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How to print your photo book PDF

An Inbunden PDF is ready to print as it is: every page is the finished size plus 4 mm of bleed, and the colour is tagged as sRGB. Send it to a print shop or an online photo book printer that accepts PDF files. Tell them the trim size (210 × 210 mm or 210 × 280 mm), that bleed is included, and which paper and binding you want.

What is in the PDF

  • One PDF page per book page, in reading order, with the cover as the first page.
  • Trim size 210 × 210 mm (square) or 210 × 280 mm (portrait), plus 4 mm of bleed on every side. The trim box in the file marks where to cut.
  • Photos embedded as the original files, never re-compressed. Text stays at least 10 mm inside the trim.
  • Colour: RGB photos with an sRGB output intent, so the printer converts the colour predictably.

What to tell the print shop

  1. Trim size and bleed

    "Finished size 210 × 210 mm (or 210 × 280 mm), 4 mm bleed included, trim box set." Ask them not to scale the pages.

  2. Colour

    "RGB with an sRGB output intent. Please convert to your printing profile." Most photo printers do this automatically.

  3. Binding

    Stapled binding (saddle stitch) works for thin books, usually up to about 48–64 pages. Glued binding (perfect binding) suits thicker books. Lay-flat binding lets spreads open fully.

  4. Paper

    For photos, coated paper of around 150–200 g/m² is a good start. Silk or matte paper shows fewer reflections than gloss.

  5. Cover

    The cover is the first page of the PDF. For a hardcover with a printed wrap-around cover, many printers need a separate cover file with a spine. Ask them what they need.

Print at home or at a shop?

Home printers rarely print to the edge and can’t bind. For a book you will keep, a print shop or an online photo book printer gives a far better result. Printed books from Inbunden, shipped to your door, are coming soon.

Questions

Can I print the PDF at any print shop?

Yes. The PDF follows the usual print conventions (trim box, bleed, embedded photos, sRGB output intent), so any printer that accepts PDF files can print it.

Why are there white or cut-off edges?

Usually the pages were scaled to fit. Ask the printer to print at 100 % and trim at the trim box. The 4 mm of bleed is meant to be cut off.

Will my Instagram photos be sharp in print?

Instagram stores photos at up to 1080 pixels wide, which prints well at the sizes the layout uses. The preview flags any photo that would print soft or blurry.

Ready to make yours?

Bring in your photos, pick the ones you want and preview every page before you pay.

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