Photo books
Creative self-publishing
can be yours
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Bookstore-grade quality
Our professional-quality photo books feature the highest-end paper types and come in a versatile array of sizes and covers for your most treasured works and keepsakes. -
Free tools and templates
Use our free, easy BookWright software for complete creative control. You can also print your book from a PDF or use our plugins for Adobe InDesign and Lightroom. -
Easy printing and distribution
We offer on-demand printing for small orders and full support for large ones. We also provide many ways to sell your book, including the Blurb Bookstore, Amazon, and 39,000+ bookstores.
Professional-Quality Photo Books
Make photo books and albums online with Blurb. Choose from a range of professional formats and beautiful paper types. Discover what you can design, print, and sell.
Sizes
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NEW! Mini Square
13x13 cm
We like it for: travel, Instagram/social square-format image books, gifts
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Small Square
18x18 cm
We like it for: portfolio leave-behinds, Instagram/social square-format image books, gifts
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Standard Landscape
25x20 cm
We like it for: landscape aspect ratio or horizontal photography books, travel, illustration
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Standard Portrait
20x25 cm
We like it for: fashion portfolios, portrait books, family portraits, portfolios, cookbooks
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Large Square
30x30 cm
We like it for: wedding, year-in-review catalogs, travel, real estate, design agency portfolios
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Large Landscape
33x28 cm
We like it for: landscape photography, photo portfolios, gallery/museum books, monographs
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Paper Types
All paper types are FSC certified and can be printed up to 240 pages unless otherwise specified.
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Standard
Smooth semi-matte, 118 g/m²
Up to 440 pages
Why we like it: Lighter weight, economical, good for color or black and white. Ideal for book dummies. -
Premium Lustre
Lustrous semi-gloss, 148 g/m²
Why we like it: Rich color, deep blacks, high contrast, good saturation. Premium-grade paper at mid-grade cost. -
Premium Matte
Matte surface, 148 g/m²
Why we like it: Bright white, matte coating allows for less fingerprints, smudging, and glare. -
Mohawk Superfine Eggshell
Ultra bright white, high opacity 148 g/m²
Why we like it: Archival-quality uncoated paper with eggshell texture. Heavyweight with good texture but less toothy than watercolor paper. -
Mohawk proPhoto Pearl
Pearl, semi-gloss, 190 g/m²
Why we like it: Pearl surface, lustre finish with exceptional 4-color reproduction. Archival-quality photographic paper for high-end photo books.
Cover Options
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Softcover
Print on the front cover, back cover, and spine
Gloss finish (13x13 cm has matte finish)
No cover flaps -
ImageWrap Hardcover
Print on the front and back cover
Durable matte finish
No cover flaps
Five end-sheet color options
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Dust Jacket, Hardcover
Glossy dust jackett
Linen hardcover, three color options
Five end-sheet color options
Level up with layflat
- Panoramic spreads that lay flat and stay put
- Perfect for wedding albums, cookbooks, coffee table books, portfolios
- Come in their own premium box
- Available in all photo book sizes
Ready to make your book?
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Blurb
BookWright- Blurb’s free and easy bookmaking software
- Customizable templates and layout ideas
- Image retouching tools
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Blurb plugin for
Adobe InDesign- For creators with books already in InDesign
- Make and layout books in InDesign to output in print and digital formats
- Start your book with blank templates and all document measurements done for you
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Blurb PDF
Uploader- Create a book from a PDF using any application
- One-click upload from PDF to print
- Handy PDF to book checklist
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Blurb Presets for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic
- Turn digital galleries into printed books
- Import your Lightroom Creative Cloud photos directly into BookWright
- Use premade templates or customize your own
BookWright templates we love
With our free software, you can choose from a variety of templates with preset page layouts to use or refine as you see fit. Here are a few of our favorites.
Spotlight on a Blurb creator
Pilot and photographer Adam C. Stuart shares a behind-the-scenes look at his bookmaking journey.
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Create, Sell, and Distribute
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Sell any format
Choose the best format for your self-published book to strike a balance between your creative vision and a price that works for your audience. -
On-demand printing
Print as many copies you need, from a single copy to 100 or more. Blurb’s on-demand printing means books are printed as they are ordered, reducing self-publishing costs up front. -
Distribution options
Create a self-published book you can sell and distribute at scale through the Blurb Bookstore, on Ingram (includes Amazon), and in more than 39,000 stores worldwide. -
Large order services
Enjoy custom discounts, bespoke print solutions, and expert support from our in-house team for orders of 100 or more books.
