Graduation is more than just walking across a stage—it’s a moment filled with pride, joy, and memories that last a lifetime. After all the late-night study sessions, school events, and friendships made along the way, this milestone deserves to be remembered in a special way. A graduation photo book is the perfect way to celebrate the journey from the first day of school to graduation day.
Whether it’s filled with senior portraits, cap and gown photos, or snapshots with friends and family, graduation photo albums let you tell the full story of this unforgettable time. They’re not just collections of pictures—they’re keepsakes that honor hard work, personal growth, and the exciting future ahead. With a custom photo book, you can relive every proud moment, share it with loved ones, and preserve it for years to come.
Jump to:
How to Make a Graduation Photo Album
Creating a graduation photo book is a fun and meaningful way to look back on the big day and everything that led up to it. Whether you’re celebrating a high school graduation, college achievement, or even a preschool milestone, Shutterfly makes it easy to turn your favorite memories into a custom photo album you’ll treasure forever. Here’s how to get started:
1. Choose How You Want to Create It
How “hands-on” are you? Depending on how involved you want to be in the process, we’ve got three great options for when you’re ready to design your graduation album. With our free photo book designer service, talented designers will curate your photos and design the book for you for free. You’ll still have total control while we do most of the work and return the graduation photo book to you in just 24 hours.
Or, choose to design your photo book on your own if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to place your images onto a pre-designed template. Select a grad photo book design style and fill in your own photos, or start from scratch and customize each page yourself by following the steps below.
2. Pick a Graduation Story to Tell
Think about the story you want your graduation photo album to share. Do you want to focus only on graduation day—the ceremony, cap toss, and diploma moment? Or do you want your album to show the full journey—senior portraits, game days, clubs, classes, and fun with friends from the whole school year? Some people even create a “through the years” album that highlights special moments from kindergarten to senior year. Picking your theme first helps you decide what kind of photos to include and how you want to organize them.
3. Select a Template, Size, and Photo Book Style
Once you’ve decided on the story you want to tell, it’s time to bring it to life with a photo book design. Shutterfly offers a variety of graduation photo book templates with fun, modern, classic, or school-spirited designs. You can select the size of your photo book—popular options include 8×8, 8×11, or 11×14. Then, choose your album style, including the cover (hardcover, leather cover, or softcover) and binding options. Want a premium feel? Try a layflat book to make your graduation pictures stand out across full-page spreads.
4. Upload Your Photos
With your template and style chosen, upload your graduation pictures from your phone, computer, or social media. Once your photos are ready, start placing them into the photo book. You can organize your pages by event (like prom, senior night, and the ceremony) or by timeline to show how the school year unfolded. It’s all up to you.
Make sure all the photos you use are high-quality, in focus, and not too small. Remember, poor quality photographs will look pixelated and out of focus when they’re enlarged and printed. So, only choose the best photos for your book. Depending on the page layouts you choose, some images will be highlighted more than others, so make a note of your favorite photos so you’ll remember to use them there.
5. Customize Your Photo Book Pages
Make your graduation photo album personal by adding captions, quotes, and fun embellishments. Write a short message for each page, like your class year, the name of your school, or a favorite memory. Shutterfly also offers stickers, icons, and design tools to add extra flair. If you’re using the designer service, you’ll still be able to make final edits and customize the photo book before it’s printed.
6. Preview, Review, and Place Your Order
Before you check out, flip through every page of your graduation photo book to make sure it looks exactly how you want. Double-check the photo placement, text spelling, and cover details. Once everything is perfect, go ahead and place your order. Your custom graduation photo album will be printed and shipped to your door—ready to celebrate one of life’s biggest milestones.
A clear memorabilia pocket attached to the inside cover is a perfect place to store your graduation announcements, graduation party invitations, and other keepsakes from your journey. You can also opt to include a gift box if you’re creating the photo album for a loved one. When you’re ready to purchase, simply add the book to your cart and checkout.
Graduation Photo Book Ideas
A single image can capture a moment, but a photo book can capture the entire journey up to your graduation day. A chronological narrative can help you, your family, and friends relive this auspicious occasion for many years to come. Here are some tips and photo ideas perfect for your grad photo book.
Photos That Tell a Story
Tell your story of graduation by incorporating pictures of your transformation from child to adult. Use pictures that show your growth and how much you have achieved in the past years. It will feel so bittersweet to see how much you have changed from year to year.
Get a Formal Portrait
Make sure you get a nice formal portrait as the grad. Take your photo in a place that has even lighting and be conscious of distracting backgrounds. A nice portrait will give your grad memory book an air of dignity, pride, and accomplishment for all of your hard work over the years.
Capture Happiness
Don’t limit yourself to posed shots! While formal photos are perfect for that decorous look, candid shots give a touch of raw emotion, fun, and humor to the photo book. Some of the best photos are candid images that capture the true joy and emotion of the occasion.
Don’t Forget Their Friends
Graduation is not just about the students, it’s about the unbreakable bonds and friendships they have made over the years. Be sure to add your favorite memories you had with your friends. Capture the joy of the occasion.
Graduation Messages and Quotes
If you’re gifting someone a graduation photo book, you’ll want to make them a nice card with a thoughtful message to share your congratulations. When celebrating a milestone, there are a million ways to say “congratulations” and “here’s to your future.” The key is to personalize your message and say it from the heart.
Here are some happy graduation message ideas to get you started:
- Congratulations. This message is short and sweet and can be as formal or casual as the situation calls for. Some examples are, “Congrats, what an impressive achievement.” and “Congratulations on your well-deserved success.”
- To the Future. Focus your message on what’s to come. Like, “I know life has even more wonderful things in store for you.” and “You deserve to see your dreams come true!”
- Give Advice. If you’re the type to give advice, now’s the time. Just make sure it’s all about building the grad up. Examples are, “May you always do great things with your life” and “There’s no limit to what you can achieve now.”
- Use Humor. When all else fails, you can’t go wrong with saying something funny. Put a smile on their face with a message like, “Did you ever think this day would come? Neither did we!” or “Welcome to the real world. Don’t worry, none of us know what we’re doing either.”
Graduation Resources
Your graduation is a moment you’ll never forget—so why not turn it into something you can hold onto forever? A personalized graduation photo book is more than just a collection of pictures; it’s a reminder of your hard work, your growth, and the people who cheered you on. Whether you’re making it for yourself or as a gift for your graduate, this keepsake will always bring those proud memories back to life.
Start designing your graduation photo album today and celebrate everything that made this chapter so unforgettable.
Shop:
- Graduation Announcements
- Graduation Party Invitations
- Personalized Graduation Gifts
- Graduation Party Decor
- Graduation Yard Signs
Guides:
