 3 days creating the album around my childcare arrangements. As I was using a laptop under 1yr old with a good processor I felt the photobook software shouldn't have crashed so often and take so long to load.

On the positive I really liked the variety of layouts and backgrounds available to choose from, they allowed me the flexibility to create a product exactly to my needs and requirements.

Q3. The RRP for the True Matte CEWE PHOTBOOK Large Landscape is from £37.99, do you think that this is good value for money, or not? Do you think you would you purchase a CEWE PHOTOBOOK again? If so, why? If not, why not?

THe price is not too bad for the product provided howeverI have created 2 photobooks previously and both easily went above 26 pages and other people I have spoken to have said the same, as such the price I would be paying at checkout would likely be more and having thought I would be able to get a photobook for £37.99 I would probably be disappointed.

Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend CEWE PHOTOBOOK to friends and/or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend CEWE Photobook to friends and family but with the warning that it would take a long time to create the photobook using the software and if you are not reasonably competent on a computer I wouldn't bother. But the overall product is very good and beautifully finished.

Q5. Do you prefer the True Matte finish to more conventional finishes, or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

I'm still awaiting arrival so will withhold judgement for now.

Q6. If you had used another photo book retailer before, how does it compare to CEWE PHOTOBOOK? Would you now switch to the CEWE PHOTOBOOK? If so, why? If not, why not?

I have only used CEWE Photobook in the past and the software issues haven't put me off however I set aside days to ensure that I can get the photobook I want and this shouldn't be the case.