The photos from your wedding day, a milestone anniversary, or a once-in-a-lifetime family moment deserve a special place to live. A flush mount photo album turns those favorite photos into a beautifully made keepsake with thick, sturdy pages and a professional album feel you can enjoy for years to come.
Shutterfly Premium Albums are our flush mount photo albums, made with ultra-thick pages mounted to sturdy boards rather than traditional photo book pages. Open one up and you’ll immediately notice the difference. The pages are rigid and substantial, while seamless two-page spreads give favorite portraits, panoramic photos, and other standout images plenty of room to shine.
They have the look and feel of the professional wedding albums you might receive from a photographer, with premium cover options and thoughtful finishing details throughout. And while a Premium Album costs more than a standard photo book, there’s a reason for the difference. From the board-mounted pages to the album cover and included extras, Premium Albums are made differently from start to finish.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at what a flush mount photo album is, how it compares to standard and layflat photo books, what makes Shutterfly Premium Albums more premium, and when it’s worth choosing one for your photos.
What Is a Flush Mount Photo Album?
A flush mount photo album is made by mounting each printed spread onto a thick board, creating rigid pages that lie completely flat when the album is open.
Unlike the thinner pages of a traditional photo book, flush mount pages don’t bend or fold easily. Each spread is thick and sturdy in your hands, with photos displayed across two pages without losing part of the image in the center binding.
At Shutterfly, you’ll find this style under Premium Albums. They’re available in 8×8, 8×11, 10×10, 11×14, and 12×12 sizes, with 10 spreads included and room for up to 70 pages.
What Makes a Premium Album Different From a Standard Photo Book?
The biggest difference is something you’ll notice as soon as you pick one up: the pages.
Premium Album pages are ultra-thick and board-mounted. Rather than turning a flexible sheet of paper, you’re turning a rigid spread with weight and structure to it. That construction gives each page the weight and sturdy feel you’d expect from a professionally made wedding album.
The pages also open into completely seamless spreads. That’s especially useful for photographs designed to take up two pages, such as a panoramic landscape, a large wedding portrait, or a group photo where you don’t want faces disappearing into the binding.
The upgraded construction continues throughout the album. Premium Albums offer Eco-Leather, Genuine Leather, Acrylic, and Photo Covers, giving you options ranging from classic and understated to modern and photo-forward.
Flush Mount vs. Layflat Photo Books: What’s the Difference?
Both layflat photo books and flush mount albums allow photos to extend across a two-page spread with a seamless look.
The difference is in the page construction.
Layflat photo books use thinner pages that open flat, making them a great choice when you want panoramic layouts and a more elevated photo book.
Flush mount Premium Albums mount the pages onto thick boards, making every spread thicker and more rigid than a traditional layflat page. They’re designed to have the look, weight, and feel associated with a professional album.
So if your priority is simply having photos display beautifully across two pages, layflat may be all you need. If you want Shutterfly’s highest-quality album with ultra-thick pages, premium materials, and a professional finish, Premium Albums are the step up.
Why Are Flush Mount Photo Albums More Expensive?
A Premium Album isn’t simply a standard photo book with thicker paper. You’re paying for a different level of construction and finishing throughout the album.
To put the price difference in perspective, here’s how 10×10 Premium Albums compare with other Shutterfly photo book options before sales and promotions.
Shutterfly 10×10 Photo Book Price Comparison
| Book Type | Page Type | Starting Price* |
|---|---|---|
| Softcover Photo Book | Standard | $36.99 |
| Hardcover Photo Book | Standard | $47.99 |
| Hardcover Photo Book | Standard Layflat | $99.99 |
| Hardcover Photo Book | Deluxe Layflat | $136.99 |
| Premium Leather Photo Book | Deluxe Layflat | $199.98 |
| Premium Album | Flush Mount | Starting at $450 |
Starting prices shown before sales or promotions. Prices vary by cover and other selections.
For 10×10 Premium Albums, Eco-Leather starts at $450 and Photo Covers at $485, while Acrylic and Genuine Leather start at $700 before sales or promotions.
The upgrade includes:
- Ultra-thick, board-mounted pages rather than standard photo book pages
- Seamless panoramic spreads that open completely flat
- Premium cover options, including Eco-Leather, Genuine Leather, Acrylic, and Photo Covers
- A protective box for storing the finished album
- A cloth cover
- Rounded page corners
- Back logo removal
- Expedited shipping
Together, these upgrades give your favorite photos the kind of quality and presentation you’ll want to enjoy for years to come.
When Is a Premium Album Worth It?
You don’t need flush mount construction for every collection of photos. That’s part of what makes Premium Albums special. Premium Albums are a great choice for the photos you know you’ll want to come back to for years, from wedding portraits and professional family photos to once-in-a-lifetime milestones.
