Which is the best book printing service? (apple, blurb etc)

[yalag]

What is the best book printing service when it comes to color accuracy and high quality. I hear that apple doesn't even provide ICC profiles, so can I even expect to get an accurate print? Is blurb better?

Also, should I be converting my images to sRGB before making the book? Or does the photo software (Aperture/Lightroom) automatically handles this? Should I be softproofing this?

[Geoffc]

Definitely convert to sRGB for all major book companies.

I've printed a book through Adorama Pix and was pleased with the results:  http://www.adoramapix.com/app/products/books
We've done annual family books through Apple, and have been generally pleased.

I did a portfolio book for an architect through Blurb and was really disappointed in the print quality.  Felt digital, unsharp and lifeless.

[digitaldog]

I've used both Apple thought Aperture (about the only reason I use it) and Blurb. The Apple books were vastly superior. The cover and interior had the same images as a test of the print quality. They use different printers for the two. The Blurb cover and interior were way off and different. The Apple product was very close.

You can't soft proof from either source! The profiles Blurb supplies isn't used for printing so it's pointless. Aperture sends Adobe RGB data (if the originals are raws), Lightroom sends sRGB to Blurb.

[yalag]

I've used both Apple thought Aperture (about the only reason I use it) and Blurb. The Apple books were vastly superior. The cover and interior had the same images as a test of the print quality. They use different printers for the two. The Blurb cover and interior were way off and different. The Apple product was very close.

You can't soft proof from either source! The profiles Blurb supplies isn't used for printing so it's pointless. Aperture sends Adobe RGB data (if the originals are raws), Lightroom sends sRGB to Blurb.

How does this path work in either case?

For Aperture, I kind of understand the flow.

1) I edit in Prophoto rgb in Aperture (or whatever Aperture uses)
2) Aperture converts image to sends adobe rgb and send it to print
3) Printer takes the adobe rgb and converts it to the printer's gamut? (do we know what intent is used?)

For Blurb, I'm even more confused:

1) I make my edits in Melissa rgb in LR.
2) And then LR converts each photo into sRGB images and send it off to blurb.
3) I assume Blurb does not provide printer profiles so I can't really soft proof.
4) Then blurb maps the sRGB gamut back into their printer's gamut? But if it's clipped it's gone, so it'll really only print in the sRGB space?!

[digitaldog]

Aperture uses Adobe RGB (1998) I'm 98% sure.
It sends a JPEG as that working space to the printers who convert to the output color space. The rendering intent from Adobe RGB is fixed for all images. Testing might be able to determine if it's RelCol or Perceptual but it hardly matters, it's fixed.

Everything you've outlined for Blurb seems correct to me other than the part about Melissa RGB. That's the name for the color space used outside of soft proofing for the histogram and RGB values. It uses an sRGB tone curve, the internal color space which has no name uses a 1.0 tone curve. 

[yalag]

Aperture uses Adobe RGB (1998) I'm 98% sure.
It sends a JPEG as that working space to the printers who convert to the output color space. The rendering intent from Adobe RGB is fixed for all images. Testing might be able to determine if it's RelCol or Perceptual but it hardly matters, it's fixed.

Everything you've outlined for Blurb seems correct to me other than the part about Melissa RGB. That's the name for the color space used outside of soft proofing for the histogram and RGB values. It uses an sRGB tone curve, the internal color space which has no name uses a 1.0 tone curve. 

So if I am interested in getting a wider gamut print as a book, blurb will not cut it correct? Or any other service that takes sRGB files for that matter.

Other than Apple, are there other services that does not have a restrictive workflow?

[digitaldog]

So if I am interested in getting a wider gamut print as a book, blurb will not cut it correct? Or any other service that takes sRGB files for that matter.
Other than Apple, are there other services that does not have a restrictive workflow?

The issue's I've seen with Blurb are not due to gamut per se. That's somewhat important but lower on the list than consistency, good gray balance, match between different presses etc.

The only two book publishers I've used was Blurb and Apple so I can't comment on others.

[HSakols]

I've seen very good books created by Mag Cloud which now has been acquired by Blurp.  With Mag Cloud it says just use your embedded profiles.  I would check out Mag Cloud before I went with Blurp.  I guess at some point they will be the same.