In the last decade or so, we’ve seen a rapid decline of printed photographs. Ever since the advent of cloud technology, the majority of pop society has been more inclined to uploading framed memories online. As a matter of fact, over 90 million pictures are uploaded on Instagram every day. It’s no question that the Internet has really shifted how we go about expressing ourselves and sharing our narratives to the world. So much so, that printing actual, physical copies of pictures has become such a novel idea.

Still, hundreds of photographers and creatives alike resort to preserving tangible pictures and putting them in scrapbooks and journals because of the value they carry. That’s why for this article, we’re exploring the many ways you can craft your very first photo book.

Here are 5 tips you can consider when making a photo book:

What’s the intention behind the invention?

Knowing why you want to create a photo book is often a crucial question to answer because this helps define your next steps. Will this be for a friend? Will this photo book rest on the living area with the rest of your coffee table essentials? Is this photo book going to see the light of day through a company exhibit? All these things matter because you’d like to be very careful with each component you put in.

Deciding on which software program to use to knit everything together is also an integral choice to make. Hundreds of online websites cater to the stitching and editing of photos. Google-search your way through it and select the one you deem feasible and amenable to work with.

Define your photo book

Once you’ve gotten past through the first two things on this list, think about the actual type of photo book you want to be produced. This will be dictated by the theme of your photos and the initial intent of the book. Of course, your budget will also be a definitive factor. Ideally, photo books come with a slipcover and are designed with a hardback. But because you’re actualizing your idea, the concept shouldn’t be limited to classic photo books, although there’s also nothing wrong with that. It’s your product so do what you think best represents your vision, whether that be A5 paperback or A3 hardback. Also, consider the type of pictures you want to put. Will they look best when presented on fewer pages but with a bigger layout? Or will they look more aesthetic if you show a pocket-size collection of these photos?

Establish a theme

Your photo book can go many ways, but making it cohesive and letting it possess a multi-layered singularity gives it a professional feel. Will it be formal? What will the dominant color be? What will the subjects be? Will this be a tangible photo dump of a bunch of your old photos?

Photos that share the same voice end up being the most visually pleasing. Not only are they easy on the eyes, but they also help you become a storyteller, like watching a movie but with stills.

Choose your images wisely

Unless your photo book really is just a photo dump of pictures you have on your hard drive, then that should be fine. But image selection generally is a vital phase in the conception of your photo book. For the most part, the idea is to include all of your best shots to come up with a premium photo book that isn’t just nice to look at but also extends a professional feel. Your theme is a huge determiner in this aspect. While it can be tempting to include every single one of your favorite pictures, remember that it is completeness and rhythm that make up a book. You are, after all, re-telling a narrative.

Become a storyteller

Once you’ve finalized all the photos you want to appear in your photo book, be very cautious about their order. While telling an actual story might not be possible for several people, the order in which these photos are arranged can help amplify the progression of your captured moments. You want to arrange these pictures in such a way that whoever looks at these are invited to an expedition.

Engage your “readers” and make it easy for them to understand what your pictures are trying to say. You’re better able to achieve that if you lay them out neatly, cleverly, and tellingly.

A safe way to go about this is by arranging your pictures in the order they were taken. Because time rarely ever lies, it’s easier to understand what happened first, where your subjects are, and why they are where they are when you present their natural progression. Still, if you feel that some photos better narrate a tale if they’re beside each other, then go with that.

The final cut

Now that you’ve finally made up your mind and have each photo in order, figure out how you want your photo book to look like on a collective level. Given how the World Wide Web is an endless pit of ideas, you’d be surprised how there are several options you can choose from, so don’t be hasty with templates and designs. Experiment with various layouts before sticking to a selection right away.

Another interesting element to factor in is whether or not you want your images to have borders or not, although full-bleed photos are also just as enticing if your pictures are rich. If you go this route, estimate how large your photo book is to avoid cutting the edges of each image. If you go the border route, determine how large the frames are.

Additionally, page layouts make or break the overall look of your photo book, so be critical about this aspect, too. Are you adding captions? Will story snippets be describing each picture? Will there be dedications? Consider font elements, as well. Will your lettering complement your photo book? Will they come in a variety of colors?

All in all, photo books are a fun project to work on simply because there is an ocean of ways to go about them. Study traditional patterns and designs, but don’t be afraid to have fun with it, too. This is YOUR photo book.

For more great family lifestyle tips, check out the other blogs on Cyber Parent.