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Scrapbook Layout Planner

Plan how many photographs or elements fit a scrapbook page, with the gaps, borders and journaling space allowed for.

A scrapbook page is a layout problem with a fixed number of photographs and a fixed amount of paper. This planner works out how many elements of a given size fit the page once the gaps between them and the border around them are accounted for, then reports the journaling space left over. It is the tool to use before printing photographs, because printing them at the wrong size is the expensive part of the mistake.

At a glance

What you enter
Page size, Custom page width, Custom page height, Element size, Custom element width, Custom element height, Border around the page, Gap between elements, Space reserved for a title, Photographs you want to place
What you get
Elements per page, Photographs that fit, Pages needed, Empty slots on the last page, Area of one element, Area covered by the photographs, Area consumed by the gaps, Space left for journaling, Journaling space as a share of the usable page, Photograph coverage of the whole page, The gap is in the comfortable range
Formula shown
Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy
Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples โ†“ Read the FAQ โ†“ Share this calculator โ†“

Page size

Only used when the page size above is set to Custom.

Only used when the page size above is set to Custom.

Element size

Only used when the element size above is set to Custom.

Only used when the element size above is set to Custom.

A border gives the layout a frame and leaves room for a punched edge or a binding.

Five millimetres is a good working default. Below three the elements read as one block.

A typical title band on a 12 inch page is about 2500 square millimetres, which is 50 by 50 millimetres.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Scrapbook Layout Planner

  1. 1 Enter Page size
  2. 2 Enter Custom page width (mm), Only used when the page size above is set to Custom.
  3. 3 Enter Custom page height (mm), Only used when the page size above is set to Custom.
  4. 4 Enter Element size
  5. 5 Enter Custom element width (mm), Only used when the element size above is set to Custom.
  6. 6 Enter Custom element height (mm), Only used when the element size above is set to Custom.
  7. 7 Enter Border around the page (mm), A border gives the layout a frame and leaves room for a punched edge or a binding.
  8. 8 Enter Gap between elements (mm), Five millimetres is a good working default. Below three the elements read as one block.
  9. 9 Enter Space reserved for a title (sq mm), A typical title band on a 12 inch page is about 2500 square millimetres, which is 50 by 50 millimetres.
  10. 10 Enter Photographs you want to place
  11. 11 Press Calculate. You get Elements per page, Photographs that fit, Pages needed, Empty slots on the last page, Area of one element, Area covered by the photographs, Area consumed by the gaps, Space left for journaling, Journaling space as a share of the usable page, Photograph coverage of the whole page, The gap is in the comfortable range, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
  12. 12 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

Six 6 x 4 prints on a 12 inch page

The classic scrapbook grid, with a 15 millimetre border and a 5 millimetre gap.

You enter

Page size
1
Custom page width
0 mm
Custom page height
0 mm
Element size
1
Custom element width
0 mm
Custom element height
0 mm
Border around the page
15 mm
Gap between elements
5 mm
Space reserved for a title
2,500 sq mm
Photographs you want to place
6

You get

Elements per page
2
Photographs that fit
2
Pages needed
3
Empty slots on the last page
0
Area of one element
15,504.00 sq mm
Area covered by the photographs
31,008.00 sq mm
Area consumed by the gaps
5.00 sq mm
Space left for journaling
42,117.00 sq mm
Journaling space as a share of the usable page
55.7%
Photograph coverage of the whole page
33.3%
The gap is in the comfortable range
1

Four fit in a two by two grid, so six photographs take two pages. There is room for a title and a short block of journaling.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

Four 4 x 4 prints on an 8.5 x 11 page

A smaller album page with square prints and a wide border.

You enter

Page size
2
Custom page width
0 mm
Custom page height
0 mm
Element size
4
Custom element width
0 mm
Custom element height
0 mm
Border around the page
20 mm
Gap between elements
6 mm
Space reserved for a title
1,800 sq mm
Photographs you want to place
4

You get

Elements per page
2
Photographs that fit
2
Pages needed
2
Empty slots on the last page
0
Area of one element
10,404.00 sq mm
Area covered by the photographs
20,808.00 sq mm
Area consumed by the gaps
6.00 sq mm
Space left for journaling
19,456.00 sq mm
Journaling space as a share of the usable page
46.3%
Photograph coverage of the whole page
34.5%
The gap is in the comfortable range
1

Two by two square prints use only part of the page, which leaves a very generous journaling area on a page this size.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

Twelve 3 x 3 prints on a 12 inch page

A grid of small prints for an event page with many photographs.

You enter

Page size
1
Custom page width
0 mm
Custom page height
0 mm
Element size
5
Custom element width
0 mm
Custom element height
0 mm
Border around the page
10 mm
Gap between elements
4 mm
Space reserved for a title
2,500 sq mm
Photographs you want to place
12

You get

Elements per page
9
Photographs that fit
9
Pages needed
2
Empty slots on the last page
0
Area of one element
5,776.00 sq mm
Area covered by the photographs
51,984.00 sq mm
Area consumed by the gaps
48.00 sq mm
Space left for journaling
26,741.00 sq mm
Journaling space as a share of the usable page
32.9%
Photograph coverage of the whole page
55.9%
The gap is in the comfortable range
1

A three by three grid of 76 millimetre prints fits comfortably, and four rows would fit if the title band were smaller.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

Frequently asked questions

How many 6 x 4 photographs fit on a 12 x 12 scrapbook page?
Four, in a two by two layout, if you leave a 15 millimetre border and a 5 millimetre gap, which uses about 205 by 215 millimetres of the 275 millimetre usable area. You can fit six by dropping the border to 10 millimetres and the gap to 3, at the cost of a much tighter page. Most 12 inch pages carry two to four photographs plus a title and journaling, because the page is a story rather than an album sheet.
How much space should I leave for journaling?
At least fifteen percent of the usable page if you want a title and a paragraph of writing. On a 12 inch page with a 15 millimetre border that is roughly 11,000 square millimetres, which is about 105 by 105 millimetres, so a decent block of text. Below ten percent the writing ends up squeezed into a corner or left off the page entirely, and the story is lost, which is the one thing a scrapbook is for.
Should I use a border on every page?
A consistent border makes an album look deliberate and gives a place for the binding or a punched hole. A 12 by 12 inch page looks well framed with a border between 12 and 25 millimetres. The cost is area: a 25 millimetre border on a 12 inch page removes about 16 percent of the page. If you are fitting many photographs, drop to 10 millimetres and accept a tighter look.
What gap should I leave between photographs?
Between three and ten millimetres, with five as a good default. Closer than three and the photographs read as one block, which is occasionally the effect you want but usually looks like a mistake. Wider than ten and the page falls apart, because the eye cannot group the elements. The most common error is leaving an uneven gap, so use a grid or a spacer cut to the gap width rather than judging it by eye.
Why do my layouts look better on paper than on screen?
Because a screen shows the page at a fraction of its size, where a busy layout reads as energetic and a small gap looks generous. Printed at full size, the same page is crowded and the gaps look uneven. Cut paper spacers at your chosen gap width and lay the actual prints out at full size before you stick anything down. It takes ten minutes and it saves an expensive set of prints.

More money questions answered โ†’

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