Sundayfawn guide · From photos
How a custom storybook is made from your photos.
From a handful of snapshots to a printed hardcover with your family inside it — what actually happens between uploading photos and opening the box.
The short answer
A custom storybook from photos starts with clear reference photos and the details that matter — who the book is for, who belongs beside them, pets, favourite things, places, phrases or memories.
The photos can be used as source material for illustrated characters rather than simply pasted onto the pages.
With Sundayfawn, you review the complete digital edition before the hardcover is printed.
What “from photos” can mean
Some products place photographs directly onto story pages. Others use the photographs as visual reference so an illustrated character can be drawn consistently throughout the story.
An illustrated character built from reference photos can appear in scenes that never existed in the source photographs — riding a whale, wearing a crown, walking through a family place — while still being based on the person you supplied.
If you are comparing these approaches, see personalized books with your child's photo.
The process, start to finish
Step one: share photos and details. Include the main person plus anyone else joining them — family, friends, pets — and the details that make the story specific.
Step two: the book is created. The story and illustrations are built around those inputs. Sundayfawn's digital edition is typically ready to view in about twenty minutes.
Step three: review. Read the complete digital edition and check names, wording, characters and likeness before printing.
Step four: approve and print. Once approved, the hardcover is produced and ships within seven days.
Photos that are useful as reference
Faces in clear light
A front-facing photo with the face fully visible gives a clean reference.
Natural expressions
Use photographs where the person looks recognizably like themselves.
Pets at eye level
A clear view of the pet's face and markings is more useful than a distant or top-down photo.
Places and things
If a house, toy, car, cottage, jacket or other object matters to the story, add a reference photo if you have one.
Recent photos when relevant
If the goal is to match how someone looks now, current source material is preferable.
Beyond faces: the details that make the story specific
Photos are only part of the input. A family phrase, the park you always visit, a pet's name, a favourite food, a recurring ritual or a real memory can all give the story material that a generic template does not have.
Sundayfawn also includes a two-page keepsake spread that can hold up to six real photographs, so the book can keep both the illustrated story and selected source memories together.
What Sundayfawn includes
An 8.5″ × 11″ hardcover
Matte case-wrap format.
38 full-colour pages
Printed on 80 lb coated interior paper.
A photo keepsake spread
Two pages for up to six real photographs.
The digital edition
The complete book is available to review before printing.
Where Sundayfawn fits
This is the process Sundayfawn is built around: a custom story and illustrations created from customer-supplied photos and details, then reviewed before printing.
See finished books in the library, or begin with your photos.
- ✓ Story written around your details
- ✓ Characters illustrated from your photos
- ✓ Digital edition typically in about 20 minutes
- ✓ Hardcover ships within 7 days after approval
- ✓ 8.5″ × 11″ · 38 pages · matte hardcover
Questions, answered.
How many photos do I need to make a custom storybook?
A few clear photos of the main character are useful, plus a reference photo for each additional person or pet you want included. Places and meaningful objects are optional.
Are my photos printed in the book?
They can be used in two ways at Sundayfawn: as reference for illustrated characters, and as actual photographs in the two-page keepsake spread.
How long does the process take?
The digital edition is typically ready to review in about twenty minutes. Once approved, the hardcover ships within seven days.
Can I make changes after I see the book?
Review the complete digital edition before approving the book for printing.
Can the book be for an adult using older photos?
Yes. Older photographs can be used as reference when the book is about an adult or an earlier period of someone's life, as long as the subject is visible clearly enough.
Do my photos need to be professional?
No. Clear, well-lit phone photos can provide useful reference; professional photography is not required.
Keep reading
Ready to make the one that only your family can make?