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How to Pick the Perfect Photo Book Size for Every Project

Follow these tips from Motif to decide between multiple photo book sizes.

Reading Time: 6 minutes read

Factors to consider for determining your photo book size

  1. How many photos do you want to feature?
  2. What size are your photos?
  3. What is the orientation of your photos?
  4. Do you want to add any text/captions?
  5. Where will you display your photo book?
  6. Photobook size options

When creating a new photo book, here are a few things one should consider. Select the pictures you want for your project. Choose a layout that best fits your imagery. Are you adding copy to your photo book?  Determining the photo book size should be your first decision. When creating photo books with limited pages, size matters. The size you choose dictates the placement of your images. 

 The following steps will help find the right photo book size for your project.

How to Choose a Photo Book Size: 5 Factors to Consider

There are five factors to consider when determining your photo book size. Answering the following questions will help you find the best fit for your project. 

1.   How many photos do you want to feature?

Estimate how many photos you’ll want to use. Then group all your photos together by page. Do you have many pages with five or six photos? A large 13 X 10 photo book should comfortably accommodate those numbers. A project with one or two photos per page can be condensed to something smaller.

2.   What size are your photos?

 Large-scale high-resolution photos look best in a large photo book. However, smaller photos and lower resolution images do not need to be showcased in small photo books. Several thumbnail images pieced together can easily fill a large page. Grids and collages add visual interest. Use them sparingly to increase their impact.

Photo book size is partly determined by the orientation of your photos: landscape or portrait.

3.  What’s the orientation of your photos?

Some photos have a portrait orientation. Some are landscape. Others are square. Take inventory of how many you have of each. When one format is more prevalent, you’ll know which photo book layout works best for your project. Let your photos help determine your photo book size. 

4.   Do you want to add any text?

When designing your photo book layout, consider room for headers and captions. Text requires space regardless of font size. Telling a story with words and photos on every page requires the room of a larger book. Placing text on top of an image is possible, but can be challenging on certain photos. A photo book with little to no text can be any size. 

5.   Where do you want to display your photo book?

Consider where you’ll keep your photo book when selecting its size. Coffee tables normally accommodate a wide variety of sizes. An overflowing bookshelf may have limits. Evaluate the need for portability of your photo book. Smaller photo books are easier to travel with to show friends and relatives.

Want to look through your photo book on the couch? Where you store it determines the size.

Your Photo Book Size Options

Now that you’ve reviewed the determining factors, it’s time to apply them. Below is a breakdown of photo book size options. Each size lends itself to specific types of projects. Match your goals to the book size.

Photo books are often categorized by their orientation. Square, landscape and portrait are common photo book designs. Within these categories are a range of size options. Photobook sizes are categorized as width-by-height (W X H).

Square Photo Album Sizes

The width and height of a square photo book are the same. This creates symmetry when displayed in your home. Square photo books are compact for carrying with you. This design works well for books that have an equal number of portrait and landscape photos.

Motif offers the following square photo book sizes:

  • 8 X 8 inches
  • 10 X 10 inches


Girl frames her hands for a landscape photo, which may lead to a wider photo book size.

Landscape Photo Album Sizes

A landscape photo book is wider than it is tall. Landscape is ideal for showcasing panoramic scenery shots. Wide-angle photos often don’t require cropping. Landscape albums are frequently used for travel photos and wedding albums.

Motif offers these landscape photo book sizes:

  • 13 x 10 inches
  • 11 x 8.5 inches

Portrait Photo Album Sizes

Portrait-style photo books are taller than they are wide. This orientation is better suited for portrait photos. It is often chosen for creating yearbooks, graduation albums, and work portfolios. Portrait photobooks have a more formal look and feel.

Popular portrait photo book sizes include:

  • 8 x 11
  • 11 x 14
  • 12 x 16

Motif also offers portrait-style photo cards that measure 6 x 4 inches and 7 X 5 inches. They’re perfect for:

  • Holiday greetings
  • Personalized birthday wishes
  • Save the dates
  • Wedding invitations
  • Birth announcements
After deciding the right photo book size, let your images fall onto the page.

Adding Your Photos

Once you’ve determined your photo book size, you might find some of your images aren’t sized or formatted for printing. If you’re planning an important event you might want to create a photo book of, adjust the setting of your camera. Better resolution photos make for better-printed photo memories. Motif Autoflow uses advanced technology to sort through the photos in your project. It will flag and filter duplicates, blurry photos, and low-quality images. The Autoflow function recommends the total number of pages and estimates pricing.  

 After a quick review of the above steps, creating the rest of your photo book will be a breeze.