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After you return from a memorable vacation filled with unforgettable experiences and precious moments, you likely have lots of photos that capture all your adventures, from iconic landmarks and breathtaking landscapes to candid moments with your favorite people.
While frolicking along the beach, or whatever your getaway entailed, may have come to an end, the memories can last a lifetime. Thanks to Shutterfly, you can transform your travel photos into a customized book that lets you relive your adventures and share your fondest memories with friends, family, and even strangers if you really want to, any time the mood strikes. And the process is easier than you might think.
Shutterfly guides you every step of the way, making the design process one of the easiest (and most fun) things you’ll do. The design options are unlimited, with custom themes, colors and patterns that will make your photo book uniquely yours.
When you’re looking for the perfect travel book (or something else) to design at Shutterfly, RetailMeNot can help you save with an exclusive Shutterfly offer. Use the code RMN28 at checkout and take an extra 28% off regular-priced orders or the code TRAVELGIFT at checkout for a free 8-by-8 photo book — you just pay for shipping.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a travel photo book of your recent vacation:
How To Create a Custom Shutterfly Photo Book
Shutterfly offers three ways to create your book. The simplest option is to upload between 20 and 800 of your travel photos to Shutterfly.com and they’ll create the book for you from the selection of images. The “Make It For Me” option is perfect for those who have a hard time making decisions since the guesswork is almost virtually eliminated. All you do is upload the photos and let Shutterfly do the rest. Plus, you can still make changes before it’s printed and shipped.
The quickest (and simplest) design option, “Make It Fast,” lets Shutterfly’s intuitive tools help you create the photobook through design suggestions and other options that will bring it to life.
But the second option, “Make It Manually,” lets you personalize the heck out of your travel book — from the page layout to embellishments that add frames or art to your pages, the possibilities really are limitless.
I’m creating my own Travel Adventures Photo Book using the second option and will walk you through the process, from uploading the smorgasbord of photos to the fabulous, customized finish.
1. Pick the Travel Book Size and Cover
To get started, select the book size you want. Sizes range from as small as an 8-by-8 up to a 12-by-12. I’m picking the 10-by-10 size, which comes with 20 pages. So for this size, we’ll select the type of cover, which includes soft, hard glossy, hard matte and premium leather. The price varies by the size you choose, but the 10-by-10 size with the hard cover that I’ve picked is $56.23 (less with the RetailMeNot exclusive discount) for a rough estimate.
2. Choose the Binding for Your Travel Book
The next step is picking the type of paper your images are printed on and the book’s binding: Standard (matte, classic binding), Standard Layflat (matte, hinged biding) and Deluxe Layflat (satin, seamless spread) options, each with its own texture and sheen. This is a matter of preference. Whether you opt for a classic look or a more modern aesthetic, the options are designed to bring your photos to life just as if you’re reliving the special moment again.
3. Customize Your Travel Book
After you’ve picked out the book size and page type, it’s time to personalize your book. You can upload all your pictures at once or do it as you go. There’s also the option to hide the images you’ve already used so you aren’t reusing the same ones in multiple places. You can start anywhere in the book you want. But I’m starting at the beginning by creating the book covers.
Photo Book Covers
First, customize your book’s front and back covers with text, colors, photo layout and patterns. Shutterfly gives you a lot of different styles to use for your cover and the inside pages, but some have an extra cost. The image I used on the back cover won’t work, as you can see by the warning. I can use it, but Shutterfly doesn’t recommend that since the resolution is low, so I’ll probably pick a different one.
Photo Layout
Next, choose the layout for the first page of your photo book, which can be changed anytime throughout the process. You can pick from one large image to up to five or more. The page numbers are displayed at the bottom page. Shutterfly lets you customize the background for each page or add overlays like special text, maps and frames, to name a few.
Rearrange the Pages
When you’ve filled the pages, click “Arrange” to see a visual of the entire layout of the book. This allows you to move a page at the beginning of the book to the middle or the last page to the front, for example. It also gives you an overview of how your pages are arranged.
Preview Your Photo Book
You’ll also have the option of previewing exactly how your book will look, and if you’re happy, then you’ll move on to “options,” which is where you’ll finalize all the things you selected along the way, like the type of pages and cover you picked at the beginning. You can change your mind and select another option; it won’t affect all your work. Shutterfly offers even more extras, including removing the Shutterfly logo ($13.99) and adding a memorabilia pocket ($4.99).
4. Fix Any Issues
Finally, you’ll add the photo book to your Shutterfly cart. If the book has any issues, you’ll see a warning pop up that lets you fix them before submitting your work of art. Once you’re ready, you can place your order (don’t forget to add the code RMN28 for 28% off).
Within a week or so (times can vary), you’ll receive your pretty, custom Shutterfly travel book right to your door.
The post Relive Your Favorite Adventures With a Custom Shutterfly Travel Photo Book appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
