Photo books preserve your memories in a beautiful, tangible way. Here’s what you need to know about their key components:
Cover Options
Your cover is the first impression of your photo book. Choose between:
- Gloss Coating – Enhances vibrancy and saturation, ideal for colorful covers.
- Matte Coating – Reduces glare and adds a soft texture, perfect for elegant black-and-white or professional photos.
Design Tip: Ensure background images extend to the edges to prevent white borders. High-resolution images work best, and FOREVER® Artisan and FOREVER® Create & Print Projects will alert you if an image is too low in quality.
Binding & Spine
Binding determines how your book opens and impacts your design. Options include:
- Softcover – Budget-friendly and best for books with fewer pages. It utilizes a soft cover around the interior pages.
- Hardcover – Durable and ideal for high-page-count books. The cover is a heavy chipboard that is photo-wrapped with the interior being bound and cased in.
- Seamless Layflat Binding - one continuous sheet of paper spans two pages with a crease in the middle allowing for a seamless spread. The cover is a heavy chipboard that is photo-wrapped with the interior being bound and cased in.
Pro Tip: FOREVER® Artisan calculates spine width automatically, but keep text at least 1/8” from the edges.
Interior Pages & Printing
Printed using CMYK color separation, FOREVER® uses acid-free, satin-finished paper to ensure longevity and accurate color representation. Be mindful of:
- Color Interactions – Bright or dominant colors can influence nearby tones.
- Shadows & Vibrant Colors – Dark areas may print darker than they appear on screen. Monitor calibration helps ensure accurate prints.
Bleed & Safety: Ensuring Perfect Prints
To achieve professional-quality prints, understanding bleed and safety margins is crucial.
- Bleed refers to the extra 1/8” of an image that extends beyond the final trim line. This ensures that when the pages are cut, there are no unintended white edges. Any background colors, patterns, or images that should go to the edge must extend into the bleed area.
- Safety Margin is the area within 1/8” of the trim line where no important text or details should be placed. This prevents essential content from being trimmed or too close to the edge.
Why It Matters:
During printing, slight shifts can occur due to the industrial cutting process. Without proper bleed and safety margins, designs may print with white borders or text may be clipped.
Best Practices:
- Extend background images and designs beyond the trim line.
- Keep all essential elements at least 1/8” inside the safe zone.
- Preview your project carefully in FOREVER® Artisan and FOREVER® Projects to ensure proper alignment.
At FOREVER®, we are committed to helping you create stunning, lasting photo books. With attention to design, color, and materials, your book will be as beautiful as the memories it holds.