How to make a photobook online in Nepal with Soouvenir
Soouvenir is an online photobook maker built for Nepal. Make your book in your browser from phone photos, and we print it and deliver it in Kathmandu Valley.
By the Studio6 min read
Soouvenir is an online photobook and photo magazine maker built for Nepal. You make your book in your browser, using photos straight from your phone or laptop, and we print it on good paper, bind it, check every page by hand and deliver it to your door. We are starting in Kathmandu Valley, covering Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, and will bring delivery to the rest of Nepal next.
What is Soouvenir?
Soouvenir (spelled with a double o) is a Nepali photobook service. It turns the photos on your phone into printed photobooks and magazines that you can hold, share and keep. It works in any web browser, so there is no app to download, and you don't need design skills. You pick a ready-made layout, your photos fall into place, and you change as much or as little as you like.
We started Soouvenir because so many families in Nepal have years of photos on their phones and almost none printed. The options were a single print from a studio, a heavy album made by someone else, or ordering a book from abroad and waiting weeks for shipping and customs. We wanted something local, simple and beautiful.
What can I make with Soouvenir?
You can make photobooks, photo magazines, wedding albums, baby books, travel books, recipe books and small books for your business. They all use the same simple editor. Popular books in Nepal include:
- A wedding or engagement book, with separate books for the mehendi and the reception
- A Dashain and Tihar family book, made every year
- A pasni, nwaran or first-birthday book for grandparents
- A trek book for Everest, Annapurna, Langtang or Mustang
- A photo magazine of your year, your friends or your Instagram feed
- A lookbook or product book for a small Kathmandu business
How do I make a photobook online with Soouvenir?
Making a photobook with Soouvenir takes five steps, all in your browser:
- Choose and add your photos. Pick what to make, then add photos from your phone or laptop. We keep every photo at full quality.
- Pick a layout. Choose a ready-made design. Your photos drop into place on every page by themselves.
- Make it yours. Move photos around, add captions and short notes, and choose your cover. It's all drag and drop.
- Check it and order. Flip through a preview, pick the paper, cover and number of copies, and pay online.
- We print and deliver. We print, bind and check your book by hand, then bring it to your door.
You can see each step in more detail on how it works.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Soouvenir works in the browser on your phone, tablet or computer, so there is nothing to install. You can start a book on your phone during a bus ride and finish it on a laptop at home. That matters in Nepal, where phone storage is often full of photos already and nobody wants another large app.
Will my phone photos print well?
Yes. Photos from any recent smartphone are more than good enough for a photobook. Soouvenir checks every photo before you order and warns you if one is too small to print sharply or too close to the edge of the page. The only thing to avoid is using photos that have been sent through Facebook, Messenger or Viber, because those apps shrink them. Use the original photo from the phone that took it. Our guide to print resolution explains why.
Who designs the layouts?
Every Soouvenir layout is made by designers who lay out real magazines. That's why the pages look calm and clean rather than crowded: one strong photo per spread, generous white space, and type that is easy to read. You can follow the layout exactly or change everything. See five layout rules that make photobooks look like magazines.
Are my photos private?
Yes. Your photos are only used to make and print your book. We never sell them, share them or use them to train AI, and you can delete them whenever you like. Family photos are personal, and we treat them that way.
How much does a Soouvenir photobook cost?
The price depends on the size, the number of pages, the paper and the cover. We will share prices with everyone on the waitlist before we open, so you know exactly what a book costs before you start. Because we print in Nepal, there is no international shipping or customs duty to add on top.
When can I start?
We are letting people in a few at a time. Join the Soouvenir waitlist and we will email you as soon as it is your turn. Waitlist members also hear first about prices and when delivery reaches their city.
