A photo book can be a way to tell a story, one that is filled with the memories you cherish, moments that will last a lifetime, and people who are dear to your heart. A photobook allows you to relive your favorite memories each time you turn its pages. This guide will walk you through all the steps necessary to create your own Shutterfly photo book, from selecting your best photos to creating a layout that reflects your style. Let’s start turning your memories in a keepsake that you will treasure forever.
Make the Perfect Photo Book with These Tips and Tricks
These photo books are available in softcover or premium leather and offer the same quality as bookstore books but with DIY customization. Discover different styles to find the perfect design.
Select Your Style and Size
Choose from six sizes, and three styles of pages: standard, standard layflat or deluxe Layflat.
Upload your Photos
Upload photos directly from your desktop or mobile device. You can also upload images using the Shutterfly App, Google Photos, Instagram and Facebook. Shutterfly’s app makes it easy to upload photos by pulling them directly from your smartphone. This allows seamless switching between app and website.
Design Your Photo Book
Choose the best photos for your book before you begin designing. Choose a theme such as “Year in Review,” Family, or “Everyday”. Text can be used to personalize and enhance your story.
Shutterfly’s 7 Steps for a Perfect Photo Book
- Organize and share your photos
- Select the right photos
- Favorite favorites
- Spreads can be varied
- Choose a theme
- Include helpful text
- Tell a Story
These tips will help you create a beautiful photo book to capture your memories.
1. Organize your Photos
To enjoy the design of your photo book, you must organize them beforehand. Many of us now have digital photos all over: Facebook, Instagram and our camera apps. Email is also a common place to find them. You will save time by organizing and collecting your photos. Plus, you might find photos that you didn’t know you had. Label the folder “photo book photos” on your device.
You can copy the photos that you wish to use in your book into a folder and upload them all at once. You can organize them according to date, person, or subject.
2. Select the Right Photos
After you have gathered all your photos, you can now choose which ones to show. Include all of the photos that you enjoy, and then sort them by quality. If a picture is blurry, it will appear even worse when printed and enlarged in a book. There may be many photos with the same subject, but some may have better lighting or angles. Highlight your favorite photos after carefully reviewing them.
With Shutterfly’s photo editing tools, choosing the perfect photos for your photobook is easier. In the Edit view, you can crop your photos, resize them, add backgrounds and embellishments, etc. Even if your pictures aren’t perfect you can still make them better. Keep in mind that people’s reactions to their photos in a book will affect your choice of photos. Make sure they are flattering.
3. Select Your Favorites
Curating your photo collection can be a challenge. It may be necessary to make some difficult decisions. You can crowdsource your photo curation if you are having trouble curating photos for your book. You can post them to your social media accounts and ask your friends which photos they like best. If you prefer to keep the photo book secret, for example, if it’s a premium photo book that you are making as a gift for a loved one, ask them for their opinion. A second opinion can reduce stress and give you new ideas.
4. Create Variety in Spreads
Our photo books are a great way to add variety to your life. templates and styles for photo books are available in a wide variety of options. The majority of styles have a variety of layouts that can be used to add visual interest and change the presentation. Shutterfly’s photo book creator allows you to choose different layouts on every page. You can select from one-photo layouts up to five or more photos per page.
You can tell a story by creating variety in the layout of your photo book. Different page layouts will highlight photos in different ways. You can use one photo per page, a single photo, a small photo centered in the middle, or multiple photos all on one page. You can create photo books with two-page spreads. Choose photos that are related to each other or a panorama photo that spans the spread.
5. Choose A Theme
The theme of a photo book gives it a narrative. With our many themes, styles and customization options, it’s easy to find one that matches your story. A photo book in our Kids & Baby Collection can be turned into an ABC book, or a story of your baby’s life. A photo book devoted to your vacation can be redefined by adding an old western font with photos taken on a road trip across the country. You can experiment freely with themes and ideas to find the best style for your photos.
6. Include Helpful Text
Photos are a great way to preserve time. Words are another way to preserve a memory. You can use our photo books to add text or captions that describe the pictures, or tell a story. You can add dates, places, quotes, colorful descriptions, or anecdotes to help you recreate memories for years to come. You could, for instance, write “What a year!” or “family memories” in a photo book.
7. Tell A Story
Your Il Fotoalbum is a tiny piece of your story. When you are collecting and arranging photos, arrange them in your book so that they tell a story. This can be achieved by creating the book in chronological sequence. It will be easier to follow the album story if you recreate how the events occurred.
A wedding photo album might start with photos of the engagement ring and end with newlyweds departing on their honeymoon. A photo book about your baby’s early years could begin with pictures of the pregnancy and then progress to images of his or her first days. You can enhance the experience of your photo album by structuring it to include significant milestones or phases.