The steps to follow to create a quality personalized photo album

You have decided to offer a photo album to one of your loved ones, but do not know how to go about it. Be aware that there are online sites like FlexiLivre, which explain and guide you, step by step, to create a photo book from memories, so important to you. Newbie? it is not very complicated to create a photo album, but you will need to take a few points into consideration, so that the final result meets your expectations.

Choose the paper to create a photo album

The first thing to choose is obviously the paper. Think about the layout, the rendering you desire, etc. It is based on the type of book you have in mind that you will be able to choose the entire layout.

Cover paper

There are two types of book paper: some have a hard cover, others a soft cover. Both have their advantages. The hard cover is more solid, it cannot bend and therefore preserves the album better. In the case of the soft cover, it will be easier for you to transport and store, it will also be lighter and more affordable.

Paper for the photos

There will be a difference between the weight of the cover pages and that of the pages. The pages will be lighter, and the finishes can be personalized. You have the choice between different types of paper:

1. Semi-gloss paper
2. Silver halide paper
3. Paper weight

The higher the photo quality you choose before printing, the better the final quality of your album will be. Doubtful? You can get advice on the format to choose based on the desired rendering by contacting the customer service, which is very responsive to your requests.

Number of pages

As a general rule, though this rule is not universal, it is advised against placing more than three photos per page. However, you are free to do as you wish. For this, test different models and take the time to see which format suits you best. It is crucial that the images are clearly visible, so if your photos are large, do not overload the pages. The number of pages will influence the final price of the photo album.

Selecting the photos and personalizing the album

For a quality personalized photo album, you will need to integrate the desired photos and images. You will have to go through several steps to create a quality book.

Old photos? digitize them!

The photographs will need to be carefully chosen. If you only have them on silver halide paper, you will need to digitize them. For that, select the photos of your choice and scan them. It is essential that your images are of good quality, also note that it is possible to digitize them and then increase their definition online.

Some photographs, especially those taken before the creation of digital cameras, are not always of good quality. This might show when printed, which is why,  it is preferable to choose already digitized images or recently taken ones if you do not wish to spend time digitizing them in good quality.

Opt for high-quality photographs

Avoid blurry images, those where faces are poorly photographed, and those that are too dark. They could have a poor rendering once printed in the book. The same goes for the size of the images. If you have a small photo and want to enlarge it to A4 format, unfortunately,  the image will become pixelated and the album will look sloppy. If your photographs are small, just place several on the same page instead of zooming them.

For a harmonious album, we advise you to sort the photos chronologically, if you are making a album for a wedding, for example. Otherwise, you can sort them by color, era, or even by season.

Adding texts and drawings

Once the photos are inserted and the theme is chosen, you need to add captions to your photos. There is no need to write long texts under each photo, you can simply caption them with small jokes or by identifying the names and places of the people in the image. On pages where there is only one photo, you can write a short text, but it must add value to your album, there is no point in writing words for the sake of writing.

Finally, be aware that it is entirely possible to add small manual drawings, stickers, and even modify the digitized photos. Let your imagination run free and create the personalized album you want. Since it is a gift, try to get as close as possible to the tastes of the person you are giving the gift to. If they love animals, for example, you can choose a book on that theme.