Preserve your wedding photos
Weddings are one of the most natural uses for a Premium Album. Large portraits, ceremony photos, family group shots, and reception scenes can stretch across seamless spreads, while the substantial pages and premium cover options give the finished wedding album the feel of a professionally produced keepsake.
Celebrate an anniversary
Turn wedding photos and favorite memories from the years since into an anniversary album you can bring out year after year. A Premium Album can also make a meaningful milestone gift for a spouse, parents, or grandparents.
Showcase professional photography
If you’ve invested in professional family portraits, engagement photos, maternity photography, or newborn pictures, flush mount pages give those high-quality images the presentation they deserve. Larger spreads can showcase full-page portraits and detailed photography without crowding the layout.
Remember a once-in-a-lifetime trip
Not every Premium Album needs to be about a formal milestone. A honeymoon, bucket-list trip, safari, or other major adventure can easily justify an album that gives landscapes and travel photography plenty of room.
Create a family heirloom
Bring together old family photographs, portraits, wedding pictures, and stories from several generations in an album designed to be kept and shared. The heavier construction makes Premium Albums especially fitting for family legacy projects and memorial albums.
Make the Most of Seamless Spreads
One of the biggest reasons to choose flush mount pages is the ability to design across an entire spread.
Instead of treating the left and right pages separately, use both pages as one large canvas. A panoramic landscape can stretch from edge to edge. Give a favorite wedding portrait an entire spread. Place a large family photo across both pages, or pair one standout image with smaller supporting photos from the same moment.
You don’t need to fill every spread with a collage. Premium Albums are especially well suited to layouts that give important photographs room to stand on their own.
Choose a Premium Album Cover
The cover is another place where Premium Albums separate themselves from standard photo books.
Choose Eco-Leather or Genuine Leather for a classic album look, Acrylic for a more contemporary presentation, or a Photo Cover to put a favorite image front and center.
Think about where the album will live and what you’re preserving inside it. A leather cover can complement wedding, anniversary, family legacy, and memorial albums, while acrylic can be especially striking for wedding portraits and professional photography. A photo cover works well when there’s one image that immediately represents the story inside.
Premium Albums Aren’t Just for Weddings
Flush mount albums are strongly associated with weddings for a reason, but you don’t need to be getting married to make one.
Premium Albums work especially well for:
- Engagement and anniversary photos
- Maternity and newborn photography
- Family portraits
- Graduation memories
- Milestone birthdays
- Retirement tributes
- Memorial and celebration-of-life albums
- Family histories
- Professional photography portfolios
- Once-in-a-lifetime vacations
A useful way to decide is to think about how important the photographs are to you and how you want to experience them years from now. For an annual collection of phone pictures, a standard photo book may make more sense. For the wedding portraits, family history, or photographs you expect to revisit and pass down, the extra substance of a Premium Album may be worth the upgrade.
Can You Make Regular Photo Books From the Same Photos?
Yes. You don’t have to choose one format for everyone.
For example, you might create one Premium Album as your main wedding album, then use the same photographs to make standard hardcover or layflat photo books for parents and grandparents. The same approach works for family history projects, milestone celebrations, and other albums where you want one heirloom copy along with additional books to share.
FAQs
What is a flush mount photo album?
A flush mount photo album has photographs printed onto spreads that are mounted to thick, rigid boards. The board-mounted construction creates substantial pages that open into seamless two-page spreads. Shutterfly offers flush mount construction through its Premium Albums.
What is the difference between a flush mount album and a regular photo book?
A regular photo book uses thinner, more flexible pages, while a flush mount album uses ultra-thick pages mounted to rigid boards. Flush mount albums also offer elevated finishing options and are designed to have a more substantial, professional-album feel.
Can I customize a Shutterfly Premium Album?
Yes. You can personalize your Premium Album just like other Shutterfly photo books, with your own photos, page layouts, backgrounds, text, captions, and other design details. Choose the size and cover style you want, then customize the pages to tell your story your way.
If you’d rather have help with the design, you can also use Shutterfly’s free photo book designer service. Upload your photos and share any special instructions, and a Shutterfly designer can put the album together for you. You can review the finished design and make your own changes before ordering.
Is flush mount the same as layflat?
Not exactly. Both formats can open flat and allow photographs to span two pages, but flush mount albums use much thicker board-mounted pages. Layflat photo books give you the seamless-spread benefit in a lighter photo book format.
Are flush mount photo albums worth it?
A flush mount album can be worth the added cost for wedding photography, professional portraits, milestone celebrations, family histories, memorial books, and other photographs you want to preserve in an heirloom-style album. For more everyday photo collections, a standard or layflat photo book may be the better choice.
How many pages can a Shutterfly Premium Album have?
Shutterfly Premium Albums include 10 spreads and can be customized with up to 70 pages.
What sizes are available for Shutterfly Premium Albums?
Premium Albums are available in 8×8, 8×11, 10×10, 11×14, and 12×12 sizes.
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