BOOK BUILDING

for beginners
Lightroom Tutorial by Mark Galer
Contents
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Part
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One: Preparing the Book Part
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Two: Page Layout Design Ideas
Create a Collection Fit and Fill
Choose your Images Photo Text (Captions)
Sequence your Images Matching Image Height
Title your Images Modify Page
Getting Started in the Book Module Multiple Photos
PDF Settings Favorites and Custom Pages
Create an Auto Layout Preset Two-Page Spreads
Apply your Auto Layout Preset Modifying the Background
Design your Cover Re-cropping Images
Resolution Warning Modifying Two-Page Spreads
Adding Text to the Cover Adding a Section Break
Adding Text to the Spine !
Page Bleed
Alternate Cover Design
Part Three: Export or Upload
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Cell Padding Export to PDF
Back Cover Text Upload to Blurb
Create Saved Book Seal the Deal
Renaming the Virtual Copies
Alternative to Managing the Virtual Copies
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Part One: Preparing the Book

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Create a Collection

Click on the New Collection icon in the Library Module. Name your collection, select the ‘Set as
target collection’ option in the Create Collection dialog and hit the Create button.

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Note > If you add an underscore to the name it will appear at the top of any other collections
you may have. It can be renamed later to remove the underscore.
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Choose your images

• In Grid mode (G), go to your image folders and Ctrl+Click (PC) or Command+Click (Mac)
on the images you would like to include in your book.

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• Click on the ‘Add Photo to Target Collection’ icon in the top right-hand corner of the image
thumbnail or press the ‘B’ key to add them to your collection.

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• Note how the Target Collection has a ‘+’ after the name, indicating that it is the Target
Collection. The number to the right of the Collection name will grow as you add images.

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• Repeat the process in different image folders.

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Sequence your images

Click on your collection and proceed to reorganise (click and drag) your images into an
approximate order of how you would like them to appear in the book. If the images will not
move make sure ‘User Order’ is selected in the Tools bar (T).

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Note > The first image in your book will, by default, be used as the cover image and the last
image will appear on the back of the cover, although these can be changed later.
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Title your images (optional)

If you would like captions to appear with your images in the book, you should proceed to the
Metadata panel in the Library module and enter a title for each image.

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Note > The captions can automatically be generated in the Book module using these titles.

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Getting Started in the Book Module

• With your Collection still the active folder in the Library module, click on the Book module.

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• Make sure the Toolbar (T) is showing and click on the three viewing option icons; Multi-Page
View, Spread View and Single Page view. The size of the thumbnails can be changed in the
Multi-Page View by dragging the Thumbnails slider.
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Getting started in the Book Module

• From the Book Settings panel choose Blurb, PDF or JPEG. You can upload directly from
Lightroom to Blurb to have your book printed or choose PDF if you would like another
company to print your book. Choose JPEG if you want to print the book yourself.

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• If this is your first book-building project go to the Auto Layout panel and click the Clear
Layout button.
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PDF Settings

• If you are choosing another company to print your book you are going to need to contact
them to request the optimum settings such as Color Profile and optimum File Resolution.

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• Choose a Size that the print service supports (all listed sizes are supported by Blurb). If you
have already sharpened your images in the Develop module, with print output in mind, it is
OK to deselect the Sharpening box. If the images have been sharpened for screen only, then
it is advised to check the Sharpening box and select the Media type (Glossy or Matte).

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• The most versatile aspect ratio for designing an effective layout is square. Choose either the
Small or Large Square sizes. If you are going for a personal book of images the small size can
be effective but for maximum impact you can’t beat the ‘Large Square’ folio size.

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Create an Auto Layout Preset

• To fast-track the book building process it is a good idea to create an Auto Layout preset.

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• Choose ‘Edit Auto Layout Preset’ from the drop down menu in the Auto Layout panel.

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• In the Auto Layout Preset Editor dialog select Same as Right Side if you want images to
appear on both sides of the spread (this will give you more design options later).

