In a world where most photos are kept digitally, there's something special about having your favourite memories together in a physical album. Whether you’re looking to create a collection of pictures from a special day like a wedding or family holiday, or you simply want to preserve a collection of memories, a photo album is a timeless and personal way to do so. Choosing the right photo album can be a tough decision with so many different options available, which is why we are here to help make this choice simple.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect themed album for a wedding gift, a traditional slip-in album to preserve cherished memories or a scrapbook-style option, there are so many options for you to explore. Keep reading as we outline the different types of albums available, the unique features they each have and how to choose one that suits your intended purpose perfectly so you can turn your collection of images into something truly special.
How to choose the right photo album
Choosing the perfect photo album can seem daunting, given the many options available, however, we have broken down a few key points to consider which can help streamline the decision process for you below. Take into consideration the specific needs of the photo album, who you are purchasing it for and the number of photos that may be used so that you can pick an album that is both functional and beautiful.
Consider the intended purpose of the album
Start by thinking about the purpose of your photo album - is it for personal use, a gift for a loved one or a professional portfolio? If you are picking an album as a gift for a specific occasion, a themed photo album or a more decorative design may be the best choice. If you’re choosing a photo album to create a professional portfolio to showcase to potential employers, you may want to choose a more minimalist album that highlights your work.
Is the album for a specific event?
Take into account whether the photo album is going to house photos from a specific event, for example, if you are looking for an album to showcase wedding photos, choose a themed wedding album or an elegant album such as a leather-bound or fabric-covered album. There are also a number of photo books designed specifically for birthdays or life milestones like christenings and anniversaries, as well as bright, fun scrapbook-style albums that allow you to add in mementoes like tickets or postcards as well as photos to make the album more creative.
How many photos will the album hold?
A key factor in choosing the right type of photo album is to account for the quantity of photographs you wish for it to hold. Albums come in a wide range of sizes, some smaller albums may be suited to a single event or a personal scrapbook, whereas you may wish to choose a larger album for major milestones or year-long memories. The number of photos each album holds will also depend on whether the pages are one self-adhesive film that can be peeled back or whether they have specific slots for photos on each page.
Is the album for storage or display?
Another key factor in deciding which photo album is best is to consider whether the book will be on display or in storage. If you wish for the photo album to be on display on a coffee table or shelf, you may wish to choose a decorative cover or an album that matches your interiors best. Whereas if you are putting the album in storage to simply preserve the photos, the design of the book may not matter so much and you might want to instead prioritise durability.
Prioritise preservation
If you’re choosing a photo album as a way to preserve your pictures, you should look for one that is designed to keep them protected. Look for albums that have photo-safe adhesive films that can help to stop your prints from yellowing or fading over time. For valuable or vintage photos, you may want to opt for archival-quality folders that have protective sleeves.
Keep in mind that ultimately, the best photo album is one that reflects your personality or the occasion and that enhances your joy of revisiting memories. Browse through our full range of photo albums to find the one that best fits your needs.
What types of photo albums are available?
There are many different types of photo albums available depending on your intended use and preference for the exterior design and internal layout. Whether you’re looking for a simple slip-in photo album, a decorative memo album or a scrapbook self-adhesive style, there are many options suited to your photo-displaying needs.
Traditional photo albums
This type of photo album is the perfect timeless way to display your memories, with white photo board pages interleaved with tissue to display and protect your cherished moments. These albums will typically need to be used along with an adhesive like photo corners or sprays to mount the photographs in. Depending on the size you choose, these types of albums can hold anywhere from 100 to 300 photos, making them perfect for collecting images from across the years.
Memo and slip-in photo albums
There is also the option of memo photo albums that are more scrapbook-style, perfect for the creative types, offering pages where you can pair photos with personal notes in the writing space next to each photo. Slip-in albums are also a great choice due to their simplicity and ease of use. Featuring pre-made, plastic pockets that allow you to easily organise and rearrange your photos, these slip-in albums are a great option for those looking for a quick and easy way to store their favourite memories in one place.
Both of these album types come in a variety of timeless styles like fabric or leather and are ideal for keeping family memories or significant occasions preserved. However, they also come in more decorative covers for specific occasions, such as bright-coloured designs for birthdays or white, fabric styles for wedding albums.
Self-adhesive photo albums
If you’re looking for more flexibility in arranging your photos, self-adhesive albums are the best option. Ideal for arranging photos of various sizes in whichever way you choose, these albums feature sticky pages covered with clear plastic sheets that help secure your images in place without the need for glue or photo corners.
Mini and minimax photo albums
If you’re searching for a quick and easy solution to protecting your photos and storing them all in one place, a mini or minimax photo album is a great choice. Perfect for gifting or keeping smaller collections of photos, these smaller photo albums typically store one image per page and offer a more intimate way to revisit cherished memories compared to larger albums. Mini photo albums hold approximately 36 photos and minimax albums hold about 100 images in the same compact size.
Photo album buying inspiration
If you’re looking for inspiration on the various photo albums available to buy here at Kenro, below we have put together options for luxury and classic albums that include all of the types of albums listed above.
Luxury photo albums
Our collection of luxury photo albums includes those with decorative covers specific to a certain event or occasion such as weddings, christenings, travel and birthdays, along with scrapbook-style albums that allow you to get creative and create an archival album of unforgettable memories.
Waterfall Design Wedding Memo Album and Global Traveller Album
This wedding album allows you to remember the most wonderful highlights of your special day. Exuding elegance and style, it features a subtly pearlescent white cover and silver art-deco waterfall design with clear crystals, making it perfect for gifting to a loved one or putting it on display in your home. This book-bound album holds 200 photos of a 6x4" / 10x15cm size and provides a small writing space next to each photograph to add any details you'd like to remember.
Similarly, this global traveller album makes for a perfect gift for the adventurer in your life to gather all of the memories from their trips around the world. Featuring a format that houses 6x4” or 7x5" photographs in slip-in pockets, with space to write next to each image, this album allows you to preserve memories and document special moments from a trip. With a world map design on the cover and a leather spine, this album would look great on display on a bookshelf and instantly signify the kind of photos it contains.
Classic photo albums
Our range of classic photo albums includes slip-in albums that allow for four classic 6x4 images to be displayed on each page in a designated slot, as well as self-adhesive albums that allow you to fully peel back the page and position photos of various sizes in any way you wish.
Black Slip-in Album and Sonata Self-Adhesive Album
Available in three different sizes that fit 200 or 300 photos in classic 6x4" or 7x5" sizes, these classic slip-in albums feature a black corrugated finish with metal corners and a ‘photos’ motif printed on the front cover, giving it a sleek, timeless design. These albums have space for two or three images to be slotted in on each side of the book under a protective film layer.
If you’re looking for a timeless photo album, this Sonata leather-bound album makes for the perfect choice. Available in a choice of dark blue or burgundy, this leather album features gold blocking on the cover and spine to give it a classic look, making it ideal to display in your home. Featuring a total of 50 self-adhesive pages with a clear film overlay, this photo album has the capacity to hold up to 200 photos of a 6x4" size.
Find the photo album for you at Kenro
Whether you’re shopping for the perfect album for a gift or the best one to keep your memories safe and secure, browse through our full photo album collection today and discover a wide variety of high-quality photo books designed to preserve cherished memories forever.
