A photo book is a window into your world. A photo book can be used to celebrate an adoption or capture a school year in review. Mixbookers make thousands of unique photo books celebrating everyday memories and life's big moments. You'll find the process of making a photo book rewarding — and fun.

Maybe you're thinking about creating your first photo book with Mixbook. Perhaps you're celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary or want to capture your dog's playful spirit in an album. No matter the project you have in mind, it's easy to get started.

Step 1: Create Your Photo Book

The first step in creating any photo book is deciding what you're making and why you're making it. You might already have an idea, like creating a family ancestry book to gift your parents. If you're unsure what you want to create with your photos, organize them by year, person, or event. Designing an everyday photo book or a year-in-review book is a great way to preserve your memories.

Choose a Theme

Mixbook has pre-designed photo book themes and templates. You can browse them all or browse by subject. Themes celebrating birthdays, weddings, and travel adventures are some of the most popular designs. If you prefer to customize your theme, start with a blank canvas.

Each theme includes layouts, a color palette, set fonts, backgrounds, and decorations like stickers and illustrations. Use these assets to customize the pages of your photo book.

Upload Your Photos

Before starting your design, you'll need to upload your photos to your Mixbook account.

You can upload your photos via Mixbook's desktop editor or with the Mixbook app on your phone. To upload photos, start a project and click the "Add Photos" button in the editor window. Hold the CTRL key on your Windows PC or the Command key on your Mac while clicking on photos to select multiple items to upload.

Use the "Import Photos" button to add photos from other services. Mixbook supports importing photos from Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, and SmugMug. You can also upload your photos to Mixbook using a QR code. Scan the QR code on the editor and choose the photos you want to use.

[Img suggestion: video illustration that shows how to add photos]

Add Custom Touches

Once your photos are uploaded, arrange them on the pages yourself or use the AutoFill tool to place your photos. If your photos don't all fit the way you want, use the layouts tab to customize photo frames for each page. Add stickers and graphics anywhere. Don't forget to add captions that describe each photo.

Step 2: Review Your Photo Book

Your design is finished, and you're ready to place your order. It's time to proofread! Use "Preview" mode to view your finished photo book design. Carefully check all of your custom text, quotes, and captions to ensure that they are accurate and that everything is spelled correctly.

Pay attention to and correct any Mixbook editor warnings.

Blank pages
Low-quality images
Bleed problems

Step 3: Order Your Photo Book

When your photo book is finished, click the red "Order" banner on the editor screen to choose your printing options. Mixbook has photo book styles for all budgets. You can buy a simple softcover copy of a photo book to share with friends, or you can order a high-quality photo book as a special gift. [LINK TO: Printing Your Photo Book: Options for High-Quality Results]

Select a Book Option & Size

Mixbook offers three book types.

Softcover photo books are a flexible and lightweight option ideal for everyday projects.
Hardcover photo books are a durable, beautiful option for special projects.
Lay-flat photo books feature thick pages and seamless layouts for truly striking results.

You can also pick from four size options.

XS photo books measure 6" x 6"
S photo books measure 8.5" x 8.5"
M photo books measure 10" x 10"
L photo books measure 12" x 12"

Pick Paper & Cover Finishes

Before finishing your order, you'll also need to pick your paper type and cover finish. Options vary according to the type of book you order. You can learn more about your paper and cover options on the Mixbook blog.

Once you've made these selections, click "Add to Cart" to check out. You can also keep shopping for poster prints, photo calendars, note cards, and more. Click on the cart icon in your web browser or the Mixbook mobile app to navigate to the payment page.

Finalize Your Purchase

You'll choose from budget, standard, priority, and express shipping options during checkout. Estimated delivery dates for each shipping option will be shown for your convenience. You can better determine product shipping times and prices for domestic and international orders using the shipping estimator. Mixbook accepts gift cards, credit cards, and PayPal.

Once you've placed your order, you'll receive an email with an invoice and order number. When your item ships, you'll receive another email with a carrier tracking number.

You can also track your order status on the Mixbook website or the mobile app. You'll see status updates when your book is printed and ready for shipment. Your order will be assigned a tracking number once it's shipped.

If you have an issue placing or receiving an order, you can contact support via online chat or the Mixbook help center.

Step 4: Celebrate Memories with Your Mixbook Order

Your Mixbook order is about to arrive — get ready for unboxing! Your photo book will be carefully packaged in a mailing box or envelope. Simply remove it, admire your handiwork, and enjoy! Get started on your next photo book project today to preserve precious memories every time you make a new masterpiece.