{"id":904,"date":"2026-07-02T12:24:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/what-is-a-photo-book\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:28:02","slug":"what-is-a-photo-book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/knowledge-base\/types-of-books\/what-is-a-photo-book\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a photo book and what do you use it for?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A photo book brings your best images together in a printed book. But what exactly is a <strong>photo book<\/strong>, and how does it differ from an ordinary book or a print? Here you can read about its characteristics, its uses and what to watch out for when you have one made.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large has-custom-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-768x768.webp\" alt=\"What is a photo book and what do you use it for?\" class=\"wp-image-546\" style=\"border-radius:14px\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-100x100.webp 100w, https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-600x600.webp 600w, https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fotoboek.webp 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Characteristics of a photo book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photo books are printed on heavier, often coated paper so that colours come across deep and saturated. A photo book is at its best as a hardcover with a sturdy, sewn spine, for a luxurious and durable look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you use a photo book for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wedding albums and other milestones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family history and memorial books<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Portfolios for photographers and designers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coffee-table books with visual stories<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Travel journals and year in review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should you watch out for with a photo book?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supply your photos in high resolution (at least 300 dpi at actual size) and in the right colour space. Choose a paper type and finish that suits the mood: matt for a calm, timeless look, gloss for extra contrast and depth. We are happy to think along with you about format, paper and binding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making your own photo book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that you know what a photo book is, you can put one together yourself. Pick your finest photos, arrange them into a story and keep the layout calm, because white space lets images breathe. Because we print from a single copy, you can assess a sample first before ordering more. For tips on colour reproduction on paper, turn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.color.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the International Color Consortium<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The structure of your photo book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good photo book is a selection, not an archive. For every occasion pick the two or three images that carry the story and leave the rest out; a book of forty strong photos is better than a book of two hundred of which half look alike. Work in a fixed order, usually chronological, and let the spread &mdash; two pages side by side &mdash; be your starting point rather than the single page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dare to leave white. One photo with space around it draws more attention than six photos in a grid. Alternate between full-page images and smaller ones, and do not put every photo in the same place: that makes a book monotonous to leaf through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technical points of attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Resolution.<\/strong> At least 300 dpi at the size the photo will appear in the book, so calculate at actual size and not on pixel count alone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bleed.<\/strong> Photos that run to the edge must continue 3 mm beyond the final format.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The fold.<\/strong> Do not place faces or the horizon exactly in the middle of a spread; with a glued spine a few millimetres disappear there.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Colour.<\/strong> Convert your images to CMYK and you will see in advance what happens to bright shades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unsure about paper or binding? Order a single copy first. With a photo book in particular that is the cheapest way to find out whether your choice works. You can read more about paper in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/knowledge-base\/paper-materials\/paper-for-photo-books\/\">paper for photo books<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about photo books<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What exactly is a photo book?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bound book in which photos take centre stage, printed on high-quality photo paper with a considered layout, unlike loose prints or a text book.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What is the difference from loose photo prints?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a photo book the images sit in a bound whole with a design that turns them into a story, on heavier paper than loose prints.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What resolution do my photos need?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least 300 dpi at actual size, so that the photos print sharply and do not turn grainy.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How many photos fit in a photo book?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That depends on your layout. With one to three photos per spread, a 60-page book comes to roughly 40 to 90 images. Cramming in more is possible, but it costs you calm.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Hardcover or softcover for a photo book?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a photo book you keep or give away, hardcover is usual: it protects better and looks like a real edition. Softcover works fine for a lighter, more informal book or a larger print run.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/contact-en\/\">Request a free quote<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/hardcover-books\/\">View our books<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A photo book brings your best images together in a printed book. But what exactly is a photo book, and how does it differ from an ordinary book or a print? Here you can read about its characteristics, its uses and what to watch out for when you have one made. Characteristics of a photo&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":692,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-904","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=904"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5814,"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/904\/revisions\/5814"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/printiteasy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}