If you or a loved one are lucky enough to have many special pets in your life, then consider working on a collaborative pet photo book project. A custom pet photo book starring a whole lineup of sweet, furry faces is a perfect gift for a pet sitter, dog walker, pet foster family, or members of a pet meetup group. Perhaps you want to create a book for a pet shelter, or as a marketing tool for a pet-centered business.
Naturally, quite a few humans will need to be involved in this creative endeavor. (The pets just need to be their best photogenic selves!) To make it easier, take advantage of Mixbook’s built-in collaboration functions. Versatile options are available for you to invite others to add their pet pics to your project. Or, you can just let them see the work-in-progress and help in other ways.
When it’s finished and printed, your collaborative pet photo book will be a fun, heartwarming keepsake for anyone who loves animals.
How to make a pet photo book
Making a pet photo book is easy in Mixbook Studio™. Just follow these basic steps:
- Browse pet photo book themes and find your favorite.
- Launch the project in Mixbook Studio™.
- Upload your pet photos, then drag and drop them onto the pages of the book (or use Auto-Create).
- Customize the photo book’s backgrounds, text, layouts, stickers, and more.
- Review the book, and finally click “Order.”
Collaborating with others on your pet photo book does add some extra steps. If you’re in charge of the project, be sure to establish guidelines about contributors’ roles and tasks, the design and purpose of the book, and any deadlines.
How do I let others upload their pet photos to my book?
There’s more than one way for collaborators to submit their pet photos to your photo book. Depending on how many collaborators are involved in your project, as well as their preferences, you will probably use a combination of the following two options:
Use Mixbook’s collaboration features
Mixbook’s built-in collaboration functions let you invite others to access your pet photo book project at any stage. Here’s how:
- With your project open in Mixbook Studio™, click the “Share” button at the top-right.
- In the pop-up window, select “Invite to Edit.” (The other two options—Share Your Project and Invite to Order—do not allow photo uploads or other editing access.)
- Enter the email address, or multiple email addresses separated by commas, of your collaborators. Optionally add a note at the bottom. You also have the option to copy a link and email an invitation outside the Mixbook platform.
Your collaborators will receive an email with an “Accept Invite” link. When they click the link, they can open the pet photo book project in their own Mixbook account and upload photos to the Photos panel in the studio.
Read our comprehensive guide to collaboration on Mixbook here: How to Collaborate on a Family Photo Book
Collaborate outside Mixbook
Some collaborators might prefer to submit pet photos for the book in other ways. Options include emailing the photos, sharing via cloud-based services like Dropbox or Google Photos, sharing via social media, or giving you a thumb drive containing the photo files.
Be aware that some of these sharing options, particularly email and social media, can result in a low-resolution photo. Ask your collaborators to share the highest resolution available.
Related: How can you tell if a picture is high resolution?
Can I include captions or stories from each contributor?
Yes, of course! Captions and stories are fantastic additions to any pet photo book. As with photos, you can use the “Share” link to invite collaborators to add their own text directly to the project. Or, they can email the text, write it down for you, or choose any other sharing method of choice.
It’s smart to create a set of guidelines for captions and stories. Suggest a rough word count and describe the general purpose of the book. Any text elements, from brief captions and quotes to poems and heartfelt essays, can be appropriate for a pet photo book. But, all the written contributions should make sense for the book as a whole, with complementary formats and tones.
What if we have lots of different pets or photo styles?
With many different photographers and many different pets, it’s inevitable that your collection of photos will include various different styles. There are several ways to ensure your collaborative pet photo book unites them into a cohesive design. Here are some pet photo album ideas to unite varied styles:
Choose a versatile theme with a minimalist, modern style that can be a neutral background to the diverse photos. Thoughtful design accents unify the styles across the pages and spreads. Examples include:
For a pet photo book that includes various cats, dogs, and other pets, choose a theme that works for all animals, like these:
Another option is to start totally from scratch with a Blank Book and design your own layouts, backgrounds, stickers, and typography. Don’t rule out versatile photo book themes from other collections, such as Mixbook’s Simple and Everyday photo books. You can open any theme in Mixbook Studio ™ and decorate it with pet-inspired stickers.
Ready to collaborate on a pet photo book?
Whether you’re creating a pet photo book for yourself or as a gift for someone you care about, this promises to be a very rewarding project for all who are involved. There are few photos that warm the heart as much as pet pics!
Need some animal photo tips? Check out: Dog photo ideas & pet photography tips to capture the love of your four-legged BFF
