When making albums for black and white photos what other colors aside from black or white would look good as background?

Try tan or beige.

I used an album with black paper pages, and used photo corners like the old days when black and white was all there was. I printed on a heavy off-white paper, a color like it had aged a bit, and used various fonts to tell stories about the photos on each page, or just identify who was in the photos, which I glued onto the black pages. I LOVE that album.

My grandfather was an artist and my grandmother was interested in the arts and I wanted the album to feel like a piece of photo art. I found the photos in my grandmother’s closet in big paper grocery bags after she had died. I’d be happy to email you a few JPG’s of the pages if you are interested.

If you really want a color, maybe a berry color? Or jewel colors? I can see it being fun on neon colors too. I think it depends on the photos. Are they of children, adults, serious, fun, outdoors, indoors? Hard to say without seeing them.

@JLeslie Thanks so much. I forgot to mention that I am using the Amazon Photo album designing and printing service online. The black and white photos are of a couple starting a family in the 1940s, two kids from when they were babies all the way to when they left for college.

Amazon allows for adding text, resizing photos and all that and offers a few background options having a wood design for example. Your post reminded me to check them again and see. For simple and supposedly sophisticated look my go to color is always black. I wish to try something else.

@mazingerz88 I’ve wanted to make a photo book like that of my husband and me over time, and never did it. The ones I’ve seen done that way are beautiful.

Can you use white paper and add splashes of color with frames or shapes on the page?

I think of light to medium greens and blues for that era. Maybe a camel color? Try googling 40’s fashion or furniture and maybe a color will feel right for the page color.

@JLeslie I am not an artist. But we do have many old black and white photos. Would love to see whatever you can share of your album. I’ll send you my email address by PM.

@crazyguy Ok. I’ll pull out the album and take some photos. I’ll look for your PM.

I used blue from dark to light which ever grabs the image and highlights it.
I found that it enhances the vintage black and white photographs nicely.

^^Will definitely try that. Thanks. I’m thinking if that doesn’t work for me l’ll likely end up settling with shades of gray.

@mazingerz88
I use this rule of sorts:
If the image is dark use the opposite color to enhance the image.

My moniker uses a black and white pen then a background of lighter ( beige) so that it makes the image pop and give it depth.
I have seen black background for black and white image but one highlight of blue
( bright) eyes of the person in the photograph drew in the views interest immediately.

see link to image example below:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1259063800

^^Thank you so much. Really appreciate the help. : )