We’re all obsessed with taking photos on our smartphones, but when it comes to showing them off, we’re clueless. The best photo albums are a wonderful way to shake the digital dust off of precious memories stored on your phone or social media account. there are dozens of affordable online services that can help you put your photos into an exquisitely designed physical photo book, so you can enjoy your favorite snaps for years to come.
perhaps you want to have a record of your baby’s first year or an important day, such as your wedding day, a special birthday or an anniversary. Photo albums also make brilliant gifts, because they remind the recipient of cherished memories, and in a format you can keep on your shelf or coffee table to show others or just remember.
You are reading: Best photo books uk
Photo albums can be as basic or luxurious as you like, with themed options that can spice up boring albums or classic layouts that will complement your photos without distracting from them.
The best thing about creating a photo book these days is the simplicity offered by all of the services below. Forget about being a tech wizard or having photo editing skills: some services will automatically select your best photos and put them in an album personalized just for you.
In most cases, you simply choose your template and layout, then insert the images you want in the order you want. In short, if you can use Facebook, then you can create a photo album. Read on to find out how to move your images from your phone and your feeds into the real world where they’ll be appreciated.
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best photo book: at a glance
- best for ease of use: bonusprint | buy now
- the best budget option: snapfish | shop now
- best for a variety of looks: photobox | buy now
- the best high-end option: milkbooks | buy now
how to choose the best photo album service for you
how easy is the process?
Go back about five years and you would have had to worry about taking your camera to the printer and waiting weeks to see how your images came out. But today’s modern photo book services make the process a breeze by allowing you to upload images directly from your PC, phone and, in many cases, from your social networks. this means you can manage, edit, and order your album from virtually any device.
what styling options do I have?
The sky is practically the limit when it comes to size and other options for your photo album. While many services offer the aesthetically pleasing option of one photo per page (or even a spread), most also allow for more traditional photo book or scrapbook layouts that mimic older ways of displaying photos. In addition to this, you can also add text, illustrations, and other designs to make your photos stand out.
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Do I need to have any prior knowledge of photo editing?
While it’s always helpful to know how to crop, resize, and add effects to your photos, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need any prior knowledge of photo editing to create your photo book. All websites offer helpful templates with customizable themes and options to zoom in or out on your photo to focus on what’s important to you. most services even allow you to add effects to add glitz and glamor to your prints.
Do I need a laptop to create a photo album?
Most of the following photo book services have their own free apps that you can download to your smartphone or tablet. however, some services only work through a web browser on your pc. In general, we always recommend a larger screen for creating photo albums because this will give you a better idea of both the size of the album and how its colors will look.
can I preview what my photo album will look like?
yes. Almost all of the services mentioned below allow you to preview your final product before ordering it. Be sure to take your time to review the preview before confirming your purchase because this will give you a good estimate of how you can expect your photo book to look and feel when you receive it.
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the best photo albums you can buy right now
1. bonusprint: the best for ease of use
price: from €7 | buy now at bonusprint
Available via an app for desktops, tablets and smartphones, the bonusprint service is highly versatile and easy to use. Standard options include landscape, portrait, and square books, and you can choose whether you want a simple cover in leather or linen, or a photo cover that will make the finished album feel even more personal.
one of its best features is called smart assistant. simply select the folder whose photos you want and the wizard will ‘intelligently’ choose your best photos by removing duplicate, blurry and out of focus photos. the service will even create an album from the best photos. of course you can edit the album as you like. this process can save you hours of hard work if you don’t want to upload and customize photos individually.
delivery time: 6-8 working days; shipping cost: from £3; mobile app: yes; social media import: yes
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buy now at bonusprint
2. photobox: best for variety of styles
price: from €15 | buy now from photobox
photobox is the clear winner when it comes to the sheer number of book styles on offer. the service offers so many different album styles that it’ll be hard not to find something you love. this also means that options vary significantly in price, from the £10 “little moments photo book” to the more extravagant £100 deluxe “premium photo book” with padded hardcover and presentation box.
