When we returned from Amsterdam with hundreds of pictures, my husband volunteered to create a photo album. Often, the photos get placed in a box for months before we put an album together, but this time he quickly created a photo book using SmilesBooks, a European-based company that lets you do everything online.
The Big Picture When Creating a SmileBooks Photo Album
Richard says using the SmileBooks photo book process is an easy way to organize and display photos from a trip or a special event. He liked it, in part, because he didn't have to print off individual photos then slide them into an album. He just dragged and dropped the images into place using SmileBooks' softwareThe process lets you write descriptive text, notes and headings in various fonts, which make the books look very attractive. (And, you won't be wondering "Whats the name of that statue?" ten years from now.)
We both enjoy looking at the cover, because it contains several of our photos.
Nitty Gritty to Creating a SmileBooks Photo Album
- Download the software from the website: SmileBooks.com
- Richard suggest picking the photos you want to include before you actually start working with the software.
- Photoshop photos, if desired, in advance. Smilebooks software has some edit capabilities, but Richard preferred Photoshop.
- Use their "Assistant" software.
- Select the number of pages to be in the book.
- Select the photos and drag to the album. (Richard took them directly from My Photos on his computer, but you could also create and click on a file.)
- Select a background (SmileBooks or yours).
- SmileBooks places the photos in date sequence, but you can rearrange the sequence.
- Add text as desired.
- Select the cover preference. Richard used photos from our trip.
- Transmit. (This takes time because it's a big file.)
- Wait for your book. Ours came in about two weeks.
Be Careful About These Points When Creating the Photo Book
- Contrary to the advertising, it takes more than a "few minutes" to create a book, so carve out enough time.
- When choosing the number of pages, remember that you will be charged by page groups.
- Check how the photos are displayed in the book. Ours were too cramped, so Richard added pages to spread them out.
- Check each photo carefully before sending the file to SmileBooks. There is some auto-cropping, so make sure each photo is as desired. (We didn't check one carefully enough, and the top of a church steeple was cut off.)
- Books range from about $10 to $77, depending upon size and the number of pages.
