Choosing A Photo Album

With all the types of photo albums on the market today, the choices can be a little overwhelming. This guide breaks down some of the options so you can decide what type of photo album suits your needs and your tastes best.

Photo albums come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. From expensive leather-bound photo albums to simple plastic pocket albums, there are all sorts of ways to store your photos.

Family Frame Cover Photo Album

Photo album covers
There really isn't one type of photo album cover that's better than the others. It depends mainly on your personal taste as well as your budget. But the photo album cover you choose also depends somewhat on where you'll keep the album and how you're going to use it.

Many photo supply and gift stores sell small, pocket and purse-sized photo albums with vinyl or plastic pocket pages and soft decorative covers. If you just want a small, temporary photo album to keep in your purse or in your desk at work, an album with floppy covers such as this should work just fine. However, keep in mind that these types of albums can be bent easily, and they aren't designed to hold photos permanently.

For long-term, safe storage of your precious family snapshots and portraits, you'll want to find a photo album with sturdy wood, plastic or leather covers. This will keep the pages from becoming bent and will also protect the photos against spills or moisture that might come in contact with the outside of the album. For optimum protection, consider a leather briefcase-style photo album that has a wrap-around cover and latch. These photo albums are meant to cover even the edges of the pages and prevent against any type of damage. If you'll be storing the photos somewhere that is prone to moisture or dust, this is a great choice.

Other photo album options
Are you planning on giving a photo album as a gift? Consider a personalized album, such as one with leather covers embossed with the person's initials. Or personalize the album yourself by adding scrapbook decorations to the covers and pages, so that the recipient can add their own photos and create a true work of art.

Sturdy, protective photo albums don't have to be boring. Look for high quality photo albums with durable covers that are decorated in colorful fabrics and prints, or leather photo albums in your favorite colors. These look wonderful on the coffee table and make perfect gifts, yet keep the photos inside safely preserved.

Whatever photo album you choose, remember that its number one job is keeping your photos safe. The key is to find a photo album that looks great while doing it.