We like the website to have clear terms with examples of the different options available when it comes to binding, covers and paper used. While this can be pretty straightforward, the last thing you want is to expect one thing and be greeted with something completely different with all your precious effort gone down the drain. photobox also scores highly if you’re personalizing a photo album as a gift because you can include years, names, or special shapes (like a heart) on the cover.
delivery time: 4-12 working days; shipping cost: from £4; mobile app: yes; social media import: yes
buy now from photobox
3. mixbook: best for a variety of topics
price: from €16 | buy now on mixbook
mixbook has a variety of themes available for almost any occasion, including weddings, birthdays, and travel. the service offers a quick preview after you select your theme and style. this gives you a good idea of what you can expect your photo album to look like before you even start uploading your photos. each style has a different book shape, so you can be sure your photos will look great and pop off the page, regardless of whether they’re in portrait or landscape mode.
mixbook is a great service for those who want a fun and personalized photo book, but don’t know where to start because they can simply choose a theme, pick a style, and start uploading and customizing their photo book. When you’re designing your book, you can choose various backgrounds and stickers to enhance the pages, as well as add effects to your images.
delivery time: 3-11 working days; shipping costs: from £4.51; mobile app: no; social media import: no
buy now on mixbook
4. snapfish: best budget option
price: from €8 | shop now at snapfish
An affordable alternative that doesn’t sacrifice quality or variety, snapfish offers a choice of seven different sizes and covers, along with over 100 templates that can be used in the design process. It’s easy to design something special on your PC or mobile device, and the results won’t cost you a thing. The only drawback is that existing projects cannot be shared between the desktop site and the snapfish app, so you need to decide which platform you’d like to create your photo book on before you begin.
Creating a photo book can be quite daunting, so we’re glad snapfish has helpful guides at the bottom of the website that gently hold your hand throughout the process, should you need additional help or you get stuck in the middle of the road. Through the process. Among other articles, there are ideas on how to create the perfect cookbook and even how to document your entire family history through a photo album.
delivery time: 3-6 working days; shipping cost: from £2; mobile app: yes; social media import: yes
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buy now from snapfish
5. cewe: the best desktop creation software
price: from €6 | buy now at cewe
Almost all of the above services let you create photo albums on a variety of devices, but cewe’s desktop software was the easiest to use. Although it is very easy to create photo albums on your mobile device, we always recommend a PC or laptop because it gives you a more realistic idea of what your photo album will ultimately look like. One of the best features of the software is the option to design your photo book offline and create it at your own pace before you are ready to print it. Of course, cewe also has mobile apps and even an online authoring tool, if that’s what you prefer.
There are eight photo book sizes to choose from, from small to xxl landscape, so you’re sure to find something you want depending on the occasion you’re creating for. The UK-based service has a variety of covers, paper types, highlights and binding styles to suit your style. It also has a helpful chat support option throughout the day to help you create your book or answer any questions if you get stuck at any point in the process.
delivery time: 5-7 working days; shipping cost: from £4; mobile app: yes; social media import: yes
buy now at cewe
6. milkbooks: the best high-end option
price: from €23 | buy now from milkbooks
If you are really looking for something that is very special and extravagant, then you should consider milk books. the company offers premium handmade photo books that really bring out the best in your images, with everything from classic photo books to beautiful moleskine-style albums and more.
Drawbacks to the service include long delivery times, presumably due to the care with which their items are created, but the quality and price easily justify the wait.
delivery time: 17-26 days; shipping cost: from £10; mobile application: no; social media import: no
buy now at milkbooks
7. bob books: best for versatility
price: from €15 | buy now at bob books
priced at about half of the options in this roundup, bob books offer plenty of variety when it comes to design and layout. In fact, there are seven different sizes and three orientations to choose from; portrait, square and landscape. A key feature that makes these books stand out from the competition is the fact that each one, whether hardcover or paperback, also comes bound in a wraparound cover, with various finishes available.
bob books offers a multitude of ways you can create your photobook, no matter what device you have on hand. There’s a dedicated software app for PC and Mac, a web-based photobook editor, an iOS app for iPhones, and a PDF to Book program for those who want to use Adobe InDesign. depending on your technical knowledge, the process can be as simple or as complex as you like.
delivery time: 6 – 10 working days; shipping cost: £4.99; mobile app: yes; social media import: no
buy now at bob books
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