A print is not a screen. Light bounces off paper instead of shining through it, and that changes how colours, darks and fine detail look. Knowing a little about paper and size helps every book look the way you hoped.
Quick tip: star photos on your phone as you take them. Picking takes half the time at the end of the month.
The book comes, and for one evening nobody looks at their phone.
Marcus, father of three
Try it this month
Most of this is invisible when it is done right. You only notice it when it goes wrong.
If in doubt, print a single test page first. It is cheaper than a whole book.
- Keep one photo per day at most
- Pick a fixed day each month
- Back up before deleting anything
What to look for
Watch the light at different times of day in your own home. Most houses have one window that is lovely for an hour every afternoon.
Do not wait for a special occasion. The ordinary weeks are the ones people forget, and the ones they most want to see again.
My mum reads the captions more than she looks at the pictures.
Leila, who writes every caption by hand
One more thing
When a month has a big event in it, such as a wedding or a first day at school, let it take over. There is no rule that says every week needs equal space. The book should feel like the month felt.
A good caption answers the question someone will ask in twenty years. Who is that? Where were we? Why is everyone wet? Write the answer while you still know it, even if it feels too obvious to bother with today.
Good to know: every Paperleaf book has room for thirty photos, so there is no prize for keeping more.
Start with what you already have
Keep the rejected photos somewhere safe for a while. Tastes change, and a picture you passed over may be the one you want next year.
Share the book when it arrives. Leaving it on the kitchen table for a day is often enough for everyone to have a look.
- Pick a fixed day each month
- Include at least one place, not just faces
- Back up before deleting anything
Keep it simple
Leave a little space. Not every page needs to be full, and an empty corner gives the eye somewhere to rest.
Some readers keep a short list of rules on a sticky note beside the computer. Ours says: faces first, then places, then anything that made us laugh. It is not scientific, but it stops the session turning into an evening of second-guessing.
I thought I needed a better camera. I needed a better window.
Tom Okafor, Paperleaf
A few small rules
Delete duplicates as you go rather than saving them for later. Later rarely comes, and a cleaner camera roll makes picking much easier.
Any tips for doing this with twins? I end up with two of everything.
Great question. Start with one photo per child per day and swap them on the second pass.
This is exactly the nudge I needed. My camera roll has four thousand photos from this year alone.
Thank you for not telling me to buy a new camera.
Great question. Start with one photo per child per day and swap them on the second pass.
We tried the one-photo-per-day rule last month and it made picking so much easier. Thank you!
The bit about writing names on the back hit home. We have a box of strangers in our loft.
Thank you for not telling me to buy a new camera.