There are three ways to get your own friendship book (the German Freundebuch): print a template and have it filled in by hand, design the book on a computer and have it printed, or have it made for you. If you want to make your own friendship book, you take one of the first two; with the third, a provider does that for you. Which one suits you comes down to three questions: how many people are taking part, should everyone get their own copy, and how much time do you have? Here are all three options with the effort involved, the result and who each one is worth it for.
Option 1: print a template and fill it in by hand
The classic. You print pages with questions or buy a blank friendship book, and everyone fills in their page and sticks in a photo. You'll find questions for it in our collection of friendship book questions.
- Effort: low. Hand out the pages, collect them, file them.
- Result: handwritten and one of a kind, but there's exactly one copy.
- Suits: children, small groups and a book for one person that's passed from hand to hand.
If everyone is to get a copy, it becomes a chore: photocopies of handwritten pages with stuck-in photos rarely look as good as the original.
Option 2: make your own friendship book and have it printed
You collect answers and photos, lay out the pages in a browser-based photo book editor or a design program and have the result printed. That way every page turns out exactly as you want it, with your own questions, layout and cover.
- Effort: high. Collect answers by form or chat, chase latecomers, type up and shorten texts, lay out every page individually, proofread.
- Result: as good as your design. With time and an eye for layout, it can look lovely.
- Cost: depends on the provider, number of pages, binding and number of copies, plus your time.
- Suits: anyone who enjoys design, has a few free evenings and wants to decide every detail themselves.
Settle on a grid before the first draft: the same font, the same photo size and the same order of questions on every page. Ask for photos at their original size. Pictures sent via a messaging app are often compressed and look blurry in print.
What about a digital friendship book?
A slideshow, a PDF or a web page with everyone's answers is quick to make and costs nothing. But it lacks what makes a friendship book special: something to hold, leaf through and write in. A digital friendship book works well as an extra, less so as a replacement.
Option 3: have a friendship book made
A provider collects everyone's answers and photos, designs the pages and prints the books. Your job is to share the link and remind latecomers.
- Effort: low for the person organising it.
- Result: a consistent design, and everyone gets the same book. You have less creative freedom than when you make it yourself.
- Suits: groups where lots of people want their own copy, and anyone who's short of time.
This is how it works with a Flashbook: everyone answers the questions on their phone in about 5 minutes and uploads two photos, and each person gets their own double-page spread in the book. We adapt the title and questions to your group. A book costs €24.90 including design, printing and shipping; the book holds 8 to 42 people, and the minimum order is 10 books. A Flashbook isn't designed as a single copy; for that, option 1 or 2 suits you better. For other quantities, just send us an enquiry.
Which option suits you?
The honest answer depends on the number of copies and on your time. Four typical cases:
- One book for one person, say for a birthday or a farewell, from a small group: print a template or design it yourself.
- A children's friendship book that goes round the nursery or class: the classic from option 1.
- A copy for everyone, and someone enjoys design: design it yourselves and have it printed.
- A copy for everyone in a group of 8 to 42 people, and nobody wants to type everything up: have it made.
A personalised friendship book: what matters
Whichever option you choose, what makes a friendship book personal is your own questions, your own photos and a title that belongs to you.
- Your own questions. Two or three questions only your group will understand: about a place, something you did together or a line everyone knows.
- Two photos per person. An old one and a recent one say more than two new ones.
- Space to write in. Blank pages for guests, family or anyone who missed filling it in.
- A title of your own. Instead of “friendship book”, a name that tells everyone straight away who it's about.
What a finished printed book costs and what the price generally depends on is explained in our guide How much does a team yearbook cost?