A whole first year is sitting in your camera roll, still waiting to become something. Good news: you're still in time. Drop the 12 monthly photos and one big portrait into the board, and download a finished first-birthday keepsake — free, no sign-up, about 5 minutes. And the baby's photos never leave your browser.
You don't have to be the parent who meant to make something and never did. The board does the arranging — you pour the year in, it lays it out, you frame it after the party. The HD export (2400×3000) prints as an exact 8×10.
Search “first year photo collage template” and you mostly get a file you have to edit yourself in Canva, or a banner kit you print and clip to string. This is a free 12-photo collage online that builds itself for you: pour in the twelve monthly photos, add the big center portrait, download.
Every photo is cropped to match, the months are labeled for you, and the layout is the same warm, gender-neutral one whether it's a boy or a girl.
The HD export is one file — 2400×3000 pixels. At an 8×10 that’s a true 300dpi, the standard home and drugstore photo size. The same file blows up bigger for a party easel; it just gets softer, which nobody notices from across the room. Here’s the honest math.
| Print size | Pixels | Sharpness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8×10 in / 20×25 cm | 2400×3000 | 300 dpi — crisp | The framed keepsake. Photo-lab standard. |
| 16×20 in / 40×50 cm | 2400×3000 | ~150 dpi — soft up close | Party easel / foam board. Reads great from a step back. |
| A2 / 24×36 in poster | 2400×3000 | ~100 dpi — poster-soft | Big welcome sign at the entrance. |
In the US, CVS Photo and Walgreens Photo both do same-day 8×10 pickup. Any local lab or home printer that does 8×10 works too — it’s a standard photo file.
You’ve got options for the first-year board. Here’s the honest lay of the land — the one row that’s only a “yes” for us is the last thing most people think to ask.
| Floxa Free | Floxa HD (one-time) | Etsy template (~$8) | Canva DIY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $6.99 one-time | ~$8 | Free tier |
| Time to done | ~5 min | ~5 min | An evening | An evening |
| You do the layout? | No, it’s built | No, it’s built | Yes, you edit | Yes, from scratch-ish |
| Account / sign-up? | No | No | Etsy + editor | Canva account |
| Photos uploaded to a server? | No — stay in your browser | No — stay in your browser | Varies | Yes, uploaded to Canva |
| Print-ready 300dpi 8×10? | PNG, screen res | Yes, 2400×3000 | If you export right | If you export right |
How do I count the monthly photos — same date each month, or every 4 weeks?
Either works — pick one and stay consistent. Most parents take the photo on the same calendar date the baby was born (born on the 14th → photo on the 14th of each month). The board doesn't care which day you picked; it just needs twelve photos, one per month.
My baby was born on the 29th, 30th or 31st — what do I do in a short month?
Take that month's photo on the last day of the month (or the 1st of the next). No one looking at the finished board can tell whether a photo was taken on the 28th or the 30th — the month label is what matters.
I missed a month, or started late. Can I still make it?
Yes. Use any nice photo from that month — a snapshot from your camera roll is completely fine, it doesn't have to be a posed 'monthly' shot. The board is a keepsake, not a records audit. Nobody counts.
Is it 12 photos or 13? What about the newborn photo?
This board has 12 monthly slots (month 1 through month 12) plus one large central portrait — 13 photos in total. Use the central portrait for your favorite newborn or cake-smash shot, or the birthday photo itself.
What size should I print it at?
The HD export is 2400×3000 pixels — an exact 8×10 inch / 20×25 cm print at 300dpi, the standard home and drugstore photo size. For a party easel, print the same file bigger (16×20 or 18×24) on foam board.
Where can I print an 8×10 the same day?
In the US, CVS Photo and Walgreens Photo both print 8×10 collage prints with same-day in-store pickup. Any local photo lab or home printer that does 8×10 works too — the file is standard.
Is this the same as a first birthday 'milestone' or 'stats' board?
No — different thing. A milestone or stats board is the welcome sign with the baby's weight, height, favorite word and number of teeth. This is the photo one: a 12-photo collage, one shot per month across the first year, plus a big center portrait. If you want the grid of monthly photos, you're in the right place.
Is it really free? Do I need an account?
The standard download is always free, with no sign-up, no email and no account. The HD export (2400×3000, print-ready) is a one-time purchase — $6.99 USD, paid once. Your photos are processed in your browser and never uploaded.
Updated July 12, 2026
FIRST BIRTHDAY BOARD
Your custom photo collage, ready to download
One-time · cheaper than the gift wrap · 2400×3000 px
The baby’s photos never leave your browser.
The baby’s photos never leave your browser — we never upload them, never even see them.