Q: I've heard of Flush Albums, Coffee Table Books, and Magazine Style Books. What is the difference?

The terms are being used to describe all types of albums, in every available quality and style. There are big differences, and it can be confusing. Traditional Flush Mounted Albums usually have the type of cover that Traditional Matted Albums have. The prints are all one size, and they are simply mounted flush from edge to edge on each page without matting. There is no creative ability with backgrounds, fading, use of multiple tones, shapes, graphics, etc. You simply have, for example, 1 - 10x10 inch print that went from edge to edge on a page. The traditional covers usually have page inserts or a type of cloth binding material tape that adheres two pages facing each other together.

Flush Mount Modern or Contemporary Albums/Books can have traditional style album covers or hard book covers. The hard cover albums are more expensive. They are more contemporary in design. Page designs can include the use of various backgrounds, (backgrounds with image overlays, multiple images, panoramic prints, graphics, text, shapes, or toned prints on the same page as color or black and white prints, etc). The highest quality Flush Mounted Contemporary Albums will have thick pages and invisible hinges where the pages are bound to the cover. The pages will be actual photographic prints, not just images printed onto paper stock pages. The pages/photographs will have been sprayed with a protective lacquer coating; the edges will be gilded in gold, silver, black or white.