Scrapbooking: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering scrapbooking

Clients hire scrapbookers to turn photos and keepsakes into albums that last. Your archival materials, your sorting process and your page proofs are what win family and milestone projects.

What customers ask

  • Will my old photos be safe in the album?
  • Can I see the layout before you assemble it?
  • Do you write the captions for me?
  • How long will the album take?
  • Can you make a second copy of the album?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask what the album is for, how many photos the client has and any fragile items to protect.
  • Show the inside pages of finished albums, with the client's permission, so the client sees the layouts and the materials.
  • Sort photos and keepsakes with the client, and explain how originals will be protected.
  • Send layout proofs before you assemble, so the client can approve the story and the order of the pages.
  • Put the page count, the album size, the archival materials and any scanning in the quote.
  • Give a care and storage note with the finished album.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of the inside of finished albums, shown with consent
  • A list of your album services, such as wedding albums, family histories, baby books and travel albums
  • The archival materials you use and how you label them
  • Your sorting and layout proof process, described briefly
  • Your business registration and any local permit that applies to your studio

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a second album or a matching album for a family member
  • Suggest an annual photo update for a family history album
  • Offer a restoration or scanning service for old photos the client wants to add

Licenses and permits

A license is often not required for scrapbooking, but rules differ by state and city. Keep your business registration, any local business license your city requires, and sales tax registration if your state requires it for album sales, and list your registrations on your profile.

Questions

Do I need a license to make albums for pay?

A license is often not required for scrapbooking, but rules differ by state and city. Check your local city or county rules for business licensing and confirm any state tax registration for album sales.

How do I protect fragile photos?

Use archival sleeves and a layout that does not press on the photo. Make a scan or a copy for the album, and keep the original out of direct glue contact.

Should I offer a timeline for a wedding album?

Yes. Set dates for sorting, layout proofs and final assembly, and put them in the quote so the client knows when to send the photos.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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