Every Paperleaf book passes through a lot of hands before it reaches yours. We are often asked what happens in between, so this is a look at one small part of the process.
The clip below is what we put on while sorting. It runs long enough to get through a month of photos.
Keep it simple
We have changed this step more than once. Each change came from a reader telling us something was not quite right.
It would be quicker to skip this. We think the result is worth the extra time.
- Back up before deleting anything
- Star photos as you take them
- Hand the camera to someone else
Try it this month
It helps to know what the book is for before you start. A book for grandparents wants faces and clear captions. A book for yourself can hold the odd corner of the garden, the shadow on the wall and the plate of food that only makes sense to you.
Look back at last year’s book before you start this month’s. It reminds you what you enjoyed seeing again and what you skipped past, which makes this month’s choices quicker and kinder.
Picking is a skill. Like any skill, it gets faster.
Priya Nair, Paperleaf print room
One more thing
Back up before you delete anything. It takes a minute and removes the fear that stops people from clearing out at all.
Do not wait for a special occasion. The ordinary weeks are the ones people forget, and the ones they most want to see again.
Quick tip: star photos on your phone as you take them. Picking takes half the time at the end of the month.
Any tips for doing this with twins? I end up with two of everything.
Such a simple idea and I had never tried it. Doing it tonight.
Lovely post. The bit about keeping the blurry photos made me go back and rescue a few.