In my work as a Professional Photo Organizer, my clients often tell me that creating photo books for family members to enjoy is their top priority. But when life gets busy, it’s easy to put off that project. What if you could make a photo book faster?
Whether your goal is capturing a family vacation, a baby’s first year, or everyday memories, here’s how you can speed up the process and get your photos into your family’s hands.
How To Make Photo Books Fast
Follow these three simple tips to make photo books fast:
1. Pick one or you will do none.
The first step to actually finishing a photo book? Decide on one specific project to start with. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you think about all the possible albums you want to make. But if you try to tackle everything at once, you’ll end up finishing nothing.
Ask yourself: which book will be easiest to finish? Choose that one book to focus on and commit to completing that project. Once you have that win under your belt, and you see how much your family enjoys it, you’ll be motivated to move on to the next!
2. Separate the Photo Selection from the Design
Most people decide they’re going to make a photo book and begin by logging into Shutterfly. They get a few photos on the page, get distracted by weeding through thousands of photos to decide what should go on the page, and eventually abandon a partially designed book. Sound familiar?
Before you even think about designing the book, start by selecting the photos you’ll include. Separating the photo selection process from the design process is my biggest secret to success. Selecting the photos first is the key to saving time and avoiding frustration later.
Create an album in your preferred photo service—whether it’s iCloud, Google Photos, or Amazon Photos—and load it up with your favorite shots that you want to include in this photo project.
There’s no magic number of photos for a photo book, but in general less is more. Fewer photos on a page gives each memory more room to shine. Try to pick the best, most meaningful photos, so your book isn’t overloaded.
3. Minimize Design Decisions
Time for the fun part! Let’s get those pre-selected photos onto the page! The trick for making your photo book quickly is to minimize the design decisions. Sure, it can be fun to explore all the pre-designed templates at the photo book website, or play with embellishments for different themes, but if your goal is to finish this book as quickly as possible… skip all of that.
Get the photos on the page. Let them take center stage.
Clean, simple designs allow your images to shine. If you want to add text, you can, but don’t let that task prevent you from finishing the book. Because done is better than perfect.
I guarantee your kids won’t fixate on the hypothetical-text-you-didn’t-include and will simply enjoy the photo book you’ve created.
Again, done is better than perfect. Remind yourself of this as you get nit-picky on the design.
Where should I make my photo book?
The great news is the three tips I shared can apply to any printing company. So you can make your book at a company you’ve used in the past, if that feels the most comfortable.
If you’re looking for an affordable, fast, no fuss solution, Chatbooks is the one I recommend. They offer an easy-to-use phone app that helps you quickly load your selected photos (handy shortcut: just choose that Album you made earlier!) and organize them into a clean, beautiful book in minutes. Code MISSFREDDY will save you 20% too!
Pro Tip: Feel too overwhelmed by making a big photo book? Start even smaller. My family loves the Chatbooks Monthly Minis. We choose 30 photos each month, no design decisions, and they’re only $8 (including shipping)!
Want to get fancier?
For special projects you might want to invest in a more premium option. I love Printique for high-quality, archival photo book keepsakes. I use Printique to print my annual Family Yearbook.
Want to learn more?
Watch video tutorials for my time-saving photo book process, including ready-to-use templates, in my Family Yearbooks Course.
Want to hand it over to a professional?
Save even more time by hiring the Miss Freddy team to create a beautiful keepsake photo book FOR YOU! Even better? You can add-on photo selection so we handle everything start-to-finish.
By following these tips, you can quickly create beautiful photo books. Whether you go for a quick and simple option like Chatbooks or choose a fancier keepsake like Printique, the most important thing is capturing your memories and getting them off your phone or computer and into a book your family can enjoy for years to come.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to print a photo book with Chatbooks or Printique, I receive commission from orders placed based on my recommendation, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!
