Photo book: the five choices that decide what you get
A photo book is a bound book with your photos printed on its pages. Five choices decide it: size and shape, cover, paper, binding and page count. Settle them before you compare printers.
In an album, prints slide into sleeves. A photo book is laid out on screen and printed as one object, so nothing can be added once it is bound. The choices therefore come before the photos.
Make them in order. The size limits which bindings are offered, the binding limits the page count, and the page count moves the price.
Printers give sizes in millimetres or inches. Check the unit before you compare two books.
Make your photobook
Arrange your photos on A4 pages, check the proof and order a printed copy.
| Choice | Option | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Landscape | Groups, rooms, views, two-page photos | Tall portraits sit small on the page |
| Shape | Portrait | One person per page, children growing up | Wide group photos sit small |
| Shape | Square | Mixed orientations, small gift books | Crops any rectangular photo that fills it |
| Cover | Softcover | Party books, several copies, posting | Corners crease and covers curl with handling |
| Cover | Hardcover | The copy that is kept and shelved | Heavier, so it can cost more to post |
| Paper | Matte or silk | Books read under lamps, handled often | Handle samples in your intended reading light |
| Paper | Gloss or photographic | Dark, rich photos and night scenes | Check reflections and handling marks on a sample |
| Binding | Glued | Most softcovers and everyday books | Photos lose their centre in the fold |
| Binding | Lay-flat | Photos that cross both pages | Usually thicker pages and a higher price |
| Page count | Minimum to large | Set by the photos you keep, not by the range | Pages sold in steps; check the step |
Size and shape follow your photos
Try the same portrait, group photo and scanned page in each shape before choosing. Photo orientation matters, but so do captions and the amount of cropping you accept.
A4 is 210 by 297 mm. Landscape A4 suits groups, rooms and views. Portrait A4 suits single people and a book read on the lap.
A square page takes either orientation, but it crops a rectangular photo that fills it. A 4:3 phone photo loses a quarter of its long side.
From tbf scrapbook, a printed book can be ordered in A4 portrait or A4 landscape once its print proof is checked. Square sizes cannot be ordered.
Cover: who will handle the book
A softcover is card wrapped round the pages. It is lighter and usually cheaper, and suits a book passed round at a party or posted to several relatives.
A hardcover has rigid boards and stands on a shelf. It suits the copy meant to be kept, and the choice of printed, fabric or jacketed cover sits inside it.
Paper: finish and weight
Paper finish affects reflections and the feel of the page. Compare samples under the light where the book will be read rather than choosing from a finish name alone.
Gsm means grams per square metre. It measures weight per area, not stiffness, opacity or thickness; ask for those separately when comparing papers.
Binding and page count
Check the binding for the exact product. A hardcover describes the cover; it does not by itself tell you how pages are joined or how far the book opens.
Blurb describes its lay-flat spreads as continuous sheets joined back to back. Other products use different constructions, so confirm the centre join rather than relying on the name.
Printers count pages, not sheets. In most books page 1 is a right-hand page with nothing facing it, so a 24-page book gives 11 full spreads and two single pages.
A service may set a minimum page count and sell extra pages in steps. Find both before planning chapters.
Record each quote on one line: page size, cover, paper, binding, included pages, extra page step, copies and delivered total. An omitted option can make two starting prices look comparable.
Answer these before choosing a printer
A printer's range is a list of fixed combinations. Know your answers first, then shortlist only the services that sell that combination.
- How many photos survive the cut, and which way most of them face.
- How many copies, and whether they all need the same cover.
- Whether small children will handle it.
- Whether any photo must run unbroken across both pages.
- The date it has to arrive by.
Steps
Sort the keepers by orientation
Group the chosen photos by shape, then test one from each group beside its text. Choose a page shape that works for the busiest spread as well as the cover.
Choose the cover by use
Write down who will read it and where it will live: a shelf, a coffee table or a bag. Pick soft or hard from that, then the cover style.
Count spreads, then pages
Sketch the facing pages and any single opening or closing pages. Compare that plan with the printer's page-count diagram before entering an order.
Shortlist and compare like for like
Ask two or three printers for the same size, cover, paper and page count. Compare the total with delivery for that exact book.
Questions
What is the difference between a photo book and a photo album?
A photo book is designed on screen and printed with the photos on its pages. An album holds separate prints, so photos can be added or moved later.
Is there a standard photo book size in the UK?
No single standard. A4, 210 by 297 mm, and an 8 inch square, 203 mm, are both common. Choose by the shape of your photos.
Can pages be added after the book is printed?
No. A bound book is finished. Photos that turn up later go into a second volume, so leave a natural end point rather than squeezing everything in.