Print your own photobooks

Photographers who print their own images should consider producing their own photobooks instead of outsourcing the layout and printing. While it might not be cheaper than outsourcing, producing your own photobooks can be a lot of fun and it's very satisfying to see the results of your creative labours. Books make valuable aide-memoires, both now and for the future. They're also excellent gifts for special people you want to acknowledge.

In this feature, we'll look at the equipment you need and cover the stages involved in laying out, printing and binding a photobook.

Equipment

You don't need sophisticated equipment to produce a photobook; but you'll need at least an A4 printer. Some four-colour printers produce good enough reproductions for printing books, but for the best results you'll need a printer with at least a six colour ink set.

An A3+ or larger printer will give you more flexibility when it comes to page sizes. However, if you have to choose, it's better to pick a smaller printer with more