Mac:Method is selling Aperture book templates. The format that Apple uses in Aperture is not documented, but it is straight forward and easy to adapt and build on. There is always a risk that installing the next update will break this kind of add-on, at least for a short time while the developers catch up.

Another way to jazz up Aperture's books is with graphics, frames, textures, and backgrounds. Gina Miller sells all of these. Using the wash feature of Aperture's books backgrounds can be desaturated so they don't overpower the images. Here is an example of a coordinated kit that contains many elements that can be used together in a book:

In my own book examples I specifically took pictures of some things so that I could use them as backgrounds and textures. The result was the pebble background that I incorporated on some pages.

Mike Franklin has been testing the quality of photo books created by a number of different suppliers: Blurb, Apple, Viovio, and MyPublisher.

Apple has a long and useful Knowledgebase article all about setting up and optimizing your printer, your system, and Aperture for printing.

Submitted by Jim DeWitt to Macintouch:

I struggled all weekend to upload an Aperture photo book to Apple Print Products. I was not successful. The following tip from Apple Print Product Customer Service solved the problem, so I thought I'd pass it along:

1. Quit Aperture.

2. From the Finder menu, choose Go > Utilities to access your Utilities folder (or press Shift-Command-U).

3. In your Utilities folder, launch the Keychain Access application.

4. Find the iNetServicesi entry in your Keychain Access window.

5. Select the iNetServicesi entry and press the delete key.

6. Relaunch Aperture and attempt to place your order again.

7. You should be prompted to enter your account information if you deleted the keychain entry successfully.

8. After entering your account information, you should be able to complete your order.

Customer Service's message suggests this is a known problem and that Apple is working on a real fix, instead of this workaround. In the meantime, maybe this tip can spare somebody else a weekend of headaches. And credit to Apple for a prompt response to my complaint.

[Update: Aperture 1.5.2 is now available and provides an option to scale or not scale the watermark, so this tip is no longer needed]

Watermarks are broken in Aperture 1.5.1. They are added before the image is scaled, so end up being tiny if you reduce for export. This means that all of the export presents in 1.5 are not usable for now.

Aperture 1.5 did this:

And Aperture 1.5.1 does this:

Victor Maldonato has a workaround, posted in Apple's Aperture forums. Create a watermark as big as your biggest image and use that. To keep the image file size down make sure that the watermark image consists of text plus transparency only (no background).

User ramonr posted the script below on the Apple Aperture forums. It exports all your images that are in albums in the project you choose. I've not tried it myself.

I have a generalized script - it assumes that any pictures are in albums (rather than in just subfolders) but it will walk you down as many levels as you have.

tell application "Finder"
set location_1 to (choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder to export into") as text
end tell

tell application "Aperture"
set x to name of every project
choose from list x with prompt "Choose a project to export"
set theP to item 1 of result
tell application "Finder" to make new folder at alias location_1 with properties {name:theP}
tell project theP
set initflist to every subfolder
set initalist to every album
if initflist is equal to {} then
processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me
else
if initalist is not equal to {} then
processAlbums(initalist, location_1 & theP) of me
end if
processSfolders(initflist, (location_1 & theP)) of me
end if
end tell
end tell

on processAlbums(alist, apath)
tell application "Aperture"
repeat with a in alist
tell a
set theimages to every image version as list
set thename to name of a
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder thename in alias apath) then
make new folder at alias apath with properties {name:thename}
end if
set destination to apath & ":" & thename & ":"
end tell
with timeout of 6000 seconds
tell a
set settings to "JPEG - Original Size"
export theimages using settings to alias destination
end tell
end timeout
end tell
end repeat
end tell
end processAlbums

on processSfolders(flist, fpath)
tell application "Aperture"
repeat with a in flist
set thename to name of a
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder thename in alias fpath) then
make new folder at alias fpath with properties {name:thename}
end if
end tell
tell a
set sAlist to every album
set sflist to every subfolder
if sflist is equal to {} then
processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
else
if sAlist is not equal to {} then
processAlbums(sAlist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
end if
processSfolders(sflist, fpath & ":" & thename) of me
end if
end tell
end repeat
end tell
end processSfolders

Clint Thayer posts at DPReview this advice for getting printer color correct with Aperture:

Aperture is unique in that it contains a wide gamut space natively. There is no need to set up a "color space" within Aperture since it will encompass any space you throw at it.

But- getting the most from it means a few adjustments might be in order. I have found that since I repurchased Aperture, I am getting terrific printed results from it now. But only after I discovered a few items that enabled me to pre-calibrate my entire workflow from image acquisition to final printing.

If you haven't already done so, here are a few things that may help:

1. Recalibrate your Mac Monitor for 2.2 gamma (Aperture loves 2.2 gamma). Use the Mac monitor calibration feature built in to Mac OS if you don't have a custom program to do so. Choose 65K white point. Your clients are likely going to use 2.2 gamma for on-screen proofs, and you'll find a better match between what you see in Aperture and what you print.

2. Choose Wide Gamut RGB in Aperture's proofing profile. This will most closely simulate the cameras widest color range and is the closest match to viewing Adobe RGB.

3. Aperture always converts the color space to sRGB when exporting to JPEG, TIF or PSD. However, there is a single exception: When choosing a RAW Adobe RGB image for EXTERNAL EDITING (round trip to photoshop), the TIF or PSD image presented in Photoshop maintains the Adobe RGB color space- and that expanded color space is brought right back into Aperture as a version when you save.

So, it is best for printing if you can work within the largest gamut possible and preserve the highest level color space. That's why its best to print directly from Aperture and not from an exported version that has been converted to sRGB. And Aperture is the best reason for shooting AdobeRGB in camera.

4. Set up printer color management and presets:

When possible, use ICC paper profiles and TURN OFF printer color management. Aperture's 32 bit engine works best when fully exploiting true paper profiles- and is weakest when using built-in printer color management which can result in some of the complaints we've been hearing about.

I use the Canon i9900- and here is what I do as an example:

A. Open print dialogue box or print presets.
B. Click "printer settings" and TURN OFF printer color managment AND select the proper paper type. Click done.

C. Select your PAPER SIZE in Aperture dialogue.
D. Always choose Portrait or Landscape-- Don't choose best fit (It's unpredictable)

E. Under ColorSync Profile, select the ICC paper profile that matches the paper you are using. In my case I selected Canon i9900 SP1 (which is pro glossy).

F. Make sure Black Point Compensation is ON.
G. Choose a Gamma of 1.15
H. Choose Fit Entire Image under layout options. This will give you the maximum resolution without cropping the image (if that is what you want to do). Or scale the image to a smaller size. Aperture will adjust up or down the native image according to your paper size. Don't worry about DPI or printing resolution. That is accomplished internally according to your settings.

I. Make sure Border Options slider is all the way to the left.
J. Click SAVE AS from the left panel and choose a name for your new preset.

And, while you are at it, do a few more SAVE AS routines for all the paper sizes that you use. So I have set up (4) of them called "Canon Pro Glossy 13 x 19 landscape", "Canon Pro Glossy 13 x 19 portrait", "Canon Pro Glossy letter size landscape", and "Canon Pro Glossy letter size portrait".

Aperture REMEMBERS EVERYTHING under these set-ups INCLUDING your printer settings set up. All you need to do is select your preset and forget it.

Now, load your paper, choose your preset and PRINT. What I have found is the best color matched viewed images to printed images I have ever worked with. And its easy to do.