It has been way too easy to fill up virtual photo books with a lot of pictures from everyday life ever since smartphones came out. “What do you do with all of these photos?” is a good question, though. Instead of having priceless pictures of your newborn or a memorable family trip sitting in your camera roll with pictures of your favourite dinner, you can use a photo book maker to make them into a tangible object that you can keep or give as a gift on a momentous occasion.
There are a lot of choices, customisations, themes, and pictures to sort through in a photo book maker, which might sound scary to someone who has never used one before. That being said, the best picture editors make it easy to get everything done with just a few clicks of the mouse. They even have “smart assistants” that can make the book for you in minutes, which is pretty cool.
For the holiday season and beyond, we’ve put together a list of the best picture printers and what you should look for before you order.
What to consider when choosing a photo book maker
Price
The price of a picture book changes based on the cover, the type of paper, and the finish that you choose. Usually, there is an extra fee for adding more pages and choosing a different size. You should keep an eye out for sales and discounts at many stores, like 50% off picture books, while you visit them.
Level of difficulty
The thought of putting together a photo book might be scary for people who aren’t graphic artists. But the best picture book makers let you pick from templates that are easy to follow or work with “smart assistants” who make the books for you. It might look like this automatic choice will make it harder to make your photo book unique, but that only happens sometimes. Even though the style is already done for you, many brands have features that let you still enter text, paste clip art, and choose colours and finishes.
Delivery speed
Picture books are delivered at different speeds by different companies and makers. Most companies say it will take between 8 and 13 business days for the photo book to get to you after the order is made.
Following Is The List Of the best photo book makers
#1) Paper Culture
Paper Culture saves the day when it comes to finding the best picture book maker. To begin, you will look at a number of themes and pick the one that fits your needs the best. The themes can be babies, memories, graduation, holidays, travel, or even weddings. After that, all that’s left to do is pick out a cover and size and add your text. A simple design platform will be sent to you, where you can drag and drop pictures, add text, pick colours, and write comments.
Paper Culture is simple to use, and it makes you feel good to do so. The company plants a tree in your honour every time you buy something, so you’ll be able to help the earth at the same time.
Specifications:
Starting price: $40
Book sizes: 8 x 8 and 8 x 10 inches
Shipping time: 8-11 business days
Paper options: 100% post-consumer recycled paper
App: No
What we like:
- Green products were used to make it.
- A number of themes to pick from
- Text, style, layout, designs, and more can be changed.
Things we don’t like:
- Shipping costs a lot
The bottom line:
Paper Culture is the best picture book maker for people who want an easy and eco-friendly way to keep memories alive for years to come.
Website: Paper Culture
#2) Nations Photo Lab
It can get pricey to print photos, but Nations Picture Lab has picture books for as little as $19. The “Buzz Books” from all of the names have a soft cover and 40 pages that can be filled with different pictures. These are great for taking shots of babies, vacations, and even the whole family. The logo will be on the back cover because this is a cheap find. It won’t look as lovely as the other choices, but it’s still a good choice. For those of you who want to hang some pictures on your wall, Nations Photo Lab can frame them for you when you order your prints.
Specifications:
- Starting price: $19
- Book sizes: 5 x 7, 6 x 6, 8 x 8, 10 x 10, 8.5 x 11, 12 x 12 inches
- Shipping time: 3-10 business days
- Paper options: Classic semi-gloss, classic linen, classic pearl, lay flat semi-gloss
- App: N/A
What we like:
- Can change the colour, cover, page type, and direction
- Easy to set up and line up pictures
- Different sizes available
What we don’t like:
- Extra functions (UV coating, colour correction, etc.) will cost more.
The bottom line:
Nations Photo Lab has simple, low-cost choices for people who want to spend at most $100 on a photo book.
Website: Nations Photo Lab
#3) VistaPrint
If you didn’t study photography or graphic design in school, choose an easy-to-use picture book maker. VistaPrint has a lot of picture printing options for people who are just starting, such as photo books. VistaPrint is different from other companies because they have a “Smart Assistant” that can pick the best pictures, get rid of duplicates, and make page layouts that look great and fit your design style.
VistaPrint has software that lets you work on your book online and offline, so you can do it at home or on an aeroplane. There’s no wrong time or place to bring those memories back to life.
