Build books and progress photos

A guide for new cosplayers on creating build books and progress photos to support their competition entry at pre-judging.

A build book is a physical or digital record that shows judges how you made your costume, not just what it looks like finished. Competitions use pre-judging to assess craftsmanship up close, and a well-organised build book gives judges evidence of work they cannot see once the costume is fully assembled — hidden seams, internal armature, layers of paint, or structural supports buried inside a prop. Think of it as your costume's story told in pictures and notes. Progress photos are the foundation of any build book. Take them frequently throughout your build, ideally at each major stage: raw materials, cut pieces, first assembly, surface prep, and finishing passes. Lighting matters — photos taken under good, even light show texture and detail far better than dark or blurry snapshots. A simple ruler or coin in frame can give judges a sense of scale for smaller pieces or fine detail work. When you put the book together, arrange your photos in the order you built things rather than by how they look. Add short notes explaining what material or technique you used at each step and why you chose it. You do not need to write an essay — a sentence or two per image is usually enough. If you ran into a problem and solved it, include that too. Judges appreciate seeing how you thought through challenges. If your build involved heat guns, soldering irons, resin casting, spray paints, solvents or power tools, it is worth noting how you worked safely: good ventilation, the right respirator for fumes or dust, gloves and eye protection, and an adult present if you are a younger maker. Judges sometimes ask about this, and keeping a record of it is a good habit in any case. Each convention's own rules decide the divisions, the judging criteria and what documentation to bring. Some accept a binder of printed photos, others prefer a slideshow on a tablet, and a few ask you to upload files in advance. Read the specific event's rules well before competition day so your build book is in the right format and you can hand it over quickly during pre-judging.