How to create and order a Photo Book
After you have down loaded and installed the software, double click the “My Photo
Creations” icon on your desk top. The software will open and you will see a page
from our website in the centre.
The website is accessible at all times during your work, simply click on “Home”
to quickly get to the website, to check a price or check on shipping issues.
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Start the software and look at the far left upper corner on your screen
You can select from Photo Books, Calendars or Greeting Cards.
1. Click on “Photo Books”.
2. A Photo Book creation screen pops up.
3. Look at the left upper corner of this new screen and select: “create new”
4. A new screen pops up, showing the many different books you can create:
5. Select and click on the type of book you would like to order.
6. For first-timers, the easy route would be to select: “Easy Photo Book Wizard”
Other users, please skip “7” and read from “8”
7. This feature helps you creating a book by following easy step-by-step directions.
You can always make changes at the end of this process, nothing is written in stone,
you are in charge at all times! The software prepares your book automatically, and
if you chose this feature, you can skip all other points below.
8. If you are comfortable with a computer and software, select “Start empty book”
9. Click on the “+” symbol at the bottom to load your photos into the software and
get started.
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VERY IMPORTANT! Before you start you must read this
Make sure your digital photos are moved (copied) to a permanent location on your
computer’s hard drive.
Do not let them sit on a memory stick, CD or other external device. The software
only saves the file extensions, NOT the actual photographs. What it does is quickly
pick-up the photos from the location where they are stored. So when photos are left
on an external storage device (CD, memory stick, etc.) this device MUST be attached
to the computer at all times, otherwise the photos will not load a second time after
you have removed the CD or the memory stick. The software is designed in this way,
to speed up work and greatly reduce waiting times. The best place to store your
photos would be a designated folder inside “my pictures” or a similar directory.
Working with multiple CD’s or sticks is not possible, unless you have them all attached
to the PC until the file has been uploaded (sent) to Treasure-Book.
Again, it is much easier, safer and quicker to load all photos first into one designated
folder on the hard drive and avoid all sorts of problems. If you need help with
this, call: 1-877-513-8261 (toll free North America) Last but not least: Make a
habit of saving your book after each and every page is done. This avoids a lot of
frustrations if, for whatever reason, your computer closes down involuntarily, for
instance during a sudden power outage. Use the “Save As” option and give the project
a name; that will help you a lot later and allows you to work on a file during multiple
sessions.
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General features and “how to” information
You can select a certain template for your book. Or select a “theme”. All you need
to do now is fill the shown empty photo frames with pictures. Click on “pictures”
select an image and drag it into a photo frame. Let go off the mouse and the photo
is placed inside the frame. You can do your own creation too. Just click: “insert”
select “landscape” or “portrait” photo frame. You can place as many photos on a
page as you like. Once a photo is in your book, it will show at the bottom with
a Tick (“V”) that it has been used, so that you can easily keep track. Don’t feel
like choosing a theme? That is all right too! You can use your own design!
Look carefully at the image and make sure that all you want to show is visible.
Click on a photo on a page. You will notice 8 blue squares positioned on the corners
and outline of the photo. You can enlarge the photo by clicking on a corner square
and drag the corner out. You can do the same from each blue square on the outlines
and re-size the photo as you think is best.
Then: click on the photo and locate the 4 arrows pointing to the outside in the
center. Click exactly on the center in between these arrows, keep the mouse clicked.
Now you can move the photo a bit inside the frame. Place it in the best possible
position.
IMPORTANT:
For those of you that prepare book pages in PhotoShop or another external
program, please be advised that once you enter these pages into a landscape or portrait
photo frame, you should either let the whole page bleed over the edges or, leave
at least 3/8 inch room at the gutter area (right hand side even pages, left hand
side odd numbered pages) and leave ¼ of an inch free at the top, bottom and right/left
edge of the page. This is needed to allow for trouble free paper trimming. Pages
prepared with the help of an external program must be saved in a Jpeg file format.
