We give MILK Books Pet Photo Album a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
These days, there are a lot of photo book printing options, many of which have special layouts made for pet parents. But if you’re looking for something uber high-quality—maybe a book to remember your late furry friend or a very special gift for a family member—then MILK Books is worth considering.
This photo book company sets themselves apart from their many competitors with one key feature: quality. MILK Books are made with premium materials, extra-special care, and high print quality. Their attention to detail and refusal to compromise over caliber make this company a great option for remembering departed pets or creating a gift for a proud cat parent.
I had the chance to see just how good MILK’s photo books were after ordering a Premium Photo Book of my almost-two-year-old cat, Makoa. Keep reading to find out where this company excels, if they are worth the cost, and more in my full MILK Books Pet Photo Album review.
Overview
| Product Type: | Photo album |
| Best Suited For: | Proud pet owners, memorializing, gifting |
| Price Range: | Premium |
| Contents: | Photo album, 24 to 80 pages |
| Spec Options: | Square, landscape, or portrait from 8.6 x 6.4” to 9.5 x 12.7” |
| Book Options: | Classic, Premium, or Premium Leather |
| Creating Process: | Autofill or manually create |
| Processing Time: | About 16 days from ordering to arrival with priority shipping |
Our Experience
I don’t want to brag, but I fancy myself a bit of a photo book expert. Every year since my daughter was born, I have created a photo book for her birthday, cataloging all the adventures of the previous year. I have also made quite a few books for my pets and family vacations.
So when I learned I would have a chance to try MILK, I was very excited. I’ve seen many MILK Books ads and knew that this company was in a whole different category compared to the service I normally use. My question going into this was simple: Is MILK worth the higher price tag?
The Creation Process
MILK has three pet photo book options to choose from. All are made with premium covers, lay-flat board pages, and durable binding. The differences are largely in the quality of the photo printing. The Classic uses four-color printing while the Premium options use six-color.
The Premium options also come in more sizes. The difference between the Premium and Premium Leather is the cover material. The former features a fabric-bound cover while the latter utilizes Milano leather.
Once you’ve chosen your photo book type, size, cover color, and cover style, you are ready to begin creating. To get started, you first need to upload photos. MILK makes this super easy. You can directly upload images from your computer or use a QR prompt to upload straight from your phone.
As someone with way too many phone apps, I appreciate that MILK makes it easy to upload photos to your account without having to download an app first.
Once you have your photos uploaded, you can choose to autopopulate the book and then move photos around as needed, or manually fill the book yourself one page at a time. I chose the latter option and got to work.
There are not a ton of layout options to choose from, and all pages are laid out in full spreads, meaning each layout choice covers two pages. This makes for fewer layout customization options overall.
Some MILK layout options include text boxes, but none offer colored backgrounds, stickers, or other decorative features. The look of these books is definitely meant to be clean, with the photos acting as the focal point. This is why I think these books make such great keepsakes, memorials, and gifts. For a whimsical, colorful, or just plain silly cat photo book, it’d be best look elsewhere.
Overall, the process of creating the book and ordering it was fairly simple and straightforward.
The Final Product
When my photo book arrived, I was immediately impressed by the quality. I ordered the smallest horizontal size option, and this thing is still surprisingly heavy. I think that weight speaks to the quality and durability of the materials used.
The pages are thick boards that lay flat, so no part of any picture is lost to the gutter. The fabric cover is a very nice touch, and the outside of the book is thick and durable.
But what really blew me away about this book was the quality of the photos. Every one of these pictures came off my phone, but you would never know it. The color is amazing, there are no blemishes or printing errors, and every picture is clear. There is no comparison between the photo quality of this product compared to the cheaper service I use to print my daughter’s birthday books.
Overall, I am very happy with Makoa’s photo book and can see how MILK Books Pet Photo Albums would make a wonderful, heartfelt gift, especially for someone mourning the loss of a pet.
Pros & Cons
- Wonderful picture quality
- Very durable and well-made
- Easy to upload photos
- Layflat board pages
- Quality fabric covers
- Clean look
- Pricey
Key Features
Quality Materials
One of the first things you’ll notice about these books is the quality of the materials used.
