My Coffee Table Book Journey
So, I got this idea bouncing around in my head for a while – making my own coffee table book. You see them in shops, looking all fancy, but I figured, why not make something personal? Something with my own stuff in it.
First thing, I had to figure out what to put inside. I’ve got boxes of old photos, plus tons more clogging up my phone and computer. It felt a bit overwhelming, honestly. I spent a good weekend just digging through everything. Piles of digital folders, actual dusty photo albums. I decided to focus on travel pictures from the last, say, ten years. Seemed like a manageable theme.
Okay, photos selected. Now what? I needed to get them organized.
- I sorted them chronologically first, trip by trip.
- Then I picked the best shots from each trip – the ones that really captured the feel of the place, you know? Not just blurry selfies.
- I ended up with maybe a hundred or so really solid pictures.
Next up: the actual book making. I’m no graphic designer, let me tell you. I looked at a few online printing services that had tools to build books. Found one that seemed pretty straightforward. Uploaded my chosen photos, which took a while because some files were big.
Then came the layout part. This was trickier than I thought.
- Dragging photos onto pages.
- Trying different arrangements – one big photo per page? A few smaller ones?
- Should I add captions? I decided against much text, wanted the pictures to do the talking. Maybe just the year and place tucked away small.
- I played around with templates they offered but mostly ended up doing custom layouts page by page. Took me a few evenings after work.
Getting it Printed
Once I was reasonably happy with how the pages looked digitally, I had to choose the printing options. Hardcover or softcover? Definitely hardcover, felt more like a proper coffee table book. Paper type? I went for a slightly thicker, semi-gloss paper. Felt like a good balance. Hit the order button and crossed my fingers.
The waiting began. Took about two weeks, I think. When the package finally arrived, I was actually a bit nervous opening it. What if it looked terrible?
But you know what? It turned out pretty great! Seeing my photos printed in a real, bound book was fantastic. The colors looked good, the hardcover felt solid. It wasn’t perfect, maybe a couple of photos could have been arranged better, but overall, I was really pleased.
Now it sits on my coffee table. It’s a nice reminder of past trips, and it’s cool to flip through it now and then. Plus, it’s a good conversation starter when people come over. Making it myself felt way more satisfying than just buying one.