How to Order and Customise Photo Books and Canvas Prints in Google Photos

While digital cloud galleries make sharing pictures instantaneous, physical prints remain one of the most tangible and permanent ways to preserve milestone memories, family holidays, and annual retrospectives. Google Photos includes a built-in print store that lets you transform digital snapshots into professionally bound hardback or softcover photo books, large-format canvas prints, and matte photo prints directly from your library, without needing third-party photo printing software.

Available Print Products in Google Photos

The Google Photos Print Store provides several customisable print formats:

• Photo Books: Available in 7-inch square softcover and 9-inch square premium hardback formats with glossy or lustre finishes.
• Canvas Prints: High-resolution gallery-wrapped canvases stretched over solid wood frames, ready for wall hanging.
• Photo Prints: Traditional photo prints in standard sizes (such as 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 12×18, 16×20, and 24×36 inches).

How to Create and Customise a Photo Book

You can design a photo book on Android, iOS, or through a web browser:

Step 1: Selecting Photos

1. Open Google Photos (photos.google.com or the mobile app).
2. Tap or click the Print Store tab (often labelled Prints or found under Utilities).
3. Select Photo books > Create photo book.
4. Select between 20 and 140 photos from your library. You can also pick an existing album to convert it into a book draft automatically.
5. Click or tap Done. Google Photos analyses timestamps and locations to arrange images chronologically.

Step 2: Customising Layouts and Text

1. Edit Cover: Tap the cover to select your title image, choose a background colour theme, and enter your custom title and subtitle text.
2. Rearrange Pages: Drag and drop page thumbnails to reorder the storytelling sequence.
3. Modify Page Layouts: Click any page to switch between single full-bleed images, multi-photo collages, or framed border displays.
4. Add Captions: Click the text area beneath any picture to add descriptions, dates, or personal quotes.
5. Image Adjustments: Double-click an image to crop, rotate, or re-centre subjects within the print margins.

Creating and Customising Canvas Prints

Canvas prints transform standout landscape, architectural, or portrait shots into striking wall art:

1. Navigate to Print Store > Canvas prints.
2. Select a high-resolution photograph. Google Photos automatically scans image resolution and flags low-DPI images with a warning triangle if they might appear pixelated.
3. Choose your canvas dimensions (e.g. 8×8, 11×14, 16×20, 20×24 inches).
4. Select your border wrap style:
   • Folded Edge: Wraps the outer margins of the photo around the sides of the frame.
   • Solid Edge: Preserves the entire photo on the front face while applying a solid black, white, or grey wrap to the canvas edges.
5. Preview the 3D mock-up to verify subject placement before proceeding to checkout.

Reviewing Quality Warnings and Low-Resolution Flags

Before placing an order, Google Photos inspects your print project for common visual flaws:

• Resolution Alerts: An exclamation badge indicates the photo resolution is too low for the selected page size. Crop the image to a smaller frame or replace it with an uncompressed original.
• Safety Bleed Margins: Key subject elements (such as faces or text) placed too close to the edge may be trimmed during industrial binding. Keep crucial details within the inner margin guides.

Placing Orders and Shipping

When your design is complete:

1. Click Checkout in the top-right corner.
2. Select your cover type (Softcover or Hardcover for books).
3. Verify your delivery shipping address and choose standard or priority shipping.
4. Pay securely using Google Pay or your linked payment card.

You can cancel or edit an order within two hours of submission from the Print Store order history page if you notice an error.