How to Create a Custom Photo Book with Shutterfly

Shutterfly photo books make meaningful gifts — hardcover, softcover, or layflat. Upload your best photos and Shutterfly prints and ships a professional-quality book to your door.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Start a New Photo Book
2.Upload Your Photos
3.Use Autofill to Create a Layout
4.Customize Pages and Add Captions
5.Review, Order, and Apply a Discount Code

Start a New Photo Book

~15s

Go to shutterfly.com → "Photo Books" → choose a size (8x8 is popular for gifts). Select a cover type (hardcover is more durable). Click "Get Started" or "Make this book." You are taken to the design editor.

Upload Your Photos

~20s

In the Shutterfly editor, click "Add Photos" → "Upload Photos." Browse your computer or phone and select all the photos you want in the book. Photos upload to your Shutterfly account. This takes a few minutes depending on how many photos you choose.

Quick Tip

Upload photos in chronological order if your book tells a story — this makes the auto-layout more logical.

Use Autofill to Create a Layout

~15s

After uploading, click "Autofill" or "Autofill Unused Photos." Shutterfly arranges your photos across the pages automatically. The result gives you a solid starting point — review each page and swap photos or adjust layouts you do not like.

Customize Pages and Add Captions

~23s

Click any page to open it for editing. Drag photos to different positions. Click a photo frame to swap the photo inside it. Click "Add Text" to add a caption or title below a photo. Use the "Layouts" panel to choose different arrangements of photos per page.

Quick Tip

Add a title page with the name and year of the event, and a back cover note to personalize the book.

Review, Order, and Apply a Discount Code

~22s

Click "Preview" to see the complete book before ordering. Check every page for layout issues or spelling errors. When satisfied, click "Add to Cart" → proceed to checkout. Before paying, search for "Shutterfly coupon code" to find active discounts — often 40-50% off.

Warning

Proofread every page carefully — Shutterfly prints exactly what you submit. Text errors or upside-down photos cannot be corrected after printing.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Create a Custom Photo Book with Shutterfly

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A Shutterfly photo book is a professional-quality printed book of your photos — hardcover, softcover, or layflat — that you design using your own pictures. It makes a heartfelt gift for grandchildren, parents, or any family event. Photo books from Shutterfly are the kind of keepsake that gets kept for decades.

Creating a photo book sounds complicated, but Shutterfly has designed the process to be very approachable. You select a book format, upload your photos, and Shutterfly's design tool can automatically arrange photos into a beautifully laid-out book. You then review and customize the layout as much or as little as you want.

Shutterfly photo books come in several sizes: 5x5, 8x8, 8x11, 11x14, and others. Price depends on size and page count — a standard 8x8 hardcover with 20 pages starts around $35-50, and frequently goes on sale. First-time buyers often get promotional pricing.

The key tip for getting started: select more photos than you think you need. It is much easier to remove photos from a layout than to go back and add more later. For a 20-page book, start by uploading at least 40-60 photos, then pare down to the best ones.

The Autofill feature places photos on pages automatically — a good starting point. After that, you can move photos between pages, add captions, change backgrounds, and adjust the layout of individual pages. Most people find the process takes 30-60 minutes for a 20-page book.

Shutterfly books regularly go on sale — 40-50% off sales happen most weekends and holidays. Signing up for Shutterfly emails ensures you see the best deals.

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