Softcover photo books are lightweight, durable and easy to carry around. Similar to a modern, high-end magazine, the softcover photo book is perfect for flipping through and sharing with friends and family members. The fact that it’s easy on the wallet also makes it the perfect choice for:

• Novice photo bookmakers
• Testing out different paper materials & finishing
• Independent zine makers
• Experimenting with art/photography styles

In addition, softcover photo books are also very versatile. You can make them for literally any occasions, such as:

• Welcoming new family members (babies, pets, spouses, etc…)
• Weddings
• Travel/Vacation (with either your friends or family)
• Portfolios (to showcase your original works)
• Just for fun (let your creativity run wild!)

With its optimal mix of high-quality paper materials, customisable covers and flexible layouts, the softcover photo book is a durable book that is the ideal choice for printing out your everyday moments of happiness. If you’re not convinced, read on to find out more about why this photo book would be a perfect addition for your collection.

The Cover

Similar to our Imagewrap Photo Book, the Softcover Photo Book was designed to give your favourite photos the ‘Star Treatment’; giving them pride of place on the front and back cover of your book. With over 100 different design templates available, you can customise your softcover photo book to fit any occasion, such as daily life, romance, adventure, family and friendship. Of course, if you have a talent for illustration or photography, you can bypass the pre-made templates and design your own cover from scratch! In other words, you can choose to make the cover as simple or intricate as you like. It all depends on your personal aesthetic and design preference. 

In addition to the customisable covers, you are also free to choose the type of finishing you’d like to use on the cover. Depending on the tone of your photo book, make the choice between a vibrant gloss or sophisticated matte finishing to further enhance your softcover photo book and give it that extra edge!

Side Sewn Binding

In terms of binding, the softcover photo book utilises the side sewn binding technique (also known as the stab-sewn technique in some circles). What this means is that the pages of the softcover photo books are seamlessly stitched along the spine; creating a curved gutter. The technique also renders the stitches invisible to the eye, giving the softcover photo book a very neat and polished look. 

This technique is used in order to increase the longevity of the softcover photo book and make it more durable. One of the most telling characteristics while utilising the side-sewn binding technique is that the outer pages of the softcover photo books sit flatter in comparison to the pages that are closer to the centre (where the gutter area is deeper). In short, while the softcover photo book is sturdy and less bulky, the pages of the book do not have the ability to lay flat.

Shape & Orientation

The Softcover photo books come in three shapes or orientations which are:

• Landscape – 6″x 8″| 8.5″x 12″
• Portrait – 8″x 6″| 10″x 8″
• Square – 6″x 6″| 8″x 8″

As human beings, each of us naturally has our own preferences when it comes to things like movies, favourite foods and music. The same can be said about photo books shapes and orientation! Some prefer square books because they look trendy and fun. Others might prefer landscape orientated books because it visually caters to the natural horizontal alignment of the human eyes. There are also people who prefer portrait books as they save space on a bookshelf and are great for details.

Whatever the reason a person might have, we do our best to cater to everyone’s needs and preferences by offering up all three orientations and in the most optimal sizes. This will ensure that no matter what shape and orientation you choose to get, you’ll get the best results for that particular size.

If you’re not sure which shape or orientation you’d like to use, here are some helpful tips that might help you come to a decision: 

Portrait:

• Taller than they are wider. 
• Saves space on the bookshelf
• Excellent for creating photo books that focus more on details; such as a person’s face, features or expression.

Landscape:

• Wider than they are taller. 
• Gives a feeling of peace and balance.
• Best orientation to showcase an overview of different elements that build a scene.

Square:

• Even length on all sides. 
• Fresh, modern look to display your photos. 
• Versatile as it is the ideal shape for displaying landscape and portrait photography as well as your Instagram snaps.

Long-Lasting 

To ensure that your personalised book meets your personal preferences, the softcover photo books also come with three paper materials and finishing for you to choose from. Depending on what type of book that you’re making and the tone your it carries, the paper material and finishing can greatly help to add more impact to the book.  

The paper options available include: 

• 190gsm Premium Photo Lustre: Features a beautiful pearly/sandy texture with the slightest hint on shine. Offers great longevity and softens images to give your book a more romantic and decadent appeal. [FSC Certified]

• 150gsm Art Paper with Gloss Lamination:  Offering the best in terms of dynamic colour contrast, the photos printed using this paper type will appear modern and lively.

• 150gsm Art Paper with Matte Lamination: Classy and elegant, the photos printed using this paper type will appear smooth and completely shine-free.

*Do note that all the paper materials used in producing our range of photo books are ethically sourced. 

For Crafternoon Sessions

As mentioned before, the softcover photo book is very versatile. It can be used to create photo books for special occasions like weddings, birthdays and travel albums. Additionally, it can also be used for fun craft projects, like:

• Making an original storybook
• Putting together a fashion look-book to show off your best selfies and fire outfits
• Making a gratitude book full of the things that you’re grateful for.
• A mood board collection

There’s just so much freedom and potential with the softcover photo book. In addition, the side-sewn binding techniques also make it possible for your softcover photo book to hold as many as 80 pages! So rest assured, no matter how long or short your story might be, the softcover photo book will ensure that you’ll be able to get your message across in full.

Flexible Layouts

Despite having a maximum of 80 pages, there’s no limit to the number of photos you can include in your softcover photo book. This is made possible because of the fact that the softcover books have flexible layouts – even if you choose a templated design. 

Choose a different layout for each page and watch your story come to life! Not satisfied with having one photo per page? Try 2, 4, 6, or even 12! If you can’t find a pre-made layout that you like, you can also design your own!

Simply add and arrange picture boxes to your liking. Maybe add some text boxes for captions, stickers for decorations or even your own background to ensure maximum satisfaction. 

That wraps up this in-depth peek at our trendy and ultra-portable softcover photo book! To summarise, the softcover photo book is the most versatile out of all our photo books in terms of usage. Besides being used to preserve and honour special occasions, the softcover photo books are also something you can make ‘just because’ and to stretch your creativity. 

 Easy to make and extremely affordable, the softcover photo book is a great option for both first-time photo bookmakers and veterans. Should you be interested to explore other types of photo books or create a different type of photo good, feel free to visit our website!

Also, be sure to check out our latest promotions to get the best prices for your next photo projects.