Quick answer: Choose a small, coherent set of old photographs, digitise them safely, keep untouched scans, then design a book using copies sized for the actual printed layout. Check crops, captions, page order and the complete delivered price before ordering. Keep the originals and digital archive after the book arrives.
A family photo book turns a collection into something relatives can browse together. The important work comes before choosing a cover: knowing who is in the photographs, keeping album context and giving small scans enough room on the page. You do not need to scan every image or fill every page to tell a useful story.
1. Choose the story before scanning everything
Pick a purpose: one person’s life, a house, a decade, a wedding or highlights from an existing album. Make a rough page list first. A focused book is easier to finish and less likely to become an expensive collection of near-duplicates.
Give each chosen photograph a simple identifier. Record its album or envelope, approximate date, people, place and proposed caption in a separate list. Photograph the original album page when its sequence or handwriting matters. Keep uncertain identifications marked as uncertain; an attractive layout should not turn a family guess into a fact.
Ask relatives about names while you can. Agree how to handle sensitive photographs, children’s details or a story that another person would prefer not to circulate. Keep a private family edition separate from any version you intend to sell or post publicly.
2. Protect the originals and choose a capture route
Work on a clean, dry surface and support photographs by their edges. Use clean, well-fitting gloves where appropriate for the photographic material, or carefully washed and dried hands when suitable; avoid touching the image surface. Do not peel a print from a sticky album or force a curled photograph flat. Set mouldy, flaking, stuck or wet material aside for conservation advice.
Use a flatbed for stable loose prints that fit completely without pressure. For bound albums, support the binding and photograph pages in place rather than press the spine against glass. A carefully made camera copy can be more suitable than a scan when handling is the deciding factor. Our safe photo-scanning guide covers those choices.
If you use a service, ask about album-bound items, fragile prints, front-and-back capture, naming and return arrangements before sending anything. A standard scanning order and conservation treatment are different jobs. Keep a list and reference images of what you send.
3. Scan for the size of the image on the page
Pixel dimensions determine how large you can place a photograph. The book’s page size is not necessarily the picture size: a small photograph can look better with a generous border than stretched across a double-page spread.
| Original and capture | Pixels before cropping | Illustrative placement at 300 ppi |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 inch print at 300 ppi | 1200 × 1800 | 4 × 6 inches |
| 4 × 6 inch print at 600 ppi | 2400 × 3600 | 8 × 12 inches |
| Cropped file, 1500 × 2100 pixels | 1500 × 2100 | 5 × 7 inches |
These are arithmetic examples, not promises of extra detail. Enlarging a soft or faded original also enlarges its limitations. Cropping removes pixels; changing a file’s resolution label without resampling does not create any. Compare an actual sample before scanning the whole box at an unnecessarily large setting.
As a provider-specific example, Blurb BookWright recommends roughly 250–300 ppi at the placed image size and accepts JPEG and PNG for book images. Other editors can have different file and colour requirements. Follow the exact product template and export guidance for the service you choose.
4. Keep masters and make separate book copies
Save the untouched scans before cropping, colour correction or restoration. Preserve backs with handwritten names and numbers, linking them to the fronts in your index. Keep faithful captures separate from edited versions, particularly when automated restoration changes faces, writing or texture.
Export high-quality book copies in a supported format. Avoid repeatedly saving and re-editing a compressed JPEG, sending the only scan through a messaging service, or using a social-media download when the full-resolution file exists. Keep the full archive outside the book editor with independent photo backups.
5. Build a layout that respects the photographs
- Use a few repeatable layouts instead of a different design on every page.
- Keep faces and important details away from the centre binding and the trim.
- Treat bleed and safe areas differently: backgrounds can extend to the bleed, while important content stays inside the safe area.
- Place small or damaged pictures at a modest size, with a caption explaining their significance.
- Use readable text and consistent names, dates and spelling. Include a short introduction identifying the collection.
Choose the binding for how the book will be used. A layflat design can help a spread open more fully, but do not assume it makes the centre a safe place for a face or guarantees identical colour across every paper choice. Check the current specifications for the exact size, binding and paper.
6. Proof the complete book before buying
Review every spread, front and back covers and spine text at a useful zoom. A low-resolution warning helps identify a potential problem; the absence of a warning does not prove the scan is sharp or the crop is sensible. Inspect photographs and text yourself and ask a relative to check the names.
Pay particular attention to automatic layout and cropping. Check that the right file was used, both ends of a panorama remain visible, captions refer to the correct people and blank pages are intentional. If several relatives want copies, order one proof first when cost and time allow.
Budget for digitisation, book size, extra pages, binding or paper upgrades, delivery and tax. Compare the final configuration rather than a headline starting price. Check the current correction, reprint and cancellation terms; a personalised book may have different returns conditions from an ordinary retail product.
7. Check delivery and keep the project reusable
When the book arrives, inspect the cover, binding, page sequence, crops and print defects before ordering additional copies. Photograph a problem and contact the printer promptly under its current policy. Screen-to-print differences are not all manufacturing faults, so compare the delivered result with the accepted proof and specifications.
Keep your source scans, edited exports, caption index, order details and any supported layout export. An online project may be convenient for reordering, but it should not be the only place where your family’s pictures and names survive. Store the original photographs appropriately and update your backups when the final captions are settled.
The practical next step
Start with one short chapter and a few representative photographs. Check capture quality and page size before processing the whole collection. If scanning is the obstacle, compare a suitable service; if the files are ready, make a small proof book before committing to a large family order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a photo book from old prints without a scanner?
Yes. Photograph stable prints with a supported camera or phone kept parallel to the image, using even light and avoiding glare. Check the saved pixels and focus. Photograph bound or curled originals in place rather than forcing them onto a scanner.
What resolution should I scan at for a photo book?
Choose the scan resolution from the original size and intended printed size. A 4 by 6 inch print scanned at 600 ppi gives 2400 by 3600 pixels before cropping, enough for 8 by 12 inches at 300 ppi. Extra pixels do not recover detail absent from the original.
Should I upload TIFF or JPEG files?
Keep your best untouched scans separately. Export a high-quality copy in a format the chosen book editor accepts. For example, Blurb BookWright lists JPEG and PNG among its supported image formats; do not assume every editor accepts TIFF.
Can I make the photo book for free?
You can plan a layout without ordering a printed book, but editor access, premium assets, exports and printing vary by service. Check the final book, extra pages, postage, tax and any recurring plan separately.
How do I avoid cutting off faces or captions?
Keep important details away from the trim and binding, inspect both pages of each spread and follow the exact template for the chosen size and binding. A bleed area extends beyond the trim; it is not a safe area for text.
Should I throw away the old photos once the book arrives?
Keep the originals and independent backups of the scans. A printed book is a convenient access copy, not a substitute for the original photographs, full-resolution files and their identifying information.
Sources and image credits
Guidance: National Archives: digitising family photographs, NEDCC photograph handling, Blurb BookWright image requirements and Blurb print-file specifications. Images are illustrative family-photo scenes.
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Stuart Kerr Spindlow is Pixoneye’s Publisher, Editor-in-Chief and Lead Product Reviewer. He tests consumer products and leads coverage of practical gadgets and personal-media preservation. His reviews focus on usability, limitations, value and the trade-offs that matter when choosing a product. Read Stuart’s full profile.
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