In order to organize and conveniently display your favorite pictures of family, friends, pets, and travel, you need albums. There were many sizes and shapes on display with a host of color variations, textures, and themes. For those precious few images worthy of even more prominent display, there were lots of frames for single or multiple images.

There were also numerous "albuming" software packages, including one from Album Design Software. It provides more than 560 templates that are re-sizable to any album size and they are "flipable." There is no learning curve and it works within Photoshop. It's a solution for magazine, coffee-table, flush-mount, and matted albums from any manufacturer. Log onto their website (www.albumds.org) for a demo.

Colorful Frames

Colorful Frames really lives up to their name, as this line of products is vividly bold and colorful. Most versions are available for 4x6" to 8x10" prints, have a variety of shapes and patterns, and lots of different, bright colors. New models of these made in the U.S.A. molded plastic products are the Funky 4x6", with lots of soft curves inside and out, and Textures, which have a broad edge of soft material around the more conventional rectangular opening. They have an easel back for standing alone or wall hanging.

Dennis Daniels had an interesting line of albums. Their newest offerings include the Bambino baby albums for single 4x6" or two-up 4x6" prints per archival page in four colors and two styles. The Monterey is 8x8" or 12x12" in six colors and is primarily for scrapbooking. The Havana album binding consists of leather and fabric, is available in three sizes for one 4x6", two 4x6", or three 4x6" prints per page, and there are two colors. The Bella album is for weddings and anniversary pictures. The Cloe is a flip book for 4x6" prints that's offered in five colors. The leather-bound Gramercy for scrapbooking is available in 8x8" and 12x12" sizes.

Everyday Expressions

Everyday Expressions (from Boulder Innovations) offers an extensive line of single and multiple image frames, many of which have a variety of available elegant or baby phrases imprinted in script onto the body of the frame. In addition, any custom phrase can be placed on any frame size or color.

Three-up 8x10" or 8x8" on one frame costs $60. Six-up 8x8" runs $80.

Malden International Designs

Malden International Designs has a broad offering of albums for quantities of 24 up to 200 photos per album, mostly for 4x6" prints. There are a variety of covers in suede, silver, woven fabric, and leather in different colors and some have openings in the front for one photo. New are baby albums in pink or pale blue that hold 100 4x6" prints in archival pages that have an area for written memos and a pocket in the back for a CD. A similar white version for weddings is available.

Neil Enterprises, Inc. self-stick album

Neil Enterprises Inc. has a new line of self-stick albums for prints with eight sizes, ranging from 2.5x3.5" up to 8x10" in vertical orientation and square album sizes from 5x5" to 10x10". They feature thicker pages and full-page adhesive, hold 10 or 20 photos, and come with a presentation box.

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