Create Custom Photo Books

Making a photo book starts with choosing your subject — a trip, a family history, a portfolio of your work. Need inspiration? Check out this guide to making a great photo book. When you’ve decided on the idea, pick a size, paper, and cover type, upload your images, and arrange them using a design tool like BookWright. Once your layout is set, review your book and place your order for printing.

Yes. With the Blurb online editor, you can make a photo book online in your browser. Upload images from your computer or phone and get started quickly with pro-level layouts. Make a photo book online.

Start by narrowing down your full collection to the strongest shots. Usually those will have sharp focus, good lighting, and images that tell a story. Look for variety in composition (close-ups, wide shots, candids) to keep pages visually interesting, and don’t be afraid to leave out photos that are similar or lower quality. Once you’ve got your favorites, start your project on Blurb and arrange them to build a natural flow from beginning to end.

The number of photos you need depends on your book’s page count and layout style. On average, creators on Blurb place 1-3 photos per page, so for a 20-page book you may need anywhere from 20 to 60 images, while a larger 100-page book could use hundreds of images. It’s better to start with more photos than you think you’ll need and narrow down to your best shots once you start your project.

The best size for a photo book depends on the type of book you are creating. For example, smaller trim sizes like 5×5 in (13×13 cm) or 7×7 in (18×18 cm) are ideal for keepsakes or gifts. Standard portrait (8×10 in / 20×25 cm) suits family albums and cookbooks, while standard landscape (10×8 in / 25×20 cm) is great for travel and children’s books. Larger formats, such as 12×12 in (30×30 cm) or 13×11 in (33×28 cm), are perfect for showcasing portfolios, offering ample space for visuals. The size of the photo book you choose might also depend on your budget. Learn more about your options.

The best photo book making tool depends on your needs, ease of use, design flexibility, and, of course, print quality. Blurb offers professional-level layout tools and premium materials, making it a strong candidate for both first-time creators and experienced photo book makers.

A photo album typically holds printed photos in pre-made sleeves or slots, with little room for customization. A photo book, in contrast, is in many ways a creative and highly personalized way to tell a story. You choose the layout, add captions, and arrange images exactly how you want them, and only after that have it printed as a photo book.

You can get a photo book printed with Blurb, whether you’re creating one copy for yourself or ordering in bulk for gifts, events, or distribution. Design your book using free tools like BookWright or our Adobe InDesign and Lightroom plugins, then upload your files for printing — no need to find a local print shop or manage the process yourself. Start your photo book.

The cost of a photo book varies based on size, page count, cover type, paper, and the number of copies printed. A small 5×5 in (13x13 cm) softcover photo book starts from £10.00, while the cost of a larger 13×11 in (33x28 cm) hardcover photo book starts from £41.00, available in both an ImageWrap hardcover option and a linen hardcover with dust jacket photo book option. Premium and archival papers and layflat formats increase the price, with layflat photo books starting from £67.77. Discounts start at 10 copies, with additional volume options available. For a custom estimate, try our pricing calculator.

Yes. Blurb offers volume discounts on photo books starting at 10 copies. Orders of 10-49 copies get 20% off, and orders of 50-99 copies get 25% off. For larger print runs, contact us for a custom quote.

Shipping costs depend on your location, the size of your order, and the shipping speed you choose. Blurb offers four trackable shipping options at checkout — Economy, Standard, Express, and Priority — so you can balance cost and delivery time. For an exact shipping quote, add your book to your cart and enter your address at checkout. See shipping options and rates in our shipping calculator.

Most Blurb photo books are printed within 3-5 business days, plus additional time for shipping based on the option you choose at checkout. Total delivery time typically ranges from about a week for standard shipping to just a couple of days with express or priority options. For exact timing on your order, check the estimated dates shown at checkout.

Mini Square photo books can have a maximum of 80 pages. Layflat photo books can have a maximum of 110 pages. The maximum page count for perfect bound photo books depends on your paper type:

• • Standard: 440 pages.
• • Premium Lustre: 240 pages.
• • Premium Matte: 240 pages.
• • Mohawk proPhoto Pearl: 240 pages.
• • Mohawk Superfine Eggshell: 240 pages.
• • Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Layflat Photo Book: 110 pages.
• • Mohawk proPhoto Pearl Layflat Photo Book: 110 pages.

All Blurb photo books must have at least 20 pages.

Yes. Blurb supports selling at any scale. Print and ship one copy at a time as it’s ordered — no upfront costs, and your book is never out of stock. Want to stock up for an event? Print up to 99 copies with volume discounts starting at 10 copies — perfect for signings, giveaways, or other events. For print runs over 100 photo books, contact Blurb’s large order services to get a custom quote with full project management. However you choose to print, you can sell through the Blurb Bookstore or Amazon. Learn more about self-publishing and selling with Blurb.

Yes. Blurb is a top choice for photographers looking to make a photo book of their work, thanks to sophisticated layout design tools, layflat spread options that keep full-bleed images uninterrupted by a center gutter, and professional and archival paper options.

Yes. With the Blurb online editor, you can make a photo book from your phone. Upload images from your phone and get started quickly with customizable templates. Make a photo book on your phone.

Yes. The Blurb online editor runs directly in Safari, so there’s no app to install. Open your browser and start designing. Pull photos in from your Camera Roll or a cloud service like iCloud or Google Photos, then build your pages with ready-made templates. Design your photo book on iPad.