We wanted Instagram bookmaking to be as instant — and easy — as Instagram itself. That’s why we automated everything from the layout to the cover creation. But if you’re the kind of person who spends time comparing the affects of different filters on a photo, chances are you may want some more creative control. Here are five ways you can make your Instagram book even more personal from someone who’s done it: me.
1) Color page backgrounds: White goes with everything, but other colors can really make your photos pop. Either choose a pre-defined color, or use the eye-dropper tool to match the background to any color in your Instagram photos. I grabbed the color from the reflected light on the street for one side, and the shadowy (but not quite black) base of the building for the other side.
2) Non-standard layouts: By clicking the layouts tab you can see a range of options. You can create layouts that incorporate text boxes, use the full-bleed, or use a variety of rectangular crops. Softer-focused images are more suited to layouts with full-bleed due to Instagram’s 612 x 612 image resolution (even though we enhance the resolution for printing).
3) Multiple photos per page: By just dragging Photos from your photo stream into the bottom of the page, Bookify will automatically adjust the layout. I’ve always been a fan of Warhol-esque repetition, which is what I incorporated here. But you can use different photos too.
4) Different covers: Your cover is created automatically from your most-liked Instagram photo. But you can change it to any photo by dragging it from the photo stream. You can also change the layout or background just as you do with individual photo pages.
5) Book choices: When it comes to printing, your book customization options are up to you. But personally I like the ImageWrap cover. It’s a very durable hardcover with no dust jacket to get lost, ideal for a book I’m going to pass around. As for paper, the ProLine Uncoated really brings out the effects of the Instagram filters. There’s no gloss to it, so images are a bit lower-contrast, but the feel of the paper just works so well with the look of the photos.
2 Comments
I’m currently in the process of making my instagram book so this comes with perfect timing! Just wondering if there’s any way to export a book from Bookify to Booksmart, cuz I love the layout offered for the cover and am disappointed not to have any similar ones for the other pages!
Hey Jo,
Unfortunately, Bookify has its own magic that doesn’t translate directly to BookSmart. But you can find some really innovative layouts if you drag and drop multiple photos onto the page and then click the layout button (for instance you can get four on a grid on one page, and then do a single large photo on the next).
Best,
Kent
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