Everything you need to know about photobooks in Buenos Aires

We started this article with an “informative” approach and the idea of sharing some advantages and features of photobooks. The thing is, we gathered so much information that we ended up putting together this “definitive guide” on photo books, photobooks, photo albums, etc.

If there is one “bad” thing digital photography has brought, it is that it contributed to the loss of the old habit of developing and printing photos on paper. Nowadays, we all have (literally) thousands of photos scattered across different devices (cell phones, computers, tablets, pendrives, hard drives, etc.) that will never end up materialized in a physical medium, which is a real shame :(.

A photobook is in our opinion, the best destination your photographs can have and also the best solution.

Photobook Vs. Traditional Album Vs. Digital Album

The main advantage of photobooks is being able to set up a design and page layout in a fully customized way.

Unlike old traditional ring-bound photo albums (the “Avon” type), a photo book is literally a blank canvas on which you can make thousands of combinations and limitless designs. You can choose to highlight important photos and place them on a full page (or even a double page spread), and it also gives us the possibility to create grids with smaller photos that can work as series or sequences, which adds immense richness to the narrative of the content.

It also gives us the possibility to incorporate other design elements: graphics, text, etc. The range of possibilities is truly infinite.

How is a photobook designed?

There are countless ways, programs, and software to design photobooks. In our case, we are very lucky to have several graphic designers on our team, and in fact, being able to delegate the design to trained and qualified professionals is the great differentiator.

We create our designs in Adobe Indesign. It is not the most user-friendly tool if you are not familiar with that work environment, but it is the best way to have a professional and personalized photobook design.

Types of photobooks:

As the social event experts we are, our specialty is social events, BUT the tremendously good thing about photo books is that they can be made with any type of content.

Travel or Vacation Photobooks:

Generally, when we go on vacation or travel for any reason, it is usually a very good time to take photos non-stop.
We have all been in the typical situation of being like a Japanese tourist with a camera hanging around our neck and shooting at everything that crosses our path 🙂
Making a photobook with the photos from your trip(s) is the BEST way to keep those memories fresh. Usually, vacation photos end up (in the best-case scenario!) stored on an old hard drive. From our perspective, we strongly encourage you to have your vacation photobook or your photobook with the photos of your travels!

Wedding Photobooks:

Weddings have the particularity of usually generating a lot of material. That is very good, but in practice, something that ends up happening is that there are very few times that one can take the time to sit down to see aaaaall the photos.

The wedding photobook also fulfills the function of a “summary”. In the photobook, you can select the material that best summarizes the whole day and create a true reportage that invites you to look at it again and again.

Sweet 15/Quinceañera Photobooks:

The classic 15th birthday albums are a thing of the past. The photobook format is also here to stay to commemorate the memories of the quinceañeras. In the case of 15th birthdays, there are 2 options.

Guestbook Photobook:

It is the photobook that we usually make with photos from the quinceañera’s photo shoot or session. A minimalist design is created with plenty of negative space, to leave enough room for guests to leave their messages on the day of the party.

I won’t deny that I get a little shiver down my spine when I see people writing in the photo book! But hey, we relax knowing that’s what it’s for, and that those messages will have immense value as time goes by 😊

Quinceañera Party Photo Book:

Now this one, no one writes in; it’s usually designed with photos from the portrait session and the party.
And if you’d like, you can click to see more Photos and Videos of Quinceañera Parties.

Other ideas for photo books:

We are often asked what other occasions or uses photo books are good for, and the truth is the list is endless. Creating a photo book is, in the broadest sense, preserving memories, so any content is perfectly valid!

Gift photo book * Baby photo book * Birth / Newborn photo book * Mother’s Day photo book * Father’s Day photo book * Anniversary photo book * Artistic photo book * Portfolio photo books * Pregnancy photo book * Travel photo books * Photo book with text * Minimalist photo book

How to select or choose photos for a photo book.

It doesn’t matter where you have your material: Google Photos, iCloud, Facebook, Instagram, your phone’s storage, etc.
There are various ways to get the material to us for each case, ASK US!

Photo book pricing:

Photo book values vary widely as they depend on several factors:

Photographic paper photo books:

Rigid sheets, printed on chemical photographic paper (which can be matte or glossy, like any standard photo print).
This type of photo book has the distinct advantage of having extremely high definition in the print because, at least for now, there is no other printing technology that can match those levels of detail.
They also allow for the book to open 180° due to the way it is assembled and bound.

The “downside” of this type of book printing is that the final form of each page is essentially glued sheets, which might affect long-term durability; although, of course, this depends on the photo book lab that assembles it.

Digital Offset System:

These are photo books with a more modern and editorial feel.
The pages are printed on inkjet systems known as Digital Offset, which gives them a “look” closer to any editorial book like the typical book you might buy in any bookstore.
The pages are lighter (generally between 170 and 190 grams approx.)

Photo book format:

There are three book formats: Square photo book * Landscape photo book * Portrait photo book

Different photo book sizes:

There are many different photo book sizes and it depends a lot on the format, but the most “universal” sizes (that repeat across different photo book labs) are the following:

“XS” photo book 21 x 15 cm

It is a quite accessible format and an excellent way to handle photo printing at a very convenient cost. Did you know that making a 180-page photo book is much cheaper than having that same amount of loose photos printed? Since it’s hard to gauge the size just by looking at a screen, you can use as a reference that this book (closed) is the size of an A4 sheet folded in half. It can be made with softcovers or hardcovers.

“STD” photo book 28 x 21 cm

It is the most popular photo book format. The reference size is approximately an A4 sheet. It is a very manageable, comfortable, and practical photo book format, the typical book you’ll want to have on your coffee table to browse through often. It can be made with softcovers or hardcovers, although we always suggest hardcovers for this size.

Premium “XL” size photo book 38 x 28 cm

It’s the father of photo books, the holy grail, the biggest photo book in the world 😝 It is a truly imposing book. It can be designed with a great deal of freedom because at that size, you can include many photos per page without losing detail; plus, photos that take up a full page look truly impressive, with massive visual impact. It is a photobook that commands respect: to look at it, we recommend resting it on a table, making space, and enjoying it. (The pages at this size require careful handling to prevent them from creasing)

Number of pages for photo books:

The books can be put together (depending on the size) with between 22 and up to 160 pages. How do you know how many pages you’ll need? A simple reference calculation is to multiply the number of photos we want to include by 2. By doing that, we are creating a kind of average between the photos that will go as a full page and the less prominent photos that will be placed multiple to a page. It’s just a reference, but it serves to start thinking about different options.

Which photo book should I choose? What are the Best photo books?

There are no “best” photo books! Each one responds to different needs. Ask us and we will gladly help you. The great added value of our work is to accompany you and advise you so that you make the best decision.

Where to make a photo book?

With us, of course! Contact us so we can tell you in more detail about the entire process, delivery times, etc. We ship throughout ARGENTINA, so you can have your photo book no matter where you live.

Final conclusion: Why make a photo book?

Because it is beautiful for photos to exist in a physical medium that we can touch and enjoy. Because a photo book is a unique and unrepeatable design object ideal for gifting on birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, or any occasion that warrants a personalized gift. Because the quality of printing and assembly ensures excellent durability. Because a photo book is not just “printing photos”; it will also, at some point, become a family legacy. Because it is the best way to preserve memories.

Are you in the mood to have a book with your photos? (we hope so!) Contact us and we will get to work on your project!