Create a photo book via Google Photos

A photo book is quickly created in Google Photos. There are two sizes to choose from. There is no choice in paper. Each book contains a minimum of 20 pages to a maximum of 100 pages. The same limit applies to photos: a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 100 photos. Select the photos you want to put in a book and Google will turn them into a book. By default, Google places one photo on each page. The order of the photos is easy to change. It is also easy to create a collage page. There are two, three or four photos on it. In this article we explain how this works.

In this case, good preparation is certainly half the battle. Think about the book you want to create. Collect the photos you want to put in the book in an album. From this album you can place the photos on the pages.

The article “Default albums in Google Photos” explains how to create an album. Adding photos to an album later is no problem. That is also discussed in this article.

Photos cannot be edited within the photo book. So do this beforehand. If you need help with this, read the article ‘Working online with Google Photos’.

Putting together a book with one photo per page is the easiest: Google takes all the work off your hands. In this article we start from such a basic book with one photo per page. After Google has put this together, you can adjust it to your liking. For example, you can place more photos on a page, change the page order or add pages.

• Go to Google Photos: photos.google.com
• Click on the left Albums.
• Click on the album you want to make a photo book from.
• Click on the shopping cart icon at the top right .
• click on Photo album.
• Google Photos is now compiling the book.
• The visible window is split in two. An example of the book is visible on the right, the larger pages of the book on the left. The left side is used to adjust the layout of a page. So how the photo is displayed. The right side is used to adjust the page order.
  

By default, the book is named after the album. Change this as follows:

• Click on the spine of the cover. The spine that is the left part of the cover you see.
• The ‘Edit book title’ window appears.
• Enter a title and click OK.

Three views are possible with one photo on the page: the original photo; the photo in square format or the photo across the page.

• In the left part of the view, hover over a page you want to change to. The options become visible next to the page.
  
• By default, the top option (the original photo) is active. Click on one of the two options below to customize the view.
• If you don’t like the view, click on the top option to restore the original format.

You may want to see only part of a photo. In that case, cut out the part you want to use. That’s called cropping.

• Click on the relevant photo in the left part.
• Click on the ‘Crop’ option that is visible above the photo.
  
• Drag the bubble that appeared to the right to zoom in on the photo.
  
• Click on the photo and hold down the (left) mouse button.
• Drag the photo so that the crop is the way you want.
• Finally, click on the check mark above the photo.
• Back to the original photo? Then follow the above steps again, but drag the ball all the way to the left.

It is possible to place a short text under each photo.

• Hover over a photo in the left part of the view.
• Click next to the photo Add page caption.
• Type the caption.
• Click on the check mark.

Note: a full-page photo has no caption. If you still want to place a text under the photo, choose one of the other two views.

When creating the photo book, Google determines the order in which the photos are displayed. Fortunately, this can be quickly adjusted to your own liking.

• Click on a page in the right part of the window and hold down the (left) mouse button.
• Now drag the page to a different place.
• Release the mouse button.
• Continue until the order is as you wish.

So far we have assumed one photo on the page. But it can hold up to four photos. Google calls a page with more than one photo a collage page. There are two ways to create a collage page:

1. Click on the plus sign at the top. This is visible next to the blue ‘Next’ button.
2. Or move the mouse over a photo in the left part of the view. Click on collage page next to the photo.

In both cases a search window opens. Now it is handy that you have pre-made an album that contains all the photos you want to use in the book.

• In the search box (which says “search your photos”), type the name of the album. As you type, the album is displayed in the matches.
• Click on the album. Now the photos from this album are shown. That saves a lot of searching! Photos already placed in the book have an icon in the top right corner. This way you avoid duplicate photos.
• Select the photos you want to use on the page. That can be up to four photos.
• Click the blue button at the top right Ready. The photos are now visible on the page.

The two, three or four photos can be arranged in different ways.

• Move the mouse over the page. The five rankings appear next to the page.
• Click on the desired option. If one option is not to your liking, then another is quickly selected.
• Every single photo can be cropped. This is done in the same way as described above under ‘use part of a photo’.
• Switching the order of the photos on the page is also no problem. Click on a photo and hold down the (left) mouse button. Drag the photo to the desired position.
• Release the mouse button.
• It is also possible to place text on the page. This is done as described under ‘add a caption’.

If you like the book, it’s time to order. There are two options for the book: a hard cover or a soft cover. The print quality of the (larger) hard cover photo book is better than that of the soft cover version.

Soft cover photo book

• Size: 17.8 by 17.8 cm.
• Minimum 20 pages; up to 100 pages
• Price: 12.99 euros for 20 pages; 0.49 euros per extra page. So the maximum price is 52.19 euros.

Hard cover photo book

• Size: 22.9 by 22.9 cm.
• Minimum 20 pages; up to 100 pages
• Price: 22.99 euros for 20 pages; 0.69 euros per extra page. So the maximum price is 78.19 euros.

The shipping costs are 5.99 euros. Those in a hurry can opt for a ‘priority delivery’ and pay 13.99 euros. Google itself charges 11 to 15 business days for normal delivery. Priority delivery takes place within 7 to 10 business days.

Payment is currently only possible with a credit card.

How to order:

• Click on the blue button at the top Next one.
• Select the desired option: a soft or hard cover book.
• click on Selecting.
• click on Pay.
• Fill in your details and click Saving Changes.
• Complete the payment procedure further.

If you are not yet familiar with Google Photos, read the article ‘Working online with Google Photos’. It also explains how to import photos into Google Photos.

Google Photos has an app for both Android devices and the iPad/iPhone. This can also be used to compose a photo book. The steps described above are almost the same for the app. Build an album and create the photo book from that album.