Specifications:
Starting price: $13
Book sizes: 5.5 x 4, 8 x 6, 11 x 8.5, 8.5 x 11, 5.5 x 5.5, 8 x 8, 12 x 12 inches
Shipping time: 10 business days
Paper options: Standard matte, standard glossy
App: No
What we like:
- An intelligent assistant is offered to help with design.
- Making a picture book while you’re not online
- Up to 120 pages
What we don’t like:
- Few themes to choose from
The bottom line
VistaPrint’s easy-to-use design system and a limited number of choices make it the best photo book maker for people who are just starting.
Website: VistaPrint
#4) Mixbook
There are some makers of picture books that are worth the price, even though they can be pricey. Mixbook has themes for just about any event or person you can think of, like a baby’s birthday, kids’ birthday, adoption, wedding, pet, and so on. You can pick from different styles and add up to eight photos per page. For an extra cosmetic boost, you can embellish it with stickers and inscriptions. The brand has worked with different designers to make themes and designs for different events that use bright colours, fancy fonts, and other small details to make the choices more complex.
Specifications:
Starting price: $9.99
Book sizes: 8 x 6, 8.5 x 8.5, 8.5 x 11 inches
Shipping time: 11-14 business days
Paper options: Everyday semi-gloss, signature matte, premium lustre
App: Yes
What we like:
- A lot of books for different events
- Up to 400 pages are possible.
- Sources its work in an ethical way
What we don’t like:
- Does not come with a protective covering
The bottom line:
You can make one or two picture books without spending too much money on Mixbook because it has a lot of high-quality books at fair prices.
Website: Mixbook
#5) Artifact Uprising
You should find a beautiful picture book maker to make your ideas come to life, whether it’s for a wedding album or a birthday present. Artefact Uprising’s picture books come in almost 15 different layouts, so you can pick one that fits your style, whether you want something simple or bright and fun. The best-selling Everyday Photo Book from the brand is a good choice. It has a quality fabric binding and a foil-stamped linen cover.
You can get books with 30, 40, or 50 pages, and the styles are kept simple so they look good and are easy to read and browse. The brand will work with you to make things right if you’re not happy with your order. That way, you can have a keepsake that you’ll be happy with for a long time.
Specifications:
Starting price: $62
Book sizes: 7 x 7 inches
Shipping time: 10-12 business days
Paper options: Mohawk Options 100% PCW
App: Yes
What we like:
- Cover made of strong fabric
- Comes with a quality guarantee
- Making a picture book on a phone app is possible.
What we don’t like:
- Not able to add or remove pages
The bottom line
Elevated picture books made with high-quality materials and a satisfaction guarantee can be bought from Artifact Uprising.
Website: Artifact Uprising
#6) Shutterfly
Shutterfly has a lot of themed themes to choose from, while many other brands only have a few. Some of the most common themes in Shutterfly’s books are travel, wedding, and family. They also have Disney holidays and personalised storybooks. Kids who want to be the main character in their own story will love these kinds of books.
You can use the 24-hour designer service to make things easier. For no extra charge, a Shutterfly designer will make you a photobook. You can order it as-is when it’s done, or you can make changes until you’re happy with it.
Specifications:
Book sizes: 8 x 11, 8 x 10, 11 x 14, 12 x 12, 8 x 8, 11 x 8, inches
Shipping time: 5-7 business days
Paper options: Matte finish
App: Yes
What we like:
- Free 24-hour designer service available
- Access to advanced editing tools
- Vast number of themed templates to choose from
What we don’t like:
- Fee to get rid of logo
The bottom line
The best photo book maker is Shutterfly if you want themed templates that will make your keepsake more interesting than just photos and writing.
Website: Shutterfly
#7) Printique
With its creative layouts and builds, Printique takes picture books to a whole new level. The first thing you can do is pick between a vegan or genuine leather cover in black, white, navy, taupe, or silver. The layouts are different because they are based on themes like trips, babies, pets, and more. If you want something simpler, you can also look through the classic styles.
You can send pictures to Printique from Instagram, Flickr, Facebook, DropBox, Google pictures, and Lightroom, which is excellent for people who have photos on a lot of different sites.
Specifications:
Starting price: $83.99
Book sizes: 8 x 8, 6 x 6, 10 x 10, 12 x 12
Shipping time: It takes between 7 and 10 business days to ship.
