Books are made to individual specification by GF Smith’s team in Hull.

The available formats are A4, A3 and B5, in paginations from 20pp to 100pp. Pages are printed using a ZBE Chromira LED digital printer onto Fuji Professional Crystal Archive DP2 silver halide paper, with matt or gloss finish.

The lay-flat binding is by hand, using GF Smith Colorplan papers for the covers in a choice of 50 colours, with the option of foiling or debossing. Alternatively the covers can be printed.

Prices start at £100 for a 20pp book.

GF Smith described the quality as “exceptional” and said the books were finished “to the obsessively high standard demanded of all GF Smith products.”

"We've created a new range of products specifically for the graphic arts market, and the initial response has been fantastic," said finance director Gareth Sheekey. "It's fundamentally different because it's not printed, it's genuine photographs made into a book.

"With three sizes, four different cover styles and 50 Colorplan papers the permutations are endless."

The service is targeted at both businesses and consumers. The specialist paper merchant cited examples such as look books for fashion designers, pitch books, photo albums of special events and family memoirs as likely applications.

A video by filmmaker Ben Stevenson to mark the launch shows the different steps in the process, and can be viewed here.