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• For the right page, choose Fixed Layout and choose either the first or second page design
option (the third option is less suitable if you have a mixture of horizontal and vertical
images). Choose ‘Fit’ from the ‘Zoom Photos To’ menu and then select the Add Photo Texts
option if you want captions generated from your image titles.
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Apply your Auto Layout Preset

• Click on the Auto Layout button to apply your new preset.

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• If the images that appear on the Front or Back cover are not appropriate right-click on each
image and choose the ‘Remove Photo’ option from the context menu.
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Design your Cover

• Click on the cover in Multi-Page view mode and from the Page panel choose either the first
or third option for maximum design flexibility.

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• Drag your preferred cover image from the Filmstrip into the cover photo cell and adjust the
zoom. A simple abstract image can make an ideal cover image if the image covers the entire
cover (text is often difficult to read when put over the top of a busy image).
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Design your Cover

• The third cover design option allows for the image to wrap around the spine onto the back
cover.

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• The difficulty of this option is finding an image that will crop to the narrow 2:1 (16:8) aspect
ratio. The image in the illustration works well because the large empty sky and foreground
where the type can be placed and easily read.
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Resolution Warning

• If the image does not have enough pixels to cover the page or pages you will see an
exclamation mark appear in the top right-hand corner of the Photo Cell. If you click on this
icon it will alert you to the fact that the image may not print well (the resolution is too low).
You have the option to reduce the scale of the image, choose another image, increase the
resolution of the image in Photoshop CC or carry on regardless and risk a slightly softer/fuzzy
image when it is printed.
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Adding Text to the Cover

• Click on Add Photo Text and type in the book’s title and your name.

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• In the Type panel adjust the colour, size and alignment. If you find it difficult to arrange two
lines of text in the Photo text field, go to the Text panel and select the Page Text field which
can be edited/positioned independently to the Photo text field.
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Adding Text to the Cover

On the Back cover there is an opportunity to add a short biography or description of the folio. I
have added a quote from the famous photographer Dorothea Lange. It has the added advantage
of letting the collection of images speak for themselves, rather than stating the obvious or sounding
like you are trying to sell the value of the images. Go to the Text panel and deselect the ‘Align with
Photo’ option. Use the Padding options in the Cell panel to set the width of the column and select
the alignment in the Type panel.
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Adding Text to the Spine

Working with the text on the book’s spine can be tricky unless you zoom in to 1:1 view from
the Navigator panel. Placing a tab between the title and your name and then selecting the
‘Justify, Last Line Right’ will position the title and the author at each end of the spine.
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Page Bleed

Selecting the Show Guides option in the Guides panel will provide you with feedback such as ‘page
bleed’. With the Page Bleed option switched on you will see the area you will loose at the edges of the
image when the book is printed and bound. The bleed ensures the image will always cover the entire
page with no risk of unsightly white edges after trimming.
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Alternate Cover Design

If you select the first Layout option for the cover from the Page panel then you are going to need
to select a background colour for the spine and the back cover, as you may decide not to make
the image on the back run ‘full bleed’. This can be selected by clicking on the little color swatch in
the Background panel. Nine times out of ten, the background colour inside the book looks best if
it is left as paper white (no colour).
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Alternate cover design

Dragging an image onto the Back cover will automatically produce a page where the image
bleeds off at least one edge of the page. If you are wanting a smaller image on the cover with
text appearing above or below you should first reduce the Zoom of the image to 0%.
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Cell Padding

• In the Cell panel make sure you expand the options so you can see the Left, Right, Top and
Bottom sliders and then click on the Link All option so that each can be moved independently.

