theuerkorn's Full Review: Epson StoryTeller Photo Book Creator - 5" x 7" (10...
Scrap booking and computer nerds are typically two different things. And while one might admire the other for their abilities, it took a while until they virtually merged. Well, at least to some degree is it now possible to create attractive photo albums with your computer and then print and bind them for that professional look.
IN A NUTSHELL
StoryTeller Creator finally puts the photo printer like the Epson Photo Stylus R260 to good use. Afterall, it allows to print your pictures (full page or multiple pics per page) and nicely fit them in a binder to create a professionally looking book.
There isn't much story to tell on only ten pages, and there is no opportunity to extend it any which way. Yet, creating a book including cover from your pictures, with your personal notes can hardly be any easier. The software (by ArcSoft) is dated 2005 and I have not seen any recent update, but that doesn't reduce its basic functionality and user friendliness.
The book itself is easy to work with and printing the pages is easily done with any graphics software. Once the pictures are printed, they attach to the binding and the cover completes your first self-made book. Possibilities are virtually endless from creating your own children's book or vacation memory or simply document an important event in your life (i.e. child birth) and distribute them to your family.
Storyteller is best with Epson printers for the only reason that the paper is designed for their ink. The possibility is relatively high though that any other inkjet printer works as well with nearly the same quality.
DETAILS
Paper: [****-] - The included 12 pages of glossy photo paper are equivalent to Epson's standard glossy photo paper and prints about the same (quality and wear resistance). Just make sure to select glossy photo paper when using software other than the included one which checks the paper type to fit the Storyteller. Overall paper quality is good, though not as extreme as the Ultra Premium Glossy Photo Paper regarding overall reproducible detail and wear resistance. The cover material is thinner to easily bend in shape, while the thicker pages are easier to keep straight. The cover is preformed and sloppy paper feed of a printer might cause problems with the paper touching the heads or simply when try to feed straight.
Software: [****-] - I only glanced quickly over the included software (by ArcSoft), which is great for beginners or intermediate users since it allows for good layout functions in simple templates. After selecting the pictures, StoryTeller allows to perform minimal corrections like rotating, sharpening, red eye, brightness, contrast and several color effects. The templates then provide place holders where you drag and drop your pictures and enter a title. The templates can be mildly customized, but don't offer free form layout or masks to eliminate unwanted background. I generally prefer my graphics applications and both Adobe's Creative Suite CS2 and Corel's CorelDraw X3 Suite can be easily adopted to the non-standard sizes of both the included pages and the cover. So for beginners the included software is a great helper, but advanced users are more likely to rely on their favorite graphics software.
Durability: [****-] - The longevity of a print depends on both the ink as well as the paper. The included photo paper is of archival quality, which means that with the proper ink (i.e. Claria) it can maintain most of its quality over 200 years. That also means that UV exposure is limited and handling wear (rub-off and smudge) is minimized. Though other ink might work, it is recommended to use the Storyteller paper in Epson printers like the Epson R260 for best results (due to the critical combination of ink and paper properties). Other vendors may be similar but would have to be tried out. (i.e Canon's printers) The internal pages are relatively protected during storage, while the cover might be exposed to more tear-n-wear and especially UV. Expect some fading if you insist to place it into bright light over a prolonged time period. (The UV rating at archive storage assumes effective UV protection.)
Ease of use: [*****] - Basically there very little to be considered when using the Storyteller. The pages are individual sheets of regular photo paper and would be printed as such. The cover pretty much falls into the same category, but is different in the sense that it's just a really long page and if you're using a different software, you have to consider the orientation of front and back. The complications of printing borderless (i.e. smudging or ink transfer) are not specific to any particular product. Epson included two spare pages for print tweaking and one extra cover. If you're absolutely new to the process, it may pay off to cut some regular paper to the Storyteller's dimensions and practice first (since there are no single pages or covers sold). Assembling the pages to the binding is relatively easy, since the pages simply stick to the book. The biggest challenge might be to fix the pages nice and square, but that's nothing basic craft skills couldn't handle.
Cost: [****-] - When purchasing an Epson R260 printer, a rebate coupon over $19.99 is included for the purchase of a 5x7 Storyteller photo album. So there is no risk in giving it a try, should you plan to upgrade your printer anyway. The 10 pages pretty much translate this into a seemingly expensive alternative to actual photos since a single page runs almost $2. Though that would ignore the included binding and printable cover. If you're not into that kind of organization or if 10 pages is not enough, the Storyteller may not work for you. For us, it was the perfect format to prepare a Baby diary of our developing offspring for my mother (a nice gift idea). Epson offers a so-called refill kit which is basically the same content, but material for two instead of one books and without the software. Many stores don't offer the refill though.
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