Photo Tricks: A Quick Way to Create U-Turn Photobooks

Photo Tricks: A quick way to prepare a mock up photo book. An example of a simple spread of a photo book.

Photo Tricks: A quick way to prepare a mock up photo book. An example of a simple spread of a photo book. increase.

It so happened that this year I had to print about 5 photobooks to clients, completely compiled on the basis of photographs taken using the phone. The capacity of photos is 8-13 megapixels. Making photo books from other people's photos is a painful task, especially when there are several hundred of them per book and especially when they are from the phone. In such cases, I use the creation of photobooks with very simple yet effective tile or mosaic designs. Also, I sometimes use this method for photobooks based on photographs taken by me with 'normal' photographic equipment.

The essence of the method very simple - to spread a photo book, I create a collage based on the photos I need using the Google Picasa program. This collage serves as a photobook spread, with one photobook spread taking about one minute to prepare. For example, it takes about 20-30 minutes to create one thoughtful design spread of a photobook using conventional methods.

Step by step guide (pictures are clickable):

1. Open the desired folder with photos using navigation Google Picasa.

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

2. Select the desired photos for a U-turn. I recommend 4 to 10 photos per page.

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

3. In the menu, select the item "Create Photo Collage":

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

4. Select the type of collage "Mosaic". At the same time, the photographs will practically not be cropped and retain their natural proportions.

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

5. Set the size of the collage. First you need to select "Add Custom" and create your own size that will match the spread size for your photobook.

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

6. For a photo book in the format of 20 cm by 30 cm, I set the size to 46 by 32. This size is determined empirically. The spread of a photo book of 20 cm by 30 cm should approximately be 40 cm (two widths) by 30 cm (one height). More precise dimensions depend on the requirements of the darkroom (percentage of cropping at the edges, etc.).

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

7. Create a collage. The collage file usually appears in the default 'Pictures' folder and the 'Picasa' subfolder.

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

Create a spread for a photo book using Google Picasa

8. Prepare a template for the spread of the photo book.

A collage file usually appears in the standard 'Images' folder and the 'Picasa' subfolder.

The collage file usually appears in the default 'Pictures' folder and 'Picasa' subfolder.

9. Insert the collage into the spread template and fit it to the required size (function in ADOBE Photoshop 'Free transform', shortcut by 'CTRL + T'). In this example, a 20 cm by 30 cm vertical spread of a photobook requires a 300 dpi file with dimensions 4819 by 3425 pixels. Picasa generated file size 5120 by 3561 pixels, which is enough and even redundant to create a U-turn of a photo book.

A collage file usually appears in the standard 'Images' folder and the 'Picasa' subfolder.

The collage file usually appears in the default 'Pictures' folder and 'Picasa' subfolder.

In the example, the center line of the photobook bend passes and 'cuts' the rose in one of the photos, it is better to avoid such situations, change some photos in the collage and generate / create it again. Additionally, you can experiment with color and thickness of dividing lines mosaic collage.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

On the topic, I also advise you to look at the article ''Megapixels and Photobooks'.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Peter Sh.

 

 

Comments: 24, on the topic: Photo Tricks: a quick way to create a U-turn of a photo book

  • Н

    And if you make up one page?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      If you do not need to print on a spread (photos do not go from one page to another), then simply by analogy.
      If two pages flow into one another, then there are many options. One of the easiest is to make a U-turn and then “cut” it in half, taking into account the departures.

  • Vlad

    Arkady, good afternoon.
    How do you prepare photobooks using “conventional design methods”? If it's not difficult, share, plz, the main methods of how the work is structured.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      This is a complex philosophical question, which includes the selection of photographs, the selection of themes and a long enough persistent picking in Photoshop.

  • Vladimir

    Good, and most importantly "practical" article. Thanks to the author.

  • Vladimir

    When a program generates a collage, frames, joints, photos are placed automatically (at the discretion of the program itself)?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Yes, but after the preliminary generation, you can swap the photos in places (just drag and drop with the mouse), and also “mix” the photos and their position again. The thickness of the joints and their color is regulated there.

  • anonym

    Laying out an album in PH is cruel. There are also special programs that simplify the process and save time. InDisign for example.

    • nikop

      I wonder which of the photographers do not make up photos in Photoshop?

  • Taras

    Better - InDesign. Better, faster and easier - Smart Albums. The answer to the previous question, which of the photographers does not make up photobooks in Photoshop is practically no one who values ​​their time.

  • Zoom zoom

    aweasome!

  • What

    For several years I have been using CorelDraw for layout of photo books, with export to jeep.

    • Jury

      CorelDraw would be good for this, but export to jpeg ... spoils the colors a lot, CorelDraw for a vector, alas, bitmap spoils for me very noticeably ...

  • Peter

    For me personally, the best program for creating photo books is DG FOTO ART Gold ..

  • Alik

    Why argue? Picasses are gone

  • anonym

    But probably on file washes?

  • Alexey de Paris

    Thanks for this useful article! Although I do not print photobooks, I have to compose and print a collage and everything is described so well here!

  • Bogdan

    I highly recommend the wonderful and functional program FotoFusion v5. There and the creation of auto-collages, and work with layers, frames, text, etc.

  • Peter Sh.

    Arkady, thank you very much! I would even say many thanks!

  • anonym

    Thanks! It makes the layout work a lot easier.

  • Polo

    Why don't you do it in lightroom? As I understand it, this is your main tool. I uploaded, processed, built a collection and laid it out on a photo book.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      I do a lot of things, Lightroom is also one of the options

  • Alexander

    Great article! Thanks Arkady!

  • bigmc

    I use Smart Albums (my favorite!), I make photo books and collages for social networks there. It turns out minimalistic and neat, I hate vignettes and quirks. If you need to add text, then in Photoshop I then overlay it on the exported jeep, because for some reason Smart Albums randomly shifts the normally located text to the side. Lightroom works ugly with a photobook and loads the computer heavily. The indesign seemed a bit complicated for me. I saw how a professional layout designer in Korela did photobooks, but the file size turns out to be gigantic, inconvenient. In FSH, I have to work with ready-made templates for photo albums for schools (I hate it very much ...), it's very inconvenient.

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