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Make a photo book with Blurb: getting started
Whether as a professional portfolio to support your career or a personal project to share with family and friends, photo books are a popular way to display and share your photography in a tangible, engaging way.With the help of self-publishing platforms like Blurb, making a photo book is accessible to anyone with an internet connection and an idea. Photo books provide limitless creativity and flexibility in design, allowing you to create a layout from scratch or customize templates to call your own. You can also add picture effects, captions, and backdrops to give your photo book a more personal and artistic touch.
Key considerations when creating your photo book
When you create a photo book with Blurb, you have several exciting design choices. From selecting a book format, paper type, and size to arranging page layouts to make your photos pop, you have total creative control of your book’s look and feel.
- Book Cover: Blurb offers three types of book covers: softcover, hardcover dust jacket, and hardcover ImageWrap. Each offers its advantages, but if you want to create a layflat photo book to capture those stunning panoramic shots, choose a hardcover ImageWrap.
- Paper Quality: Choose from a variety of paper types for photo books, including Premium Lustre, Premium Matte, Mohawk Superfine Eggshell, and Mohawk ProPhoto Pearl paper. Premium Lustre is perfect for photo books with more gloss and a thicker page, while Mohawk proPhoto Pearl offers archival-quality photographic paper for high-end photo books.
- Book Dimensions: Blurb offers several different sizing options for photo books. While the available sizes depend on the book cover you choose, the primary options include:
- Mini Square: 13x13 cm
- Small Square: 18x18 cm
- Standard Portrait: 20x25 cm
- Standard Landscape: 25×20 cm
- Large Landscape: 33x28 cm
- Large Square: 30x30 cm
The process of making a photo book with Blurb
To make a photo book with Blurb, you can explore several avenues. Start with your book’s design and layout:
- You can use Blurb's proprietary software BookWright, which is free and easy to use. You can also use Adobe InDesign, Lightroom, or Photoshop to create your photo book with Blurb.
- Blurb offers pre-made customizable photo book templates, or you can design each page yourself with a blank template.
- Once you’ve designed your photo book, choose from a range of professional cover formats, paper types, and dimensions, as mentioned above.
- With print-on-demand books, you can choose how many books you want to print, whether 1 or 100. No need to print more copies than you need!
- Once your photo book is ready and you initiate your first print run, you can publish and sell it worldwide via the Blurb Bookstore, including Amazon and thousands of other indie bookstores.
A multitude of fine details go into this process, so we encourage you to explore related resources on how to make a great photo book, as well as niche topics of interest like custom coffee table photo book ideas and tips for travel photo books.
Custom photo books for any occasion
Creating a photo book isn't limited to professional photographers. It’s also a great way to preserve memories and tell stories for many different occasions, such as:
- Weddings: Capture the memorable moments from your big day and showcase your favorite photos from your wedding ceremony and reception.
- Travel: Relive unforgettable travel experiences, stunning places you've been, and family vacations by creating a travel photo book album that you can keep and share.
- Portfolios: Level up your professional status with a captivating portfolio you can share with prospective clients or employers.
- Birthdays: The best gifts are timeless, and documenting the photos that capture a remarkable birthday celebration is one way to future-proof those special occasions.
- Holidays: Share the family feeling, the food, and the smiles that make a holiday celebration special. Holiday photo books make for great keepsakes and gift ideas.
- Sports Events: As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Tell the story behind a sporting event with a stunning photo book that captures those pivotal moments.
- Graduations: Turn these once-in-a-lifetime milestones into precious time capsules you can revisit and reflect on decades into the future.
- Art Projects: Certain creative endeavors are worthy of a professional record, and customizing your photo book is a great way to turn art projects into tangible collections.
Photo books can be customized for any purpose, such as a baby's first year, a family trip album, or even a school yearbook. They make great gifts for grandparents and family as well as smart tools for creative professionals and recent graduates.
Use Blurb to start building your photo book
Blurb offers a range of professional formats, beautiful paper types, and limitless design capabilities to bring your photo book ideas to life. With easy-to-use bookmaking tools built-in and professional-quality print options, you can create the same exceptional finished product as a world-class publishing house. And if you want to take your book to market, Blurb enables entrepreneurial-minded creators to sell and distribute their books on Amazon as well as Blurb’s own bookstore.