How to Make Your Own Coffee Table Book Online

Coffe table books are conversation starters in the home and are desirable additions to family and living rooms. But they can be pricey, costing $50 to $100. Thankfully, given today's technology, you can create your own personalized coffee table book for as little as $15. There are many options online for you to add your own photos and choose your book's size and layout. Sites typically offer software for download and take you through the steps to create your book. Once you pay for and order the book, it arrives at your door in a matter of days.

Instructions

1

Conceptualize your book theme and gather photos. Coffee table books typically focus on a certain theme; the photos are the main focus and commentary is sparse. One idea for a coffee table book is to tell the story of your favorite vacation, pictorially, using photos from your trip. Make sure photos are uploaded to your computer, as you will be adding them digitally to the coffee table book software.

2

Visit the site of the software you want to use. Two options are Blurb and Picaboo.

3

Click on the "make book" or "free download" button on the site to download the software. You will be prompted to save or open the file after download. If you choose save, save it to your desktop for easy opening when you'll need it. The download process will take several minutes. You'll have to read and agree to the terms of service and follow the prompts to create an account before the download is complete.

4

Open the software and choose your book format and/or size. Once you have opened the software you will be guided through the steps to creating your book. The first step is to choose a book size and format. There are also pre-created themes you can choose from, such as "cookbook" or "photo book." The format you choose will create a template for you to drag your pictures into.

5

Drag your photos into the template that has been created. You have the option to go page by page and do it yourself, or to have the program place the photos for you automatically. You have more control over the look of your book by going page by page.

6

Choose the cover for your book. The site will offer different materials, text and colors for the cover. Make the choice based on your personal aesthetic. Different options will be at different price points.

7

Tweak your book and edit it before you make your purchase. You will have the option to add design extras, such as corners, backgrounds and borders after the bare bones of the book are put together. Once you have everything in place, make sure to read through the book and fix any errors or typos.

8

Save the book and select the "order" option. You can order as many copies as you like. Some sites even offer to post the book online so that you can send a link for others to purchase a copy, at a profit to you.