How to Mount Photos in Albums
When thinking about mounting photos into a paper-page album, there are really two traditional options: photo corners and photo mounts. Each has benefits and drawbacks, depending on the album you're designing.
Photo Corners
Traditional photo corners are available from Rag & Bone Bindery and elsewhere, and have one feature other mounting options lack: the photo is removable.
Photo corners simply hold the photo in position, so the photograph can be removed at any time, leaving the photo corners behind. This allows a little more flexibility with the final layout of the album, as photos can be moved around or shared outside the album.
Look for photo corners that are acid-free and archival.
Photo Mounts
Photo mounts have a distinct advantage: they're simpler to use.
They don't allow the photo to be easily removed from the album page at a later date, but they make up for this with ease of use. If your photo album layout is permanent, photo mounts are a great option. They're easy to attach and aren't as "fussy" as photo corners. They also don't compete visually with the photograph, since they're invisible once the photo is mounted onto the page.
We recommend placing the tabs onto the back of the photo, rather than the album page, before positioning the photo. This allows for more control over the placement and straightness of the photograph.
Look for photo mounts that are acid-free and archival.
Photo Tape
This is our go-to solution for mounting photographs in our own albums.
Photo-safe tape is available just about everywhere. Simply roll out a strip, attach it to the back of the photo, and then adhere the photo to the album page.
It's simple to use, affordable, and readily available. Just make sure the tape you choose is labeled acid-free and intended for photographs or archival use.
Other Adhesives
We don't recommend water-based adhesives such as PVA or Elmer's Glue, or rubber cement. Similarly, we don't recommend glue sticks unless you know that the particular adhesive is acid-free, archival, and appropriate for photographs.
Planning the Page
This is my personal favorite part of the album process!
What I often do is start with a piece of paper that's the same size as our album pages, then mock up the layout on that sheet before adhering anything to the actual album page.
Some of the pages I design have only one photo, a single 5x7 landscape in the middle of the page, for example. I also like to make little narratives with the photos: three photographs on a page, all from the same kayak trip, for example.
Each page can tell a little story.
Trimming Photographs
A trick I learned from Ilira, Rag & Bone Bindery cofounder and my wife, is: don't be afraid to cut or trim photos.
One of the first albums we made together was filled with photos from our first live-in loft: friends, the loft, the kitties, the view, etc. Some of the pages were filled with a dozen little bits of photos, creating a collage that told a story.
It's a lesson I still use today when making photo albums: don't be afraid to trim photos!
Mixing Sizes and Orientations
Just like trimming photos, an album page can become much more dynamic if it doesn't adhere to a strict layout.
A single photo on a page might be more impactful than several. Or two horizontal 4x6 photos next to one vertical 5x7 can make a statement.
Let the photos and images guide the layout.
Writing on the Page
Yes, you can definitely write on the pages of our paper-page albums.
We recommend gel pens first, then pencil. Ballpoint pens can sometimes smear, so be careful. We don't recommend markers or other wet media.
Can I Mount Items Other Than Photos?
Yes! We wholeheartedly encourage this.
Adding letters, ephemera, tickets, souvenirs, or other items besides photos can add another dimension to the album you're creating.
There is one thing to watch out for, though: don't add too many thick items to the pages. Thicker greeting cards, for example, can quickly add bulk.
Or Mardi Gras beads.
Yes, we've seen that.
If too many thick objects are added, the album can eventually yawn open rather than close properly. Sticking primarily to items similar in thickness to photographs will help keep the album closing as it should.
One Side Only
Our paper-page albums are designed specifically for photos to be mounted on the facing side of each page.
We don't recommend mounting photos on the reverse side. Doing so allows photographs to rest face-to-face when the album is closed, which isn't good for their long-term preservation. Mounting on both sides also adds considerably more thickness to the album and can cause it to yawn open.
So when it comes to paper-page albums, we recommend mounting photographs on the facing side of the page only.
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