The size of a photo book changes the way your images feel. A landscape that fills an A4 spread commands attention. The same image at A5 becomes something quieter, more personal. Neither is wrong, but each serves a different purpose, and choosing before you start saves redesigning halfway through.
Here is a practical comparison of the photo book sizes available at Silvergrain Press, with guidance on which suits different types of work.
Photo book sizes at a glance
| Size | Dimensions (closed) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| A4 Landscape | 297 x 210 mm | Landscapes, travel, panoramic work |
| A4 Portrait | 210 x 297 mm | Portraits, street, architecture, editorial |
| Square | 210 x 210 mm | Mixed orientations, versatile for all projects |
| Large Square | 297 x 297 mm | Display pieces, fine art projects, exhibition catalogues |
| A5 Portrait | 148 x 210 mm | Journals, intimate series, small zine-style projects |
All sizes are available across our book formats: Premium Hardcover, Layflat Edition, and Studio Softcover, though not every size is available in every binding. Check each product page for the full list.
A4 Landscape: the natural choice for wide images
At 297 x 210 mm closed, A4 landscape opens to a spread nearly 600 mm wide. That is enough space for a full-bleed page landscape shot to breathe. If your photography is dominated by wide compositions, horizons, vistas, environmental portraits, or travel scenes, this is the format that gives them the most room on each page of a spread.
A4 landscape also works well for projects where spreads matter more than individual pages. A pair of images across a landscape spread reads as a sequence in a way that portrait or square formats cannot easily replicate.
The trade-off is shelf presence. A landscape book requires a deep shelf, or it may stick out awkwardly form your other books. It works best as a coffee table book, something displayed flat rather than shelved upright.
A4 Portrait: editorial presence
A4 portrait (210 x 297 mm) is the format of magazines, monographs, and catalogues. It suits portrait-oriented images naturally, but it also works well for mixed-orientation projects where you want vertical images to feel dominant and horizontal images to sit within generous margins.
Street photography, architecture, and documentary work tend to sit well in this format. The tall page gives vertical compositions room without cropping, and horizontal images placed with white space above and below take on an editorial quality.
If you intend to pair your book with text, captions, or longer written passages, A4 portrait handles the combination of image and type better than any other size.
Square: balance and flexibility
The 210 x 210 mm square format is the most flexible. It handles mixed orientations without favouring either: landscape images sit centred with margins top and bottom, portrait images get margins left and right, and square crops fill the page cleanly.
Square suits projects where the work does not have a dominant orientation, personal projects with a mix of compositions, Instagram-native portfolios, or thematic collections where consistency of framing matters less than consistency of mood.
The square format also pairs well with a centred, minimal layout. Images placed with even margins on all sides create a gallery-like feel, each photograph presented as a discrete object rather than a spread element.
Large square: the display piece
At 297 x 297 mm (roughly 12 x 12 inches), the large square is a substantial object. It is the format you choose when the book itself is part of the statement: a fine art project, a coffee table book that demands attention, or a portfolio you want to present to clients or leave on a studio table.
The extra surface area gives every image more impact. Details become immersive at this size. The square format also means that two page spreads in the Layflat Edition become the perfect large format canvas for captivating landscapes, where the flat-opening binding lets a spread sit in a single plane across both pages.
The trade-off is practical: large square books are heavier, take up more shelf space, and cost more to produce. They are a deliberate choice for work that warrants the scale.
A5 PORTRAIT: INTIMATE AND PORTABLE
A5 (148 x 210 mm) is roughly the size of a paperback novel. It is the most personal format, well suited to journals, travel diaries, zine-style projects, or small editions of a personal series.
The smaller page means images carry less visual weight individually, but the book as a whole feels approachable and hand-held. You page through an A5 book differently: closer, more privately. It works well for projects where the connection is quiet rather than dramatic.
A5 is available in the Studio Softcover, which pairs naturally with the format's informal, journal-like character.
How to decide
Three questions help narrow the choice.
What orientation dominates your images? If most are landscape, start with A4 landscape. If most are portrait, A4 portrait. If the mix is roughly even, square handles it best.
Where will this book live? A coffee table or studio display favours A4 landscape or large square. A bookshelf favours A4 portrait. A bag, a gift, or a personal keepsake favours A5.
What does the project demand? An ambitious, carefully sequenced body of work deserves a larger format. A quick, personal project or a first attempt at bookmaking benefits from the lower commitment of A5 or standard square.
For a comparison of binding types across these sizes, see our hardcover vs softcover vs layflat guide. And if you are considering a large format book as a display piece, our coffee table photo book guide covers what makes that format work.
Browse all sizes and formats on our books page.
