Create a Photobook: The Gift That Lasts a Lifetime

Do you have a special occasion coming up? Maybe a milestone birthday or anniversary. Perhaps you just came back from a fun and fantastic summer vacation and you took a whole bunch of pictures and you are wondering what to do with them all.

Creating a photobook is a great way to document and remember those special memories and events. They also make great gifts. The kind of gift that will be treasured long after all those gift cards for movies, restaurants, and stores you rarely frequent have been used up.

Where to begin

There are many companies, both online and in stores, that offer this service. I recently used Shutterfly to create a beautiful photobook to commemorate my cousins’ 50th wedding anniversary. There are many others. Just Google ‘photobook’ and I am sure a multitude of options will come up.

Choose your subject

Once you have chosen which company you will use to create your photobook it’s time to decide what your photobook will showcase. A recent vacation, a new baby, or a special event, the ideas are endless. You may even decide to create several photobooks.

Start collecting your photos

Many of these photo companies allow you to upload pictures right from your computer or Facebook. For older pictures, before the age of digital when we use to develop photos and store them, you may want to go through all your albums and boxes. You then would need to scan them on to your computer so they can be uploaded in digital form. Some photo editing will make all your photos look great.

Plan your layout

This step may not always be necessary. You may choose a company and technique that allows you to just upload the pictures and they will be placed on the pages automatically. However, to make it special, you may want to place your photos in a certain order on a particular page. You may also want to work out the wording you will use. Taking the time to lay it all out beforehand will save you time when it is time to publish your photobook.

Customizing your photobook

Depending on the company you use, you should have plenty of options when it comes to the actual design of the photobook. You will usually have a choice of size and cover style. You can also customize the inside of your book. You can select the background for each page. Use one color throughout or choose a different color and pattern for each page. Maybe even use one of your pictures as a background. Choose how many pictures will be on each of the pages. It could be one large special one or several spread out in an interesting arrangement. Choose to add a lot of words or let the pictures speak for themselves. Once you start you will find that you can spend hours trying all different variations. Go ahead and be as creative as you wish.

Finalize your project

Take some time to proofread and really go over each page making sure everything is correct. No use working so hard on something only to discover you have a name spelled incorrect or you labelled Aunt Brenda when it’s really Aunt Sheila. When everything is to your liking your ready to publish and order your photobook. Within a couple of days your precious gift will be in the hands of its lucky recipient.