How to create a fun photo flipbook

Flipbooks have delighted people for centuries and photos provide a great modern twist. Still photos are great, but there’s something magical about the motion a flipbook brings. Plus, they’re easier to make than you might first think. 

Want to learn how to make your own flippable photo album? Read on for all you need to know.

What is a flipbook?

A photo flipbook is a short animation made from a series of photos. These pocket sized books often feature drawings in a comic book style and are brimming with retro charm. And when you flip the pages quickly, the slight changes between each picture blur to look like movement. It’s just like making a film without a projector. 

What kind of photos make a good flipbook?

Although flipbooks traditionally feature drawing, they can also offer a fun and creative way to showcase photos. 

To make your own, however, you’ll need high-quality photos. Your best bet is to use a smartphone with a high-resolution camera or professional camera equipment. It’s also essential to make sure the photos are properly framed with the right lighting. 

Flipbooks are all about the action shots. As such, you want the camera to be as still as possible. If you don’t, the photos could be blurry. A tripod is ideal, but you can also rest your camera against an object. Alternatively, you can hold your camera, but you need to keep it very steady.

Next you need to decide what action you want to capture. Keep it simple if it’s your first attempt. You could photograph a flower moving in a gentle breeze or your cat walking across the garden. 

If you feel more adventurous, you could try telling a simple story — something as straightforward as getting ready to go out or making a cup of tea. Just bear in mind that you’ll need a lot of photos for these types of flipbooks. 

Taking photos for your flipbook

So, where to start with creating your images?

Set your camera to ‘continuous shots’

In order to capture the action, you need to take lots of photos very quickly. You can do this manually, but your fingers could get sore and it’s impossible to have the same timing between each shot. 

Instead, it can be helpful to use the ‘continuous shots’ function on your camera. This will automatically take lots of photos, in quick succession and with even spacing between them.

Use ‘burst’ mode on your smartphone camera

If your camera doesn’t have a ‘continuous shots’ mode, it might have a ‘burst’ function, instead. This feature is very similar and allows your smartphone to take a series of photos in a short timeframe. 

Have the right amount of movement between each photo

If you have too much movement between two photos, the action will jump and look inconsistent. But if there’s too little movement, then the action will look too small. As a guide, ‘walking pace’ is a good level of movement.

How many photos should you take for a flipbook?

The short answer is: it depends. As you can imagine, shorter flipbooks need fewer photos than longer ones. However, a useful guide is 24 photos per second — the same frame rate as many videos. That way all the action will have smooth, realistic movement.

If you want your action to last 5 seconds, then you will need at least 120 photos. 

How do I turn photos into a flipbook?

It’s time for the fun bit — transforming your photos from separate stills to smooth animation.

Manual

This is the traditional way of making a flipbook. All you need to do is print the photos you want — make sure you go for high-quality printing — and then stick them on paper or in a blank book. It’s vital to go for a book with a soft cover so you can get that all-important flip action on the go.

Online

Alternatively, you can create a flipbook online, using a digital platform to create a softcover photo book. This can have a really professional finish, and provide a consistent look. 

With  myFUJIFILM, you can customise an array of aspects, meaning you can tailor your design to create a unique photobook. Why not experiment with backgrounds and frames? You could even add a story title to your photo book’s front cover. As before, make sure you select a softcover, so it’s easy to flip.

With online designs, you can also print multiple copies, so several people can enjoy the same brilliant flipbook. 

Creating your own flip photo album: top tips

Now you know the basics, follow our tips to get the best results from your photo flipbook.

Take more photos than you need

You can only use the photos you have and you may find that many won’t be quite right. Some might be overexposed, blurry or you might have too many gaps. Take lots of photos so you have different options for your flipbook. 

You should also photo the same sequence several times so you capture it exactly the way you want.

Only have one source of action

You want the action to be easy to identify and follow. Avoid having lots of sources of different actions to prevent confusing the viewer. Being outdoors can have many distractions, such as other people or the weather so you might find it more practical to film indoors where you can better control the elements. 

Have all the photos the same size

If you take all the photos in ‘continuous shots’ then they should all be the same size. However, if you decide to crop or resize one photo, you need to do the same for the rest of the photos. If you don’t then the scale could become inconsistent and jumpy. 

You also want your photos to be landscape as this will make a book that is easier to flick. 

Opt for high-quality photo printing

Beautiful photos deserve to be beautifully printed. Poor-quality photos will lose all the details and colour depth in your photos. We suggest going for a premium option so your photobook looks professional. 

High-quality printing will also ensure that all the detail in the action can be seen.

Use good-quality paper to avoid ink bleeding

There are lots of different types of paper, but whatever you choose make sure it’s good quality. Cheap paper is likely to make the ink bleed, which will ruin your photos and all the action will be lost.

It’s a good idea to invest in our ultimate high-quality 100% Original Photographic Paper for your flipbook. It’s durable, glossy, and looks amazing. 

myFUJIFILM – your home for quality photo printing

Fancy getting creative with your own photo flipbooks or try out new popular design trends? Let your imagination run wild with myFUJIFILM. We have a range of photo books that are perfect for your needs. You can choose different sizes, lengths, paper and ink so you can produce a flipbook exactly how you want. We reckon our square photo books, in particular, could be ideal for flipbooks.

myFUJIFILM is the one-stop shop for all of your photo printing needs. As well as the classic photo album, we provide endless possibilities for displaying photos with our wall art range such as canvases, aluminium prints, posters, and photo collages. Whether you’re looking to showcase your favourite photos at home, make a photo flipbook, or treat a loved one to a gift, discover our full range.