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• Select the Left and Right sliders so that these two are linked and then increase the padding.
You can now click and drag the image higher or lower to achieve the correct positioning.
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Back Cover Text

There is only a Photo Text field for the back page of this Layout (no Page Text option). If you
want the text wider than the photo you will need to deselect the Align With Photo Option
and then use the Padding sliders to define the width of this text field.
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Create Saved Book: Essential Step

To save your work so far it is essential that you click on the Create Saved Book option. If you
attempt to make a different book, before saving this book, your work to date will be lost. When
the Create Book dialog opens I would suggest you select every option before hitting the
Create button. The ‘Make new virtual copies’ option will be explained in the next slide.
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Renaming the Virtual Copies

Creating virtual copies when you create a Saved Book enables you to re-edit the master images
while keeping the integrity of the book intact, e.g. if at some time in the future you convert one of
your catalog images to black and white it will also be converted to black and white on the page in
the book (if you have not created a virtual copy that services the needs of the book only). I would
recommend selecting all the virtual copies in your new Saved Book and giving them a new copy
name. As these virtual copies will appear in the master folders of your catalog it is useful to know
what these copies service.
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Alternative to Managing the Virtual Copies

Although working with Virtual Copies is my preferred workflow there is the option to export the
book project as its own catalog so you never run the risk of modifying or deleting images from
your catalog that are being used in your book.

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Note > This was perhaps the most annoying workflow error that I encountered in my early book
projects, i.e. revisiting a published many months later I often discovered empty pages, images that
had be drastically modified or pages with image previews only (the master image being offline).
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Part Two: Page Layout Design Ideas

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Fit and Fill

The first ‘1 Photo’ page option will only have a square photo cell if the square book size has been
selected in the Book Settings panel. Choosing ‘Fit’ rather than ‘Fill’ allows you to preserve the original
aspect ratio (shape) of any image that you may have previously cropped in the Develop module of
Lightroom. If you would prefer to Fill the photo cell just right-click on the image and choose ‘Zoom
Photo To Fit Cell’ option from the context menu.

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Photo Text (Captions)

If you have chosen the Add Photo Texts option in the Auto Layout Preset Editor the captions will
appear below each photo. These can be switched on or off in the Text panel. Choose ‘Title’ from the
drop-down menu to use the titles you created in the Metadata panel. Adjust the Offset slider to move
the caption closer or further away from the photo. Adjust the font specifications and alignment in the
Type panel.
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Matching Image Height

The Auto Layout will also protect the aspect ratio of horizontal (landscape format) images. If, however, you
have cropped two landscape images to different aspect ratios, e.g. 4 x 3 or 16 x 9 the images will appear to
be different heights on the two pages. This can be corrected by zooming the shorter of the two images or
pressing the ‘R’ key to re-crop the image in the Develop module.

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Modify Page

In this example, the default Auto Layout has been modified to a page style where the photo on the
left has a wider border and the page on the right has a Photo Cell that runs ‘full bleed’ (the image
extends to all four sides of the page - see ‘Page Bleed’). Click on the page, select an alternative layout
from the Page panel and then adjust the zoom or select ‘Fill’ from the context menu.
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Modify Page

In this example, both pages have been modified to the full bleed option and each image has
been dragged to the top of the photo cell. Choosing two images that will compliment each
other to create an effective spread is one of the skills of creating an interesting Photo Book.
The images chosen may be due to similarities or differences in tone, colour, design or narrative.
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Multiple Photos

It is possible to add 2, 3, 4 or Multiple Photos to a page in the book. This can be useful when
the use of smaller supporting images can compliment the hero image on the opposing page.

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Multiple Photos

It is of course possible to modify any of the multiple image page options. In the example above
the padding between the photo cells has been adjusted so that the images move closer to the
left side of the page.

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Note > The images, in the example above, may appear much closer to the edge of the page
after printing as the Guides (including the ‘Page Bleed’) are switched off.
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Favorites and Custom Pages

In this example, both pages have been modified to the full bleed option but the image on the left
has been zoomed out to protect its original aspect ratio, while the image on the right has been
zoomed to fill the Photo cell. If you find you are using just a handful of layouts for your book
projects, it is worth saving them as Favorites (click on the little circle icon in the page layout
thumbnail to add them to the Favorites list). Custom pages can also be added to the Favorites
(although these saved options only appear in future book projects if the book size is the same).
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Two-Page Spreads

If you would like a photo to spread across both pages you can select a page from the Two-
Page Spreads in the Page panel and then click the ‘Add Page’ button. Images can be dragged
into the Photo Cells either from the Filmstrip of from other pages. To remove surplus pages
right-click on a spread or a page and choose ‘Remove Pages’ from the Context menu. When
selecting an image to spread across two pages, avoid placing any focal point of the image in, or
near, the gutter (indicated by the grey area in the centre of the spread).
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Two-Page Spreads

