McKenna offers two highly sought-after personalization options: imprinting and gilding. These subtle yet captivating personalization enhancements not only elevate the appearance of the Integrity Album but also add lasting value to what is already a cherished keepsake. Let’s explore how these add-ons can transform a beautiful book into a truly unforgettable professional photo album.

Foil Gilding for a Luxe Finish

Gilding is a timeless technique that adds a luxurious touch to the edges of your Integrity Album pages. After the pages are printed, mounted, and trimmed to perfection, a foil material is carefully applied to the edges. This results in a sleek, shimmering border that enhances the look of your professional photo album from every angle.

At McKenna, we offer gilding in five popular foil colors:

• • Black
  • Rose Gold
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver

Each finish offers a unique effect, whether you’re aiming for soft sophistication or bold contrast. These gilded edges not only complement your album design and cover selection but also add a layer of polish that clients will immediately notice.

Imprinting Details That Matter

When it comes to personalizing the cover or end leaf of your professional photo album, it’s the small, intentional details that matter. Imprinting adds a layer of personalization that elevates your McKenna Integrity Album and Album Box to a truly meaningful keepsake.

McKenna offers three elegant font styles for imprinting:

• • Modern
  • Italic
  • Script

These fonts were selected to suit a wide range of photographic styles—from clean and editorial to timeless and romantic. You can imprint one or two lines of foil-stamped text on the cover or end leaf using your chosen font and foil color. This gives you the flexibility to include names, dates, short phrases, or anything else that helps tell your client’s story.

For photographers who want a little more creative customization, McKenna also offers custom die imprinting! This is perfect for monograms, unique designs, or even your studio’s logo. A custom die is a metal stamp created specifically for you that can be used to press your unique design into the cover or end leaf with foil, creating a professional, high-end look that strengthens your brand and enhances the client experience. If you’re interested in creating a custom die for your photo albums, reach out to our team, and we’ll walk you through the process.

Whether you’re highlighting a couple’s initials, a baby’s birthdate, or your studio branding, imprinting adds a luxurious touch that clients will notice and appreciate every time they open their Integrity Album.

What Are Photographers Saying About Gilding and Imprinting?

Jen Lewis of Jen Lewis Photography in Blairstown, IA:

“One short phrase can hold a lifetime of meaning. “One Journey Ends, Another Begins” perfectly captures the bittersweet moment when high school closes and a new chapter full of opportunities opens.

That’s the beauty of imprinting, its simplicity. Unlike a photo, it’s a few powerful words that instantly take you back. It can be as simple as your name and graduating class year, or a phrase that shaped you and you’ll never forget.

An album filled with these memories isn’t just pages and pictures, it’s a story you can hold onto forever.”

Bridgette Kelly of Bridgette Kelly Photography in Mascoutah, IL:

“I love using McKenna’s imprinting on my Integrity Albums because it adds that extra personal touch. Having my logo beautifully imprinted in foil on the back of each client’s album not only elevates the design with a luxurious finish, but also ensures that when they share it with friends and family, my brand is showcased in the most elegant way.”

Jodi Major of AFH Media in New Cumberland, PA:

“I love being able to offer gilding and imprinting options to my clients when they order their albums. Such a classy addition and beautiful way to personalize their memories.”

“Seeing is Believing”; Showcase Your Professional Photo Album

Words can’t capture the craftsmanship and impact of a professionally designed photo album, but a sample can. Order your McKenna Integrity Album today and showcase the difference quality makes.

Choose your favorite full wrap leather cover, or upgrade to a striking Metal or ChromaLuxe Photo Cover paired with a luxurious leather spine and back. Enhance the presentation with elegant page gilding and custom imprinting to create a lasting impression. Don’t forget to complete your client’s print collection by adding an Album Box, Image Box, and Folio with matching imprinting for a cohesive presentation.

These luxurious upgrades are more than just add-ons. They’re the finishing touches that make your professional photo albums truly unforgettable. Let your clients experience an Integrity Album by showing them a sample of your work. Watch them be inspired to invest in their one-of-a-kind heirloom and increase your bottom line.

Images by Shirk Photography, Eleanor Kathryn Photography, and Jen Lewis Photography.

Reminder About Gilding: Like all finely finished materials, gilding may naturally show signs of wear over time with regular use and handling. This gentle aging is part of the charm and proof that the album is loved, shared, and cherished by the client and their loved ones.

The post Professional Photo Albums with Gilding and Imprinting appeared first on McKenna.

We are excited to announce that construction is done, and we have an official move date!

McKenna Companies Will Be Closed June 9 Through June 13, 2025.

As we mentioned in last month’s blog, we have been planning and strategizing this transition for months to create very little disruption for you, our loyal customers. We know how much you rely on us to produce high-quality products with quick turnaround times for you to deliver finished products to your clients. We always have and will continue to take that very seriously.

Important Production Dates at the Waterloo Location

Our strategic planning will allow us to continue to run our normal turnaround times as we draw closer to our move date.

The average turn time for McKenna products is 1–2 business days, with more labor-intensive products, such as Integrity Albums, that can have up to a 3-day turnaround.

Photo Albums Direct turnaround times and Zookbinders turnaround times can be found on their website.

