How to make a photo book that prints sharply
Pick a print size, cut your photos to about two or three per page, put them in order, check each one has enough pixels for its printed size, then proofread a full preview before ordering.
A photo book is printed from files, so most problems are decided on screen: a blurred enlargement, a face lost in the fold, a name spelled wrong on page 14.
Choose the book's size and the printing service first. Their page sizes, minimum page count and file rules shape every later choice.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages.
| Printed size | Pixels at 300 ppi | Uncropped 12 MP photo, 4032 by 3024 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 by 4 inches | 1800 by 1200 | Enough, with room to crop |
| 7 by 5 inches | 2100 by 1500 | Enough, with room to crop |
| 8 by 8 inch full page | 2400 by 2400 | Enough once cropped to a square |
| 10 by 8 inches | 3000 by 2400 | Enough, with little room to crop |
| A4 page, 210 by 297 mm | 2480 by 3508 | Enough if used upright |
| 12 by 12 inch full page | 3600 by 3600 | Short side gives about 250 ppi |
| Two 12-inch pages as one photo | 7200 by 3600 | Long side gives about 170 ppi |
Cut the selection before you design
Make a folder for the book and copy candidates into it, leaving originals where they are. Aim for roughly twice the photos you can use, then halve it.
Remove near-identical frames first. From a burst of five, keep the one with open eyes and a clear face, not all five at a smaller size.
- Keep one wide shot that shows where you were.
- Keep close details that the wide shot cannot show.
- Drop photos whose only reason is that they exist.
- Note any photo you must enlarge; it needs a resolution check.
Check pixels against printed size
Book Printing UK advises supplying images at 300 dpi. Multiply each printed dimension in inches by 300 to find the pixels a photo needs.
Cropping removes pixels. A phone photo cropped to half its width can only fill half the printed width at the same quality, so check crops, not just the original file.
Keep faces and words out of the fold
In a bound book the centre of a spread curves into the binding. Avoid placing a face or a line of text across the middle of a two-page photo.
Leave text and important detail well inside the trim. The printer cuts the page to size, and anything at the very edge can be shaved off.
Proofread as if you were the printer
Read the preview page by page at full size. Then read every caption on its own, away from the photos, to catch spelling and dates.
Ask someone who was there to check names and years. Order one copy first if you plan to give several.
Steps
Set the frame
Choose the service, book size and cover type. Read its page minimum, how pages are added and any file size limits before you select photos.
Select and order
Cut the folder to the best photos, then sort by date or by place. Mark the cover photo and the last photo before filling the middle.
Lay out spreads
Plan two facing pages at a time. Give one photo per spread the most room and check every enlarged photo against the table.
Proof and order
Check page order, spine text, captions and low-resolution warnings. Fix, preview again, and order a single copy before any repeats.
Questions
How many photos should a photo book have?
Two or three per page is a workable average. Google Photos asks for at least 20 photos and collages pages when you pick more than 140.
What if a photo is below 300 ppi at its size?
Print it smaller, or check it at full size on screen. A slight shortfall on a soft scene may be fine; a face or small text shows it first.
Should I use the automatic layout?
It is a fast start. Check that it has not cropped heads, split faces across the fold or put two near-identical photos side by side.