Choosing the first option from the Two-Page Spreads will create a Photo cell with full bleed (the
image will extend beyond all four sides of the two-page spread). The aspect ratio of this cell will be
2 x 1 or 16 x 8 (even narrower than the 16 x 9 aspect ratio of a widescreen TV). It will also
require a cropped image from a camera sensor that has 16 megapixels or greater unless the image
is printed at a lower than recommended print resolution (this can lead to a soft or ‘fuzzy’ image).

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Two-Page Spreads

Choosing the second option from the Two-Page Spreads will create a Photo cell with a border
on all sides. The aspect ratio of this cell will be slightly narrower than the 2 x 1 or16 x 8 aspect
ratio of the full bleed. This is ideal for photo panoramas but can offer a challenge for images
that were original captured in the 3 x 2 aspect ratio.
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Two-Page Spreads

It is OK to choose a two-page spread and not have the image fill the cell. In this example the
original aspect ratio of the image is maintained, with the consequence that a border will appear
on one or both sides of the image. The image can be dragged in the Photo cell if the gutter in
the centre of the book falls awkwardly in the image.
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Modifying the Background

If the white background does not suit the layout you can modify the colour. Select the page and
deselect the Apply Background Globally option. Click on the colour swatch (white by default) and
then choose a colour. In most instances the Saturation of the colour is best kept very low to prevent
the background competing with the image.
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Modifying the Background

An alternative to choosing a flat background colour is to apply an image as a graphic at a
reduced opacity. Drag the image from the Filmstrip onto the ‘Drop Photo Here’ container and
then adjust the opacity to suit the spread.
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Re-cropping Images

In some instances it can improve the design of the two-page spread if you re-crop the main
image. Select the photo cell and press the ‘R’ key. In the example above the original framing is
placed off-centre so that the eyes are kept away from the gutter in the centre of the book.
Modifying Two-Page Spreads

It is important to note that the spreads can be modified to meet a variety of design options. In
this spread both of the images have been zoomed out so that they no longer overlap (the
original faming of the smaller image is a 1:1 or square crop.

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Modifying Two-Page Spreads

In this spread the overlapping image on the right page has been zoomed out so that it is no
longer vertical. The position of the image can then be changed by dragging the image up or
down. A background graphic has also been applied (see the previous slides that cover
‘Modifying the Background’).
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Modifying Two-Page Spreads

The Photo Cell that first appeared as a full bleed can be made to have a border by increasing
the padding in the Cell panel or by simply dragging an edge of the cell to increase the padding. In
this way a layout, that first appears to have images that overlap and bleed, can be customised to
appear very different. If you think you may want to use this modified layout in this, or a future,
book project, right-click and choose the ‘Save as Custom Page’ option from the context menu.

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Adding a Section Break

It can be useful to create a ‘section break’ before starting a clearly linked series of images that
form a theme or narrative. Add a blank page or a text page that allows you to name the section.
The page option used in the illustration above allows you to add a graphic as well as the text.
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Part Three: Export or Upload

Export to PDF

Double-check your PDF settings with your print service provider before hitting the ‘Export
Book to PDF’ button. Lighroom will export the cover of the book as a separate file.

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Upload to Blurb

If you have chosen the Blurb rather than the PDF option just click on the ‘Send Book to Blurb’ button
and wait for the Purchase Book dialog to appear (confirm the currency is your local currency e.g. AUD
for Australia). Click the Upload button and a Blurb web page will open when the book has uploaded
(this may take more than an hour if you have lots of pages and you don’t have a fast internet
connection). A discount is usually offered for the first book you print through Blurb.
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Seal the Deal

When the Blurb web page
opens you will be given
additional opportunities to
customise you book before
you seal the deal and
complete the financial
transactions. Delivery is
usually quoted as being
around two weeks.

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You will also be given the

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BOOK BUILDING
Lightroom Tutorial by Mark Galer

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