Last week, I had the opportunity to test the new Professional Line photo book from Saal Digital. For this, I also received a voucher worth 100 Swiss francs. So far, I’ve always ordered my photo books from Saal Digital and have always been satisfied with the quality.
However, I had never held a Professional Line photo book in my hands before.
The book can even be ordered with an acrylic glass cover, which looks very elegant and modern. That said, the acrylic glass is quite substantial, making the cover noticeably heavier than a cardboard binding. Another downside: the glossy acrylic surface tends to attract dirt and fingerprints.
The rest of the cover is available either in leather or fabric.
The pages come in matte or glossy finishes, and you can choose between standard thickness or extra-thick pages. If you opt for the thick pages – which are more like cardboard in terms of sturdiness – the maximum is limited to 46 pages.
I decided on a 30 × 40 cm photo book with glossy standard pages. Personally, I found the thicker pages too bulky.
One particularly nice feature is the lay-flat binding, which allows both text and images to be displayed seamlessly across a two-page spread – perfect for large panoramic photos.
The format of 30 × 40 cm is also well chosen. Photos in a 3:2 ratio fit nicely on a single page.
However, at this size, the book is quite large and, with the acrylic glass cover, also a bit heavy – making it somewhat less easy to handle. Holding it in one hand while flipping through with the other is difficult, so it’s best viewed laid flat on a table.
As for quality, I can only report positive things so far. The workmanship and materials look extremely high-end.
A few years ago, I had two photo books from Saal Digital where the pages began to warp slightly in high humidity (I have a large aquarium in my living room). That should never happen! Time will tell whether the new books hold up better.
One thing that almost put me off before ordering was the high price of these books. Over 200 Swiss francs for a 42-page photo book is steep. Perhaps Saal Digital could improve on that point.
Production and delivery, however, were very fast.
All in all, it’s an outstanding product. I hope the quality lasts for many years to come and that I will enjoy it for a long time.