For all orders, keep in mind the average turnaround time needed to produce your product. Be sure to order early! We will do our best to ship all orders out before the move.

Important Production Dates at the Cedar Falls Location

Leverage Printing’s production will be minimally impacted by this move. Their equipment and the staff are already in the building and will continue business as usual.

Our Plan for Reopening

While our production is paused June 9th–June 13th, our ordering software for all McKenna companies will be up and running! Continue to place your orders during this time.

We have meticulously mapped out the new facility and completed all the prep work to ensure our move goes smoothly. We have the right people in place for packing, moving, and setting up our new facility. Our entire team will be working diligently to make sure every department is fully functioning on or before Monday, June 16th.

As we get each department up and running at the Cedar Falls location for McKenna, Photo Albums Direct, and Zookbinders, we will start the production on the orders we have received. There is a good chance we will have departments up and running ahead of schedule. We will begin processing your orders in the order they are scheduled in the queue. Watch our McKenna newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.

Contact Us With Questions

McKenna Customer Service:
800-238-3456  |  info@mckennapro.com  |  Live Chat

Photo Albums Direct Customer Service:
847-291-3954  |  help@photoalbumsdirect.com

Zookbinders Customer Service:
847-272-5745  |  customerservice@zookbinders.com  |  Live Chat

The post McKenna is Moving to Our New, Larger Facility! appeared first on McKenna.

The year 1969 was a time of bell bottoms, moon landings, and, most importantly, the start of McKenna. We set out with a simple but ambitious goal: to provide professional photographers with the best prints, products, and services possible. We started in a small space, but like any good success story, we didn’t stay there long. By 1974, growth pushed us into a bigger location—one that became more than just a workspace. It became our home.

For over five decades, we’ve grown, adapted, and maybe even shed a nostalgic tear or two in our Waterloo location as photography evolved from film negatives to digital, from darkrooms to high-tech printing. We’ve produced metal prints, canvases, and more photo albums than we ever could have imagined. We’ve expanded our building several times to accommodate our production space and our ideas—always keeping one step ahead of what’s next.

2024 was a blockbuster year for us. Business boomed, new printing capabilities rolled out, and—plot twist—we brought three new companies into the McKenna family: Leverage Printing, Photo Albums Direct, and Zookbinders. With all this success came an important topic of discussion: space. We needed more of it! We faced a choice—stay in close corners in our current space or take the leap. So, we leaped!

McKenna is Moving! But Only a Few Miles…

Although our roots have always been in Waterloo, we ran out of space to build at our Waterloo location and struggled to find a space large enough to accommodate our needs. After years of looking in Waterloo, we decided we would move to Cedar Falls because of the larger industrial spaces they have to offer. When we purchased Leverage Printing in 2024, we also purchased the building it was in, and we quickly began the hard work of expanding and remodeling that location.

In the summer of 2025, McKenna is making the 15-minute move to Cedar Falls, Iowa, the brand-new home for McKenna and our entire family of brands! Our new space (which is over 2x larger!) will house our production for all our brands, our people, and plenty of room for our growth and expansion to serve you and other photographers and commercial clients into the future!

Construction wraps up in late spring, and by early summer, we’ll be settling in—carefully, strategically, and with as little disruption to your workflow as possible. We know how much you rely on us, and we take that seriously! We’ll keep you posted every step of the way.

This move isn’t just about more space—it’s about building the next chapter of McKenna’s legacy. It’s about continuing to push boundaries, innovate, and, most importantly, serve you with the same quality and dedication we always have.

So, here’s to new beginnings, big moves, and even bigger dreams. We’re ready for what’s next—and we’re bringing you along for the ride. Watch for updates in our email newsletter as well as social media posts for blog updates as we share more details and important production dates in the upcoming months.

The post McKenna’s Next Chapter: Big News About a Big Expansion! appeared first on McKenna.

Our Growing Family

This year was especially exciting as we expanded our offerings to better serve you by welcoming three exceptional companies into the McKenna family of brands:

• Photo Albums Direct offers thin and thick page albums crafted for professional photographers providing even more options for you to showcase your client’s favorite images.
• Zookbinders specializes in high-end, luxury photo albums. Their acrylic cover Zook Book is a customer favorite. We’ve moved their production facility to Iowa while proudly maintaining their exceptional customer service team.
• Leverage is a local commercial printer working with businesses nationally to offer print solutions such as large print runs, variable data printing, direct mail, and marketing materials. We are thrilled to continue operations in their Cedar Falls, IA location with their dedicated staff.

These additions enhance our ability to support you, professional photographers and creative businesses, with a comprehensive suite of premium products and services. Together, these additional brands represent our commitment to meeting your needs with quality, innovation, and care.

Looking Ahead

Going into 2025, we are energized by the opportunities to continue expanding and delivering exceptional products and services. Our goal remains steadfast: to provide you with innovative, top-quality products to showcase your client’s important moments. 

From my family to yours, and from everyone in the McKenna family of brands, we wish you a Merry Christmas, a joyous holiday season, and a prosperous New Year!

Jared Mason
President of the McKenna Family of Brands

Image by Nancy Steele Portraiture.

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