1. Flush mount albums:
You may have heard flush mount wedding albums referred to as 'storybook', 'magazine type', 'digital' or 'coffee table' albums. Albums can be designed by your wedding photographer or directly by the album manufacturer. Pages are laid out using design software and may use one or more images per page. Different types of flush mount albums:
While the design process for all types of flush mounts is the same, there are variations in the way that albums are printed and bound. High quality albums are printed on photographic paper and mounted on board before binding them into an album.
Other albums (often called 'books' rather than 'albums') may be printed using a digital press system. Both types can give excellent results, though I would always recommend photographic paper for a main album. 'Flush mount wedding albums' tend to be on photographic paper, 'Digital coffee table books' or 'digital albums' are more likely to be printed using digital press. Advantages of flush mounts:
Limitless design options. Possible cost savings, compared to matted albums, especially on second albums and parent books.
2. Matted albums:
These are a more traditional type of album, photographs are mounted behind openings or apertures, bevel cut into boards (or mattes) and assembled into pages. The more expensive versions will be laid out page by page, then each matte will individually cut and bound into the album. Photos are mounted behind the mattes, framing each image in it's own aperture. As with a flush mount you can have one or more images on each page, though the design options are more limited. Prices can be quite a lot higher than flush mounts. Advantages of matted albums:
Choosing between a flush mount or matted album is a matter of personal choice, they can both look great.