Each MILK Books Pet Photo Album features a solid cover binding made with thick boards beautifully wrapped in fabric or leather. For the Classic option, you can choose from fabric in seven colors, including charcoal grey, pale pink, and sand. For the Premium option, you can choose between linen and buckram fabrics in multiple colors. For the Premium Leather, you have the choice of black, white, mocca, or silver Milano leather.
Inside that gorgeous cover, you’ll find thick board pages made to last. Each page is 1.15 to 1.25mm thick (depending on the number of pages). Not only will these durable pages not bend or crease, but they also lay perfectly flat, allowing you to print panoramas and other large photos without losing a single detail.
Premium Printing
These photo books are incredibly high quality—there’s no doubt about that. But what really sets them apart is the print quality.
The Classic option utilizes four-color printing while the Premium ones use stunning six-color printing. Both choices provide vibrant photos with images that look like they were taken with a professional camera, even if they were actually shot on your very outdated smartphone.
The quality of the printing also means that every detail shines and no photo looks out of focus or blurry—unless it’s supposed to.
Every line is crisp and clean, the text is clear and legible, and the photos really pop!
Multiple Ordering Options
MILK offers many ways to make these pet photo books your own. In addition to the three different photo book types, you can also customize by choosing your size, color, and inside layout.
For the Classic option, your size choices are limited to 9.25 x 7.4” or 13 x 11”. For the Premium books, your size choices include:
- 6 x 6.4”
- 8 x 8”
- 4 x 8.6”
- 7 x 9.5”
- 11 x 11”
- 5 x 12.7”
Pro Tip: The book sizes are shown as images without measurements when you select your “Size & Format” choice. To find the actual size, scroll down to the bottom of the picture on the left after choosing the option you think you want.
As we talked about in the section above, you can also customize your cover by choosing your fabric type and color. There are also many choices for the layout of the cover photo and/or text.
You can also choose the number of pages you want inside your photo book, from 24 to 80. And don’t worry if you underestimate. You can always add more pages during the creation process.
About MILK
MILK stands for ‘Moments of Inspiration, Love and Kinship’. The founders of MILK were part of the award-winning publishing house, Blackwell and Ruth, and have over 60 years of experience in photo and book publishing.
| Headquarters: | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Manufacturing: | Handcrafted in China |
| Warranty: | Free replacement for defects, 50% off reprints for customer errors |
| Shipping: | Priority and Economy shipping available |
Is MILK a Good Value?
You definitely get what you pay for with this company. And what you get is an incredibly high-quality product. So, yes, it will cost you more to buy a MILK Books Pet Photo Album than a photo book through most other services.
In my opinion, though, this option is well worth the price for a quality pet memorial, keepsake, or gift.
How We Tested
I tested this product by going through the ordering and creation process as any other customer would. I made notes about which aspects were easy and which were difficult as I completed my order.
I also tracked the timeline for printing and shipping. Once I received my photo book, I relied on my vast experience creating and ordering photo books to compare this product to other photo book services out there. I also researched MILK’s processes and printing and looked at reviews for their products and their competitors’ products.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long will it take for my book to be printed?
It usually takes between 7 and 12 days for photo books to be processed and printed. For large books, it can take up to 21 days.
How long does shipping take?
Most products ship using priority shipping and will arrive within 3 to 5 days. Small classic photo books can also be shipped Economy if you choose, which can take up to 17 days.
Where are MILK Books printed and made?
All books are printed and put together at MILK’s printing partner in Hong Kong.
Can I use low-quality photos in my photo book?
When you create your photo book, you will see an error symbol on any photo that is too small for a given space or too low resolution to print well. It is up to you to replace these photos with better-quality images to ensure a quality final product.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a beautiful photo album to immortalize a pet, create an unforgettable keepsake, or gift to a friend, you won’t find a better quality option than MILK Books Pet Photo Albums.
These gorgeous albums are made with durable materials that last, so memories of your cat can stick with you forever. The elegant fabric and leather covers, thick board pages, and lay-flat binding set these products apart from the competition, while the 6-color printing ensures your pet has never looked better.
While this premium photo book option will cost you, know that the final product is well worth it for a photo book like no other that is guaranteed to last.
