We all have them: thousands of photos sitting in our phones, from family vacations and milestones to random everyday moments. But how often do they leave the screen and turn into something tangible? For many, creating a photobook feels like a daunting, time-consuming task that gets pushed further down the to-do list.

That’s where Mixbook steps in. Founded in 2006, Mixbook has long been a popular platform for creating custom photo books, calendars, and cards. Now, it’s using artificial intelligence to reimagine how we preserve memories — and it could change the way we tell our personal stories.

From UC Berkeley to AI-Powered Creativity

Mixbook was created by friends Andrew Laffoon and Aryk Grosz while at UC Berkeley, originally as a collaborative online yearbook project. Over nearly two decades, the platform has grown into a go-to destination for personalized keepsakes, offering everything from simple softcover albums to premium hardcover photo books with customizable layouts, fonts, and paper quality.

Today, Mixbook is taking a leap into the future with AI-driven design technology, aiming to make the process faster, smarter, and more fun. Prices vary depending on the size, materials, and page count, starting around 15 cents per print and scaling up to $90+ for premium hardcover books.

How Mixbook’s AI Features Work

Mixbook introduced AI-powered tools last year, and they’re designed to cut down the time and stress of photobook creation. Here’s what stands out:

- AI Caption Generator – Analyzes your photos and suggests captions tailored to location, themes, or events. For example, if you upload a photo from the Brooklyn Museum, Mixbook AI can identify it and suggest captions like “Exploring Brooklyn’s artistic treasures.”

- Smart Layout Suggestions – Automatically arranges your photos into balanced, professional-looking spreads, so you don’t have to agonize over placement.

- Mixbook Movies – Once your photobook is ready, AI can generate a short video version with music and themes, making it easy to share digitally with family and friends.

- Customization & Regeneration – Don’t like a caption or layout? Hit regenerate, and AI will instantly provide new options until you find the perfect fit.

These tools promise to turn hours of design work into minutes, while still leaving plenty of room for creative control.

Testing the AI Experience

CNET writer Carly Quellman put Mixbook’s AI design tools to the test. After spending months sorting through 10,611 photos on her phone, she uploaded a selection into Mixbook. From there, AI stepped in — arranging layouts, suggesting captions, and helping her refine the storytelling.

What would normally take days (or weeks) took under two hours. Her final book was an 11-page 10x10 Deluxe Square Hardcover Photobook, printed on premium lustre paper. The total came to around $65 before tax and shipping (close to $100 with upgrades).

Quellman’s favorite feature was the caption generator’s ability to recognize places and provide thoughtful text. For instance, when she uploaded a photo from Brooklyn, AI instantly recognized the location. Even when she wasn’t fully satisfied with its first suggestion, the regenerate option produced alternatives that eventually fit her story perfectly.

The Good, the Bad, and the (Almost) Perfect

Like any new technology, Mixbook’s AI features come with both strengths and quirks.

Pros

- Saves significant time compared to manual design

- AI captions provide creative sparks, especially when you’re stuck

- Layout suggestions make books look polished and professional

- Mixbook Movies add a digital storytelling layer

- Frequent 40–50% discount codes make books more affordable

Cons

- Occasional design quirks, like text placement near binding

- Extra white pages despite following AI’s guidance

- Some captions may still need editing to match personal tone

- Premium upgrades (hardcover, paper type) can drive up costs

While not flawless, most of these drawbacks are fixable and don’t overshadow the benefits of speed, creativity, and convenience.

Why Mixbook’s AI Matters

The integration of AI into platforms like Mixbook isn’t just about technology — it’s about accessibility. For people who feel overwhelmed by the idea of designing a book, AI lowers the barrier to entry. It becomes less about technical skills and more about storytelling.

In a world where AI often raises concerns about replacing human creativity, Mixbook offers a different perspective: AI as a creative partner, not a substitute. The captions, layouts, and suggestions aren’t meant to replace your ideas — they’re meant to spark them.

This balance between human memory and machine efficiency highlights the potential of AI in consumer design: empowering people to bring their personal stories to life without taking the soul out of the process.

Should You Try It?

If you’re planning a wedding album, a family yearbook, or a thoughtful holiday gift, Mixbook’s AI tools are worth exploring. They make the process faster and less intimidating, while still giving you control over the final design.

And while not every caption will hit the mark, the ability to edit, customize, and regenerate ensures you’ll end up with something that feels uniquely yours.

Plus, the addition of Mixbook Movies means your memories aren’t limited to the printed page — you can share them digitally with friends and family across the world.

Final Thoughts

Mixbook has always been about preserving memories, and with its AI-powered features, it’s making that easier than ever. While there are still improvements to be made, the platform proves that AI doesn’t have to replace creativity — it can enhance it.

In the end, a photobook is about more than photos. It’s about the emotions, stories, and memories behind them. Mixbook’s AI may not understand those feelings the way we do, but it can help shape them into something beautiful — and that’s worth holding onto.

Bottom Line: Mixbook’s AI photobook tool blends technology and sentiment, speeding up the process without losing the human touch. For anyone with thousands of digital photos collecting dust, it might just be the nudge you need to finally bring your memories to life.