'Huàcè' (画册) literally combines 'huà' (画), meaning 'picture' or 'painting', and 'cè' (册), meaning 'book' or 'volume'. Together, it refers to a printed collection of high-quality images—typically artworks, photographs, or illustrations—organized thematically and bound like a book. Unlike a casual photo album, a huàcè emphasizes artistic presentation, often with captions, commentary, or scholarly notes.

This term is commonly used for professionally produced albums featuring traditional Chinese painting, landscape photography, botanical illustrations, or contemporary art exhibitions. It appears in cultural institutions, publishing, and academic contexts—not for personal snapshots (which would be 'xiàngcè' 相册). Huàcè may also refer to educational visual resources, such as a field guide illustrated with detailed plant drawings, reinforcing its association with curated, informative imagery.