Paper options: Luster, glossy, deep matte, linen, pebble
App: Yes
What we like:
- A lot of choices for different events
- Simple and stylish styles
- You can get gift boxes.
What we don’t like:
- 100 pages at most
The bottom line:
Printique is for creative people who want a picture book that can be made in a lot of different ways, from photos and layouts to materials and cover designs.
Website: Printique
#8) Walmart
You may already know that Walmart can help you save money on everyday items, but did you know that you can also get your photo book quickly and easily there? Depending on the choice you make, Walmart can get you a photo book the same day.
The layouts and patterns are essential, but they’ll do if you want a keepsake that you can put on your nightstand or coffee table. But there are many choices for covers, from high-end layflat covers to leather covers.
Specifications:
Starting price: $9.96
Book sizes: 8 x 6, , 8 x 8, 8 x 11, 12 x 12, 5 x 7, 11 x 14 inches
Shipping time: 8-12 business days
Paper options: Semi-gloss
App: Yes
What we like:
- Many different options for themes and styles
- Some books can be picked up on the same day.
- The book can be sent to your home or the Walmart closest to you.
What we don’t like:
- You can only have 150 pages.
The bottom line:
Walmart is different from many of the other stores on this list because you can pick up your order the same day if you need a gift quickly.
Website: Walmart
#9) Pinhole Press
There’s nothing better than having pictures of your kids when they are young. Even though your phone can make an album, there’s something more personal about an actual picture book. Pinhole Press was made with a baby’s firsts in mind, so you can remember all of those critical events, like their first lost tooth or getting a hug from Santa.
At the base, there is a strong spiral binding that will help the pages stay in place even if they are tugged or bumped around. You can use this photo printing service in a number of ways. You can send the pictures and let the site do the work, or you can make changes to your book by hand.
Specifications:
Starting price: $12.74
Book sizes: 3 x 3, 5.25 x 5.25, 8.5 x 6.5, 8.75 x 8.75, 8.75 x 11.25 inches
Shipping time: 7-10 business days
Paper options: Glossy ultra-thick paper
App: Yes
What we like:
- There are certain books for kids
- Made by hand in the USA
- There are different book choices.
What we don’t like:
- Few pages are available
The bottom line:
This is the best picture book maker for kids because it’s made to last through their curiousness and lets them be a part of a story and see themselves.
Website: Pinhole Press
#10) ChatBooks
If you want to get the mail immediately, this is the best picture book maker for you. You only need to add your pictures and change some things about the page to make it your own. You can pick the colours, covers, captions, and layouts for your picture book so you can make one that you love. You can subscribe to a service that sends you a mini-book every month if you’re interested in memory books. This is a great way to keep a collection of photos for years to come without just using your phone or memory card.
Specifications:
Starting price: S$15
Book sizes: 10 x 10, 5 x 7, 6 x 6, 8 x 8 , inches
Shipping time: 5-9 business days
Paper options: Lustre paper
App: Yes
What we like:
- Up to 366 pages
- Print quality for professionals
- There is a subscription choice.
What we don’t like:
- Few paper choices are offered
The bottom line:
With its subscription service, ChatBooks is an excellent place for people who want to get photo books every month.
How we select the best photo book makers
We looked into the different types of photo book makers on the market and judged each one by user reviews, first-hand testing, and first-person testing. Our long list has a lot of different picture book makers for people of all skill levels, budgets, and events.
Website: ChatBooks
When is the best time to buy a photo book?
There is a better time to get a picture book. Picture books, on the other hand, can make great gifts for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events. These days, when everyone is always on their phones, having something physical like a picture book can be more meaningful than ever.
But if you need to make a gift quickly for a birthday, holiday, wedding or other event, check the picture book maker’s website to see how long it takes to print and ship. Order your book at least 6 to 8 weeks before the event, depending on the service you pick.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the article highlights various photo book makers catering to different preferences. From eco-friendly options like Paper Culture to budget-friendly choices like Nations Photo Lab and user-friendly platforms like VistaPrint, there’s a diverse range to choose from. Mixbook offers extensive themes, while Artifact Uprising provides elegant, quality photo books.
Walmart allows for same-day pickup, Pinhole Press caters to memorable moments, and ChatBooks offers a subscription service. Snapfish stands out with its instructional video. Ultimately, the best time to buy depends on the occasion, making photo books ideal for preserving cherished memories.