Personalised Photo Albums and Guestbooks — handmade in the UK

All Kitaken photo albums are carefully handmade with the finest materials from Japan, Germany and Italy. The albums are archival quality and can be used as a classic photo book, scrapbook or guestbook. The larger album formats are ideal for weddings, anniversaries, baby showers and any other occasion. Since each album is a bespoke product, there are numerous possibilities to personalise your perfect album according to your own taste.
The photo albums are made with luxurious heavy cardstock in archival quality, ensuring that your treasured photographs are protected over the years. There are EIGHT formats available from 18x15 cm for your smaller photos and poloroid collection to 30x30 cm perfect for larger formats e.g., wedding photos.
 
 
 

Formats

The following eight formats are available:

• Format 1: 18x15 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 26 GBP
• Format 2: 23x19 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 36 GBP
• Format 3: 23x19 cm (landscape), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 40 GBP
• Format 4: 23x23 cm (square), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 46 GBP
• Format 5: 23x30 cm (portrait), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 52 GBP
• Format 6: 35x25 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 60 GBP
• Format 7: 30x30 cm (square), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 64 GBP
• Format 8: 30x30 cm (square), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 70 GBP

The measurements refer to the inside dimensions of the album and describe the actual usable area.

A visual overview of all available formats can be downloaded here
Materials

Only the finest quality materials from Japan and Europe are used.

When deciding on the front cover, there are two collections to choose from: "Washi" and "Wabi-Sabi":

The front of the album from the Washi-series is covered with handprinted Japanese paper (Chiyogami or Katazome). These beautiful papers are printed in traditional technique and are imported from Kyoto, Japan. "Chiyo" meaning "1000 generations", indicates the durability of this paper, which is as sturdy as it is delicate.
The fronts of the Wabi-Sabi-Series are covered with natural linen and printed with an original Kitaken design. These designs are based on my own photographs and illustrations, which are inspired by the Japanese "Wabi-Sabi" aesthetic.

The back cover of the concertina of both design lines is covered with gorgeous, hand-dyed bookcloth from Germany.

The back and spine of the albums of both design collections are covered with a fine but sturdy bookcloth from German production.

The block of the albums and guestbooks are made of high-quality ivory paper, which comes directly from Milano, Italy. It captivates with its simple elegance, value-adding haptics and is also acid-free, which protects your precious photographs from fading. All albums and guestbooks come with glassine (pergamin) interleaves. These glassine sheets protect your photographs as well as serving as an ink protectant, to prevent your writings from staining on the opposite page.

All albums and books can optionally be provided with a smooth, cream-coloured satin ribbon bow, with which the album can be tied.

Click on image for full view.

Click on image for full view.

Click on image for full view.

 
Personalisation

Aside from the possibility to choose the size and cover materials of each photo album, there are further options to individualise your album.

All covers can be personalised with a name or a short text (also in Japanese Katakana characters). For albums from the Washi-series, a personalised linen plaque is debossed into the cover of the album (shown on upper right). Personalisations for albums from the Wabi-Sabi series (linen covers) are directly printed (shown on bottom right).

Lastly, there is the option to order an album with your very own cover design. For this, your design must have good printing properties and be provided in high resolution. Such requests can be made via the contact form.

Click on image for full view.

Click on image for full view.

Click on image for full view.

 

Click on image for full view.

Click on image for full view.

Bespoke carousel flip book. Please contact for pricing and more information.

Bespoke carousel flip book. Please contact for pricing and more information.

Prices

There are two ways to purchase an album:

Existing designs can be easily purchased from my online shop.

If your desired album is not shown in my shop, you can choose your own cover and bookcloth colour by downloading my swatch list here. You can then send me an order request via custom request for a price quote.
The contact form can also be used for larger orders if you are interested in a B2B cooperation (retailers, photographers, etc.).

To calculate the costs of an album or guestbook, please refer to the pricing structure below:


Base prices
• Format 1: 18x15 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 26 GBP
• Format 2: 23x19 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 36 GBP
• Format 3: 23x19 cm (landscape), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 40 GBP
• Format 4: 23x23 cm (square), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 46 GBP
• Format 5: 23x30 cm (portrait), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 52 GBP
• Format 6: 35x25 cm (landscape), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 60 GBP
• Format 7: 30x30 cm (square), 30 sheets (60 pp.): 64 GBP
• Format 8: 30x30 cm (square), 50 sheets (100 pp.): 70 GBP


Extras
‣ Personalised linen plaque: 13 GBP
‣ Personalisation by direct printing (Wabi-Sabi-Series only): 6 GBP
‣ Own design: Depending on the design request
‣ Satin ribbon bow: Free of charge
‣ Surcharge for vintage chiyogami (see swatch list): 10 GBP


Shipping
○ United Kingdom: 6 GBP
○ European Union customers: please order via our Etsy shop
○ USA: 28 GBP
○ Rest of the world: upon request

*For photo albums: shipping costs apply only once even when ordering several products.