What is custom photo book design?

by Stacey Wiseman | Dec 6, 2012 | Photo Book Design Layout, Photograph, Promotions

And why should I consider it for my family photo book?

These are two very good questions!

I think printing a photo book, especially once a year, is so important. But let’s face it. Sometimes time runs out and you just don’t have the time at the end of the night or on the weekend to design your own family photo book.

I have an alternative for you! I will design your photo book tailored to your tastes. It is the easiest way for you to finally get those photos off your hard drive and printed all in one place.

I’m trained and practice as an architect and have a very modern, sophisticated design sensibility when it comes to design. But what does that mean?

Let me explain some of my design principles and why I think it is beneficial for you to consider my custom design services. All of the books below are examples of books I designed for others (including myself!)

1. I can match your preferred font.

This client wanted to match the font from her blog where she showcases her lovely Project 52 photos. With a bit of research, we found the font and I used it in the title of each page for her book. Now there is continuity between her blog and her photo book!

All photographs in this layout are copyright to Tamra Yandow. All rights reserved.

2. I can organize your book to your photos.

For this client’s book, she wanted to use her child’s artwork for sections. And she didn’t have a lot of photos each month, so she wanted her photo book divided into seasons, not months. I easily organized her book to match the amount of photos she had.

All photographs in this layout are copyright to the Shumaker family, 2011. 

3. Custom design does not mean design, patterns, colors, lines, and font everywhere. 

Sophisticated design relies on simplicity in order to elevate the photos on the page.

For this Project 365 book, I matched the color in her photo to expand it to a full spread layout. Now there are no distracting elements (even if white space) competing for your attention. Only her photograph!

This photograph in this layout is copyright to Suzie Mauro, Zo-mak Photography. All rights reserved.

4. I can design to a specific idea.

I had another client was curious how implementing circles would look in her vacation photo book. This approach is very difficult to achieve with the free design programs, however, very simple for me! (I’m still in the process of finalizing her book, so this is a sneak peek from her draft!)

Photos copyright Tricia Ebarvia. All rights reserved. No reproduction of photographs permitted without expressed consent from photographer.

5. I can include basic information, such as capture dates for photographs.

I like for all of the pages in my photo books to include a date when the photos were taken. This becomes very tedious when you design a book on your own. I love to go into this kind of detail for you!

6. I can match design inspiration from pinterest.

See a design you like? Pin it and I can use it as inspiration for your book. This is a sample of something I found. See how the first number tucks behind the photo and the second number is in front! This could make for a gorgeous section divider. It is simple yet has the design sophistication that shows thought and intent.

7. I don’t have to shy away from color or pattern.

Sometimes the careful use of colors or patterns add just the right touch for your photographs. For my family vacation book, I wanted just a bit of color and pattern to pop the photos a bit. This is not on every page. Only a few where I think it really works.

8. I can design special inserts or elements into your book.

For my 2012 photo book, I am going to provide specifically designed pages for the monthly projects I participated in. This is an example of how I will incorporate food – family meals, baking, recipes, etc. – into each month of my photo book. Every time I have one of these pages, it will follow a similar layout to keep consistency throughout the book.

Now you see what I can do! Whatever your book project idea – I would love to design it for you! Think of the stress and hours I can save you with absolutely beautiful results.

If interested, sign up to become a 2013 BTP Subscriber. For a monthly fee, you upload your photos each month and I will take care of the rest. Or for a book from any year, I have a family photo book option.

Right now, I am giving away one free hard cover book + custom design service to one lucky reader on my newsletter. To enter, make sure you are on my list by December 14, 2012! For more details, check out this thread.

If you want to learn my design techniques to implement yourself, sign up to find out when I’m offering my next Intro to Photo Book Design Workshop!