KUALA LUMPUR: Humans are social animals – we make friends, meet, hang out, and take pictures of each other to keep as memory.

But what happens to those pictures after we’ve taken them? Most of them end up on Facebook, or worse, buried in hard-drives, never to be seen again.

To avoid losing photos, and our memories along with them, Album Nine is encouraging the public, especially the younger generation, to print photobooks.

“Don’t just keep your photos on Facebook. Print out your photos and surprise your parents with them,” said Album Nine (M) Sdn Bhd sales manager Ong Tee Li.

Photobooks are perfect for elderly parents who enjoy looking at photos during their free time, who are not computer-savvy and might not even have a Facebook account.

Also, looking at the photos now might not be as impactful as when the photobooks are passed on to future generations as priceless sentimental heirlooms.

“The price that you pay for the photobook now cannot compare to when you have kids, and pass it on to them,” Ong said.

Album Nine makes photobook creation easier and more convenient with a group of designers who will use customer-submitted pictures to create works of art.

From weddings, to convocations, vacations, product catalogues, and baby-themed photobooks, their designers will use a wide array of techniques to tell a story.

When submitting pictures, either through the company’s website or by sending physical copies to their office, customers can also choose themes for their photobook.

They have a variety of themes like border and masking, merging, clipart, colour, and floral to choose from – all of which are patterns that the photos will be arranged by.

Once the photos have been submitted, and the photobook designed, customers will receive an electronic preview in their mail which can be flipped from page to page.

The design and photos can still be edited, including the addition of photo captions and messages into the photobook, before it is finalised and printed out.

There are two different qualities of print to choose from – digital and photo finished, where the latter is more expensive but of a higher quality.

Photo finished albums are glossier, look brighter and more colourful, and last longer than digital finished albums.

Various sizes are also available from Pico Portrait measuring 205mm by 148mm to A4 Landscape measuring 297mm by 210mm to 12” by 12” Square measuring 305mm by 305mm.

Interestingly, a unique technology now provides photobooks the ability to open and lay completely flat, aptly named “Layflat”, without any image loss.

Normal magazine-style photobooks, when its pages are opened, tend to curve in towards the spine of the book.

With Layflat technology, the photobooks can showcase wide landscape and panoramic photos which run continuously from the left page to the right without any breaks in the middle. 

Large group photos can also be expanded and placed in photobooks using this technology – it will now be easier for viewers to find specific persons in a crowded group picture.

Album Nine photobooks started three years ago and, while having launched their line of photobooks, are now introducing other photo-printable products.

 In a bid to expand their reach of photobook offerings throughout the country, Album Nine is launching photo collection centres which will be manned by retail and business partners.

Interested parties need only an investment of less than RM10,000 and they will be supplied with a kiosk, sample photobooks and a laptop.

They are already in discussions with several agents who have their own photo outlets and are planning to place the Album Nine kiosk in their shops.

The kiosks could then act as promotional outposts where customers are educated on the benefits of photobooks and collection centers where customers can drop off their photos and collect their photobooks upon completion.

Many more kiosks are expected to mushroom around the city with the company themselves having set up booths at the Kuala Lumpur International Gifts, Premium and Stationery Fair and Matta Travel Fair.

For more information on creating photobooks and business opportunities with Album Nine, visit nine2u.com.my.