Creating a Year-in-Review Photo Book? These Mixbook Features and Tools Can Help

While the process of creating a photo book always involves similar steps – pick a theme, fill the pages with favorite photos, and customize the design details – some projects are naturally more involved than others. An heirloom-worthy family history book, for example, takes considerably more time to complete than a fun little travel book with photos from a single vacation.

A year-in-review photo book is on the lengthier side, but the project is still easy and enjoyable. It’s also a great opportunity to try out some of the Mixbook Studio’s various features and tools beyond the basic click-and-drag functions. Not only do these tools save time and effort, they can spark ideas for creative customizations, encourage collaboration, and boost a Mixbooker’s skillset. For your next photo book, be sure to experiment with some of the following awesome features.

Related: Time-saving tips for creating photo books with Mixbook

Auto-Create

Auto-Create is an amazing tool in the Mixbook Studio. With one click, it instantly places all your chosen photos onto the pages and spreads of any photo book theme. Know that the placement is far from random. This smart design tool uses innovative technology to choose the best layouts and create a cohesive story with your images. And of course, you can rearrange the photos at any time by clicking and dragging.

Find the Auto-Create tool icon in the “Photos” panel on the left-hand side of the studio interface. Click the icon, select your preferences in the pop-up window, then click “Apply.” That’s it! Auto-Create is available on both desktop and mobile app versions of the Mixbook Studio.

Find more instructions here: Auto-Create: Make Photo Books in Minutes

AI captions

Text elements including captions, page headers, and longer pieces of writing can really enhance a year-in-review photo book. While optional, we believe captions are important elements of any photo book. However, it’s not always easy to come up with the right words.

Anytime you’re stuck trying to write a caption, or could use a helpful prompt, try out Mixbook’s AI-powered Smart Captions feature. Open the “Text” panel on the left-hand side and scroll down to “Caption Ideas.” Here you can see a list of suggested captions inspired by the selected photo, page, or book topic. Click “Regenerate” for a new set of ideas.

If you see an AI-generated caption you like, click on the text, and a text box will appear at the end of your cursor. Click on the page of the photo book where you want the text to appear. You can then use the other text tools in the panel to customize the appearance of the captions.

Custom backgrounds

Some photo book designs look amazing with plain white backgrounds, but feature background designs that fit a theme’s aesthetic. Customize these backgrounds using the “Backgrounds” panel. Browse suggested backgrounds for your theme, choose a solid color, adjust the opacity, or upload your own backgrounds for a totally custom design.

A few ideas include a moody, grayscale landscape as a background for a group shot, or a scanned copy of your kid’s finger-painting masterpiece behind their school portrait. Other kinds of memorabilia can be transformed into backgrounds using this feature as well.

Custom stickers

Just like custom backgrounds, the “Stickers” panel has an option to upload images and create custom stickers. Some cute ideas could be photos of your pet’s face, flowers from your garden, or collectibles from around the home. Drawings and handicrafts could become stickers, and so can scanned pieces of handwriting. How about photos of your own hands, or your children’s hands, in gestures like pointing, thumbs-up, or holding hands? You can get really creative with the custom stickers feature!

Collaboration

Sure, you can call your spouse over to give you feedback about your photo book, or show your sister your work-in-progress on the mobile app. But, even greater collaboration with family and friends is possible with Mixbook’s “Share” function. At the top-right of the interface, click the button and choose one of the following options from the pop-up window:

• Share your project: This option lets others see a digital preview of your book, but they will not be able to edit it or order copies. This is good when you’re just looking for some feedback.
• Invite to edit: Others will get access to the project in the Mixbook Studio, meaning they will be able to work on the book on their own devices. Your project will be automatically updated with their changes.
• Invite to order: Others will be able to order their own copy of your photo book. Use this option when a book is complete and ready to print.

You will need the email addresses of any collaborators. It’s a good idea to let them know they’ll be receiving an email from Mixbook so they don't miss it. You can alternatively copy a link to your project and paste it into your own email.

Related: A Complete Guide to Collaborative Photo Book Creation

Mixbook mobile app

The Mixbook mobile app offers a streamlined version of the Mixbook Studio designed for use on a iOS mobile device. The app has all the functions for creating a photo book from scratch, or working on an existing photo book project while on the go. This is especially convenient for Mixbookers who keep all their photos on their phone.

The app syncs to your Mixbook account across all devices, so you can work on the same project on your computer, tablet, or smartphone – whichever is the most convenient.

Instagram and Facebook connectivity

Mixbook and Instagram are compatible in various ways. Your Instagram feed is a fantastic source for year-in-review photos, as it already showcases your favorites, typically in chronological order. You can copy the captions to enhance your photo book as well.

Facebook and Mixbook are connected, too. You can upload photos directly from Facebook to your Mixbook account, making the process quick and easy. Access the “Add Photos” button from “My Photos” at the top of the interface, or in the “Photos” panel to the left. Click “Import from Facebook” and follow the prompts to access photos in your account.

Ready to try these Mixbook tools and features?

Whether it’s your first photo book or you’re an experienced Mixbooker, there’s always more to discover in the Mixbook Studio! Try out these cool tools and features, and your year-in-review photo book project will be quick, easy, and nothing less than a super-creative work of art!

We’d love to hear from you about your experience with these tools and features. Share your Customer Story on social using #mymixbookstory or send it to us at social@mixbook.com.