Hardback Photobook Printing for Remember When by Cameron Shin

A5 Casebound Books
Cover onto 170gsm Silk
Wrapped over greyboard case
Matt laminated to the outer
2x 4pp End Papers Printed onto 170gsm Uncoated
170pp inside pages onto 170gsm Uncoated (23mm Spine)
Four colour print throughout
Trimmed, collated and case bound

“I will definitely be shouting out your services for this which has been incredible…”

Remember When is an attention-grabbing, thick A5 hardback photobook that reads like a proper time capsule — the kind you pick up “for a quick look” and end up flipping cover-to-cover. Our favourite part is how the edit moves between portraits, in-the-moment student scenes and quieter landscapes, so each turn feels like another memory surfacing. The 170gsm uncoated pages give it real substance — though, as with any hefty uncoated text stock, you do get a bit of page “bounce”, which is worth planning for in a book this thick.

If you’re planning your own hardback, start with our hardback book printing page, then explore the hardback set-up guide, our Print Journey, or jump straight into the instant quote calculator.

About the Book

This is a comprehensive photo journal of Cameron’s university years — personal, specific, and brilliantly paced. Visually it leans into that nostalgic snapshot energy (date stamps, candid interiors, late-night scenes), but it’s held together with a clean, confident structure that keeps the story moving. The result feels made for photobook people — and just as importantly, for the friends and family who actually lived some of these moments too.

Print Specification & Materials

This project was produced as an A5 casebound hardback, built to take repeat handling and long-term keeping. The cover is printed on 170gsm silk, wrapped over greyboard and matt laminated for durability and a low-glare finish. Inside, we ran 170pp on 170gsm uncoated, plus 2 × 4pp printed endpapers on 170gsm uncoated, in full colour throughout, trimmed, collated and casebound (23mm spine).

That uncoated choice is doing a lot here: it suits the diary-like honesty of the work, keeps skin tones and everyday interiors feeling natural, and gives the book a soft, tactile rhythm as you flip.

Design Details

The cover does the big job immediately: a striking monochrome portrait with simple, pale-blue type — “Remember When” — and small graphic motifs that carry through onto the spine. Inside, the layout mixes black pages with carefully placed photos and occasional full-bleed spreads, which helps the edit breathe. The black grounds the nostalgia (almost like a night sky behind the memories), while the image blocks keep each moment framed and intentional.

The Client’s Print Journey

Cameron came to us looking for 20 hardback copies and asked early on about mixing finishes inside the book. We talked through options, then the project evolved into a consistent 170gsm uncoated interior, keeping the feel unified across the whole narrative.

A big part of the journey was file confidence: cover templates, endpaper set-up, bleed, and page supply as single pages — plus reassurance around “slithers” of adjacent images showing in exported PDFs (totally normal when bleed and trim are set correctly).

How Ex Why Zed Helped

We supported Cameron the way we like to: clear guidance, quick checks, and practical fixes. That included:

• Cover + endpaper templates, and explaining what areas will fold or be hidden on a hardback case.
• Advice on exporting interiors correctly (single pages in reading order, with bleed).
• Extra attention on image preparation — especially where “black and white” photography can behave unpredictably in digital print — so the final reproduction lands as intended.
• Clear dispatch comms and tracking once the books left us.

That mix of friendly, account-managed support and print-first problem solving is exactly what keeps first-time printers calm — and helps experienced photographers move faster.

Takeaways for Your Next Hardback Photobook

• If your book is getting thick, test the “bounce”. Heavier uncoated stocks can want to spring shut. If you want a calmer flip, consider dropping the inside weight slightly (or adjusting how much ink coverage you’re putting on black pages).
• Uncoated doesn’t mean dull. It can be perfect for memory-led work: softer highlights, natural skin tones, and a more intimate feel in the hand.
• Use black pages with intent. They can slow the pacing, frame images like a gallery wall, and make full-bleed spreads feel like a punchy change of gear.

Get your file supply right early. Single pages, correct bleed, and correctly built endpaper spreads save days of back-and-forth later.