Print a photo book from PDF: file and proof checks
To print a photo book from PDF, use the printer's page-size and bleed specification. Check image resolution, text and trim in the proof, then inspect one printed copy before ordering several.
There are two routes to paper. Design inside a service's own editor and it builds the print file for you. Design elsewhere and you upload a PDF that has to match the printer's specification exactly.
Either way the press prints what it is sent. A soft photo or a misspelt name on the proof will be on the page too.
Make your photobook
Arrange your photos on A4 pages, check the proof and order a printed copy.
| Check | How to do it | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Page size and bleed | Compare the exported dimensions with the chosen printer's template | Re-export at trim plus bleed |
| Photo resolution | Pixels divided by placed width in inches; aim for 300 | Place it smaller or find the original |
| Low-resolution warnings | Open each page the editor flags | Shrink or swap the photo |
| Colour | Follow the colour-profile guide; inspect a printed proof | Adjust copies after identifying the cause |
| Text size | Print one page at actual size | Increase caption size across the book |
| Centre fold | Look for faces and words across the middle | Move them or split the photo |
| Edges | Look for text or heads near the trim | Pull them inside the safe margin |
| Spelling and dates | Read captions alone, away from the photos | Correct, then preview the page again |
| Page count | Compare with the printer's minimum and step | Add or remove pages in the right step |
| Cover and spine | Check title position and spine text | Re-centre or drop spine text if too thin |
Online editor or your own PDF
An online editor handles bleed, spine width and page count, at the cost of its own fonts and layouts. A PDF gives full control, and every file rule becomes your job.
In tbf scrapbook you check a print proof, then order an A4 portrait or A4 landscape book. The editor shows the price before you order.
- PDF dimensions match the printer's export specification, including its required bleed.
- Fonts embedded, so the printer's machine does not substitute its own.
- Single pages in order, unless the printer asks for spreads.
- The cover as a separate file if asked, with the spine width worked out from the page count.
Check photos at the size they are placed
Book Printing UK recommends 300 dpi and warns that lower can look pixelated. What counts is the photo's pixels against its size on the page, not the file's size on disk.
Changing a resolution tag to 300 does not add image detail. Divide the pixels left after cropping by the width in inches; use the original file or place it smaller if needed.
If the editor shows a low-resolution warning, make that photo smaller on the page or swap it. Do not order hoping it will look better on paper.
Colour on screen against colour on paper
A bright display can hide dark shadows. Turn off warm display tints and follow the printer's colour-profile guidance; a screen setting alone cannot predict the printed result.
Compare a physical proof with the submitted file in neutral light. Note whether a colour problem appears in every photo or only one before changing your images.
Keep colour adjustments in copies. Automatic print corrections and your own edits can combine, so find out which corrections the printer applies.
Read the proof a different way
Reading forwards, you follow the story and miss faults. Go through once from the last page to the first, looking only at layout: edges, the centre fold and anything cut off.
Print one page at actual size at home. It shows how big the captions really are, which a screen preview at fit-to-window never does.
Order one copy, then the rest
Look at the first copy in daylight, then under the lamp where it will be read. Note anything to change, fix the file and only then order copies for other people.
Keep the finished book file or project saved. Copies printed months apart may differ slightly in colour, so order matching gifts together where you can.
Steps
Lock the words
Finish every caption and the cover title first. Text changes after photo checks tend to move layouts and undo them.
Check every enlarged photo
Go through the pages where a photo fills a page or crosses a spread. Confirm its pixels or clear the editor's warning.
Judge colour and darkness
Check the printer's colour instructions and switch off warm screen tints. Review a physical proof if colour or shadow detail matters to the order.
Proof, order one, review
Read the proof backwards for layout and forwards for words. Order one copy, check it in daylight, then order the rest.
Questions
Why does my printed photo book look darker than on screen?
Display brightness, paper, lighting and colour conversion all affect the match. Compare a proof with your file before brightening every image; there is no universal screen-brightness setting.
Should I convert my photos to CMYK before uploading?
Follow the printer's file guide. Converting to CMYK yourself without the printer's colour profile can shift colours.
Can I print a photo book at home?
Yes, with a printer that prints both sides on paper heavy enough not to show through, and a binding you can do by hand. For more than one copy a printing service is simpler.