Growing Up

Growing Up is a baby milestone accordion: eight tall panels that stand on the nursery shelf and unfold into a strip of the first year. It is for parents who have a monthly photo on the same chair and want it on display, and for a christening or first-birthday present that grandparents can stand on a windowsill. The kids style gives warm cream panels, coral accents, Josefin Sans and rounded corners. The cover panel holds a photo with the name and the span of months. Two panels of three stacked photos carry the monthly pictures, six between them; two caption panels hold a photo with a date each for the big moments, the first smile and the first steps; a two-stack panel takes the two grandparents; a journal panel pairs a photo with a paragraph of firsts, weight and length and words; and the back panel has a small photo and a sign-off. The three-stack slots are close to square, which suits the classic monthly shot on a blanket or in a chair.

Put months one, three and five in the first stack and seven, nine and eleven in the second, and give the caption panels the two milestones with dates. Fill the journal panel last, when you have the numbers. The accordion prints on one side, so a home inkjet with photo paper does it justice, and a heavier 160 to 200 gsm matte photo paper feels right for something that will be handled. Two A4 sheets make eight panels, taped at the join. Thirteen photos fill it; if you are making it at six months, use the four-panel version and add the second strip later.

Printing this accordion is forgiving because it prints on one side only, so the glossy or satin photo paper home inkjets do best on is exactly right; nothing has to line up on the back. Each A4 or Letter sheet gives four tall panels (A3 gives four bigger ones), and an 8-panel album is 2 strips joined with a strip of tape on the reverse. Use 160 to 200 gsm so it stands on a shelf, and score before folding on anything heavier or the ink cracks at the crease. Fold zig-zag, mountain then valley, using a ruler for the first crease. Print at 100%, not Fit to page, with borderless mode on if the printer offers it. The template uses 13 photos across 8 panels.