How to Turn Family Photos Into a Coloring Book
There are three ways. Turn the photos into pages with a free tool and print them at home; make the pages yourself and order the book from a printer; or upload the photos to a service that draws and prints the book for you. ColorMyAlbum is the third kind: up to 20 photos, every page approved by you, a printed book for $25 with free US shipping.
The three ways, side by side
1. A free tool and your own printer
Upload a photo to a free photo-to-coloring-page tool (Crayola and Canva both have one), download the page, and print it at home.
Good for
One or two pages, today, for nothing.
Watch for
Results vary a lot from photo to photo, and a stack of printer paper is not a book. You are the one cleaning up stray lines.
2. Your own pages, printed as a book
Convert the photos yourself, lay the pages out in a design tool, then take the file to a local print shop or office store to have it printed and bound.
Good for
Full control over size, paper and layout, if you enjoy that kind of project.
Watch for
It takes an evening or two, and the file has to be set up the way the shop asks: page size, margins, and the page order binding needs. Shops price by the page plus the binding, so get a quote for a single copy first.
3. A service that draws and prints it
Upload your photos; the service turns each one into a coloring page, prints the book and mails it. This is what ColorMyAlbum does.
Good for
Gifts, and anyone who wants the finished book without the design work.
Watch for
Ask whether you see every page before it prints, and what happens if one comes out badly. Prices we found in November 2026 run from about $20 to $65 a book, and some shops add shipping.
Which photos make good pages
What makes a good photo?
Clear subjects, decent light, and faces or bodies that are not tiny in the frame. Group shots, pets, birthdays, sports and travel photos all work well. Very dark, blurry, or heavily filtered photos give weaker outlines — we will tell you if one needs replacing.
Simple lines or every detail?
It depends who is coloring. For small children, pick bold shapes with big spaces to fill; our Kid Friendly style is made for that (bold, simple shapes — easiest for small hands.). Older kids and adults usually enjoy more detail, which is what Standard keeps.
Can I use a photo taken with a costumed character?
Not with the character in it, no. Photos of film, TV and theme-park characters get turned down — a costumed character at a park, a superhero on a t-shirt, a well-known toy — because those characters belong to someone else and we cannot sell you a book of them. The rest of the trip is fine: the rides, the food, the faces.
Making one with ColorMyAlbum
Pick the photos
Up to 20 of them: birthdays, beach days, the fish that got away. Old prints work too. Take a photo of the print with your phone.
We draw every page
Each photo becomes a coloring page in about 30 seconds. Your first page is free, so you can see one before you decide.
You approve each one
Nothing prints until you have approved it, and our design team reviews each book before it is made.
We print and ship it
A 20-page book with the name you choose on the cover, delivered in two to three weeks. US shipping is free.
Good to know
How much does it cost?
One payment, no subscription: the PDF to print at home for $10, the printed book for $25, or both for $30. US shipping is free on every printed book; delivery to Canada adds $5.
What is the book like?
A bound 20-page book on uncoated paper that takes crayon, colored pencil and marker. Every page is printed on one side only, so a marker that bleeds through spoils nothing behind it. The front carries the name you choose at checkout, and the back is printed with the original photos every page was drawn from — so whoever colors it can see what they are coloring.
When does the book arrive?
Printing takes 3–5 business days once your album clears review, then 4–11 business days in the mail — so most books arrive within two to three weeks. You get a tracking link by email the moment yours ships.
What if a page or the book is not right?
Redraw a page as often as you need before you check out, and approve only the ones you like. Once you check out the album is locked and cannot be refunded, which is why you approve every page yourself. A book that arrives damaged or misprinted is reprinted free if you tell us within 30 days.
Making it a gift? For grandparents → · For Christmas →