PMGS Stamp Album Page Generator For Scribus V1.2

Hello,
I have started collecting trains on stamps. At the moment I am sorting them into a large stock book but I would like to place them into an album in the future.
I thought that it might be fun to design and print my own album. I downloaded and installed a program called AlbumEasy but haven't really had a chance to try it yet.
While browsing this forum I found this thread, now I am wondering if I should try PMGS instead. I would prefer not to spend time trying to learn two different programs before deciding which one to use so I was wondering what others think?
thanks,
Allen

Allen, I have used AlbumEasy just about since the day it as available and do not ant to change. It is fairly easy especially since I am already way over seventy. But since you have not yet stated - maybe look at it or a while?

Peter

AlbumEasy is less flexible.

Didn't Scott just make an album or topical train collections?

https://www.amosadvantage.com/rail-transportation

Thanks Peter, that is reassuring it is nice to hear that someone is using it productively.



Thanks apastuszak,
It looks as if the Scott album is only for North America, most of my train stamps are from Europe and Africa.
If PMGS is more flexible, should I learn PMGS rather than Album easy, in what way is it more flexible?

Thanks,
Allen

My big requirement is to have a description under the image of the stamp. And that description needs to be 3-4 sentences long. AlbumEasy was not able to provide that.

Having created AlbumEasy I guess that I am probably not the ideal person to rely on for an objective opinion when it comes to AlbumEasy vs PMGS, especially as I have never actually used the latter, my only experience of it comes from watching the video for creating a Steiner like page.

As Andy has already mentioned PMGS is more versatile. It is based on Scribus a general purpose desktop publishing package that gives unlimited flexibility when it comes to manipulating objects and text on a page.
AlbumEasy on the other hand is restricted in capability to a finite set of features. I think though that the provided features offer more than enough capability to satisfy the needs of the majority of collectors when creating their own pages. Also, I periodically try to release updated versions with new features which are mostly added as a result of user requests.

On the other hand, and this is my (not unbiased) opinion formed solely from watching the video, PMGS seems to be a far more convoluted system to learn and use. Not only does the prospective user have to become familiar with a complex desktop publishing system, but also with the PMGS spreadsheet and scripts.



Up until now AlbumEasy has been restricted to a two line description under stamp boxes. This limitation has been removed in V3.8 which I am planning to release later this week.



Clive

I like AlbumEasy because it is just that - Easy.
When I need a lengthy description under a stamp I usually just have the one example per page. Since I collect coils, a PS5 ( Plate Strip of 5 ) is not too bad on a page. Usually I get more varieties than just one of a kind anyway,


Peter

I'm anxious to try this out! I always thought it would be cool to have a repository of AlbumEasy source files that people could download and tweak to their hearts content.

Peter,
Great to hear that you are still finding AlbumEasy useful

Andy,
Hopefully you will find the changes useful, I am determined to release it this week. It has only been the documentation that has been holding up the release, but I have eventually got most of it done.

Clive

Great news Clive looking forward to the new release and see what new functionality we can try out.

Same here, looking forward to the new AlbumEasy revision. Will it allow one to print a vertical strip with individual stamps drawn parallel?

AlbumEasy 3.8 has been out several days now.
At least, I grabbed mine a couple of days ago.

Thanks so much, Clive, for this great tool!

John

BwanaBob, yes, it will print strips in any way you like. I collect plate number coils and collect them in strips of different length - no trouble!


Peter

I released AlbumEasy 3.8 a few days ago.
As I really don't want this thread to deviate any further away from the PMGS Stamp Album Page Generator topic, I am hoping that the moderator will indulge me if I start a new AlbumEasy 3.8 thread instead.

Please feel free to ask any AlbumEasy related questions there instead.

Clive

My apologies to stampmaster I didn't mean to hijack the thread.



Ray