Update: Since MyPublisher was discontinued, here is the current way we print our photobooks.
This week has already been full of long how-to posts and a laundry saga, so we wanted to share something lighter: our annual family photo book. Many readers asked whether we made one this year and when we’d show it. The latest Petersik Family Yearbook arrived this weekend, and we’re excited to share how we put it together and why we love the finished product.
We still find it amazing how compact these books are. The photo above illustrates how five years’ worth of images—over 2,400 photos—can fit in roughly the same space as a single traditional album that might hold 200 prints. The new book is thin but dense with memories.
For this year’s cover we chose a playful snapshot from our Florida vacation. Sherry convinced me to go topless for the cover — and Clara’s big smile in the photo sealed the deal. The title on the white cover is a bit subtle from a distance, but it becomes clear up close.
This is our fourth year compiling a full year of family photos into a single bound volume purchased from MyPublisher. We kept our usual design approach and wrapped the spine and back in a color drawn from the cover photo; this year’s spine is a soft seafoam green that complements the image.
We time our orders to take advantage of MyPublisher’s periodic “Free Extra Pages” promotion. That deal lets us print a 99-page book without the surcharge that normally applies to books longer than 35 pages, saving nearly $80 on this copy. The final price—about $48 after the discount—feels reasonable compared to buying individual prints and a traditional album to hold them.
One practical benefit of these photo books is backup and reprint options. We keep the design files for each book on our computer, so we can reorder quickly if something happens to the original. MyPublisher also stores files on their end, which means past books can be reordered if needed, providing extra peace of mind for our archive.
Now for a peek inside: we start the book with a simple summary page listing notable moments from the year. The layout tool allows us to add text in columns, so we compile highlights in roughly chronological order. That opening page sets the tone and helps guide the rest of the book.
We pack many photos into spreads that highlight big events—book tour adventures, birthday gatherings, and other milestones. Some spreads are dense with images, while others feature only a few favorites enlarged for emphasis. For Clara’s birthday we included a series of shots with grandparents who happened to be with us several years in a row, which felt special to compare side by side.
We also included pages dedicated to projects. In previous years our workflow separated “blog photos” from “family photos,” so many of our build-and-reveal shots didn’t make it into the family folder used for the yearbook. This year we were more deliberate about adding project images to the family album, so the book reflects more of the hands-on things that fill our lives.
For organization, we keep a single album in iPhoto called “Family 2013” and add photos there throughout the year. That chronological collection makes it easy to select favorites later. We import chosen images into the MyPublisher software—free to download—and arrange the layout until the sequence feels right.
Near the end of the book we included a handful of pages of Instagram grids. These are not every IG post from 2013, just a curated selection of favorites. We like ending the book with these casual snapshots because the collage-like feel serves as a relaxed, colorful wrap-up.
This is my fourth time laying out a yearbook, so I’ve learned to pace the photos across pages. In earlier years I hit the page limit before including Halloween photos; this time I managed the sequence so we even had space for the last dozen shots from Clara’s monthly photo project.
Looking back through the finished book brings up so many memories. How did you document your year? Are you creating printed photobooks, sticking with traditional albums, or trying a new service or app? We’re always curious what tools others use to preserve their family moments.