How to Make Coffee Table Photo Book

Select a theme. Your coffee table book will have more impact if it has a specific direction. It can be as specific or as general as you like, but the better your photos adhere to a specific theme, the more they will be enjoyed by the reader. Some possible themes could include specific types of flowers, a dog breed, types of sailboats or horses.

Select at least 50 photos that match your theme. If you don't have enough photos of your particular theme, you may need to either change your theme or spend more time photographing subjects that match your theme. Your photos should be high resolution and high contrast so they reproduce well in your book.

Design and layout your book. The least expensive and simplest way to publish your own book is to use one of the many online services that have ready-made templates for you to choose from to allow you to design your own coffee table book (see Resources below). If you want a more custom feel, have a professional graphic designer layout your book.

Write text for your book. Once you have laid out where you want your photos throughout the book you will need to write at least a few meaningful sentences at various points to help tie your photos together and reinforce your theme. The focus of your book are your photos, so don't feel like you have to write thousands of words, write just enough and keep it related to the subject to compliment your photography.

Proof your book. After you have designed, created the layout and written the text for your new book, review an electronic proof of your book and be sure it is just the way you want it. You may want to share your proof with trusted friends, family or colleagues to get their opinion and thoughts on how your book appears.

Publish your book. Following the approval of your proof, you will have your book printed.