Whether it is to keep the memories of a holiday trip or to look back on a special event such as a wedding or milestone anniversary, you will never run short of occasions special enough to warrant a photo book.
Photo books are timeless treasures that allow you a good way to relive moments or tell a story to family and friends.
In this digital age where taking snaps is easier than ever, losing them is not all that hard either. A photo book will help you free up your disc space without forfeiting old media for new photos.
What to Consider When Creating a Photo Book
If you want to create a quality photo book that will not fall apart days later, you need to find a professional to do it for you. Photobook service providers offer you many designs and cover options, including softcover, hardcover, and leather lux hardcovers.
Pay attention to the following aspects when creating a photo book:
Cost
Cost should never be the main factor to consider when creating a photo book, but you can never overlook your budget in any project you are doing. Ensure you are aware of all the costs involved, including design and delivery charges before getting started.
Several variables have a sway on the amount of money a photo book sets you back. They include:
- A number of pages: More pages will cost you more money.
- Quality of paper used: Glossy paper is costlier than matte paper but more durable and better suited for photo books. Softcover photo book options are also cheaper than their hardcover counterparts, but, again, at the expense of quality.
- Print quality: There are prints that will last longer than others, and that translates to a higher bill. Lower quality prints, on the other hand, costs less.
Theme
Any successful photo book-building process must start with careful theme selection. You want your finished product to tell a story that is aligned with the event you are documenting.
If the book is part of a series or collection that you will grow over time, make sure to select a theme with that in mind.
Timing
If you need the photo book for a prescheduled event or before a certain time, ensure you factor in printing and binding. These two stages make for the bulk of the photobook – production process and may delay the project even further when you are looking to create a custom book.
Plausibly, letting the photo book service provider work with their preferred pace may be less costly, so you need to check with them as early as you can.
Book Size
How big do you want your photo book? What is your ideal photo size, and how do you want them arranged?
Determining the size of your photo book is extremely important and will have a sway on other vital factors such as cost. Professional photo book creators such as Classic Memories will give you several options, including Leather-Luxe, Hard Cover, and Soft Cover albums, and may help you make a choice based on the size and format of the photos in your collection. Learn more about their services before you place an order.
No size is better than the other. Landscape photos will go better with a horizontal photo book while portraits would use a vertical one. Your Instagram and Facebook photos may be best suited for a square photo book.
Finding the Best Photo Book Service
With everyone on the internet hyping their products, you could easily play into the hands of amateur photo book creators. Here is how to ensure you procure the best services possible:
Check for flexibility and versatility
Your pictures can come from your computer, phone, cloud, or external storage drive. Some may come from a family photo album from 30 years ago. Whoever you entrust with creating your photo book should allow you to select images from different storages seamlessly.
Additionally, the service provider should be willing to rearrange, remove and replace images, change the number of pages, and even do a complete overhaul of the template, in case you have design second-thoughts halfway through the production process.
Be part of the process
While you may not have the skill to create a photo book, you know what you want, and you should be involved in the entire production process. Ensure you get the creators’ word on this before committing. Remember though the service provider executes the service, you carry the memories, and the photos mean more to you than well-arranged papers.
Portfolio
It helps to check what the photo book service provider has done before and align it to your needs. Most of the time, when you see what you want, you will know. Browsing through the portfolio also gives you ideas on what to do with your photo book, like how to display or arrange your pictures.
Browse through the Reviews
Pay attention to previous clients’ experiences and feedback. If most of them are satisfied, chances are you will get good services. The last thing you want is to engage a service provider who will ruin photos that you have guarded all through the years.
Budget
Establish your budget and source around for a company that will work within your range. You may also want to check the company’s policy on a money-back guarantee.
Conclusion
A photo book carries memories that can be passed through generations. Besides having it in the form of an album, we advise on other ways to have all your photos well presented. Whether you are collecting old photos to digitize or you are now collecting memories for the future, a photo book is a wonderful way to preserve your memories.