Furthermore: Click on the photo. Locate the 2 half circular arrows. To place the
photo in an angled position, click on the arrows and turn the image to the left
of the right. Let go if you have reached the desired position.
If you do not want to use a fixed template, just click “insert” and select “Landscape”
or “portrait” photo frame on the page. Then fill these frames with a photo of your
choice.
Feature: MS Windows users only: right click on any photo. You will see a number
of choices show up. You can select here features such as “add drop shadow” or apply
a filter (black and white or sepia) or fading. There is also a tool to enhance the
quality of your image, use it when you have some darker shots that would look better
with some additional light. These tools are available also on the top of your screen
where you find the various menus. Use these right-click tricks also on backgrounds
if required.
Mac users: These features are available to you as well, find them on the top of
your screen under the various menu options.
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Pages
Each book comes with a minimum amount of 20 pages, or 10 sheets, printed on both
sides. If you need more pages, simply click on “insert” and select “new page”. Our
price per additional page is for one side printed on a sheet. (see price list)
Pages will be inserted in increments of 2, and you can go to a maximum of 200 pages
for each book style that we offer. For larger projects (we can do up to 750 pages
in one book) call us for details on how to do that.
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Backgrounds
Select a background from the Background menu (right hand side) Click on your choice
and drag that background onto an empty page. The software will ask you: “Single
page” or “double page”.
It is nice to have the same background on opposite pages, but you can do your own
and select “single” if you like.
Really cool stuff: Drag a photo of your choice to an empty page and use this
photo as a background. Even cooler: have your best shot spread out over 2 pages
and leave it at that;
Or: You can use the various filters as described above. Now place photos on top
of your background. Either by right clicking on the page and select: “Insert”, then
select “landscape “ or “portrait” photo frame or by simply clicking on a photo,
drag it to the page and select “add photo”
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Picture Borders
Click on “picture borders” (right hand lower side) click on the border of your choice
and drag it to a photo. Let go off the mouse and the border is placed around the
photo. You can create all other pages in your book first. Then, when done, go back
to the page with the first selected picture border. Right click on that border,
click “edit” and select: “apply border to all photos” Automatically, all photos
in your book will get the very same picture border, which saves time and avoids
picking different ones in a book. Unless of course you like that, then just pick
a border per photo individually. Mac users: click on the border and then click “edit”
on the top of your screen and select also “apply border to all photos”
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Picture Shapes
On the right hand lower side you can select all sorts of fun picture shapes, such
as Ovals or Stars. Once a picture is on a page, click on “picture shapes” select
and click your choice and drag it on top of the photo in your book. Then let go
of the mouse and you’ll have your photo in a new shape! All other features as described
above work also in these fun shapes.
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Clip Art
On the right hand lower side you can select “Clip Art” to work like a Scrapbooker
and use all sorts of stuff to make your book look different and fun: Flowers, Suns,
Halloween, X-Mas, Sports.........you name it, it’s there! Click on a sub category
inside the Clip Art and make your choice. Click on a fun ornament and drag it onto
a page. Let the mouse go once arrived and, voila, your Clip Art selection is in
your book. Click on it again and make the Clip Art piece larger, smaller, or add
a drop shadow.
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Scans
You can scan old style photographs and save them as Jpeg files. You can use these
scans in your book as pictures, all same as described above, great feature to make
a book with really old, forgotten photos. You will stop the fading process of these
old colour snapshots by placing them in one of our books.
You can also scan travel curiosa, such as tickets or restaurant bills, anything
that helps to bring a trip alive again. You can also scan fabrics or wrapping paper,
and place those in your book as backgrounds; the possibilities are endless!
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Captions (text)
Click “insert” and select: “new caption” (Windows users can also right click on
the page and do it there) A text box will show up. First click on the box and take
it to where you want it. You can make the box wider as well. It is a good idea to
size the box from the start to the approximate amount of text you need to type.
Double click on “type picture caption here” Place the cursor at the start and type
your text. There is a default font. However: Highlight the typed text with your
mouse, and change the font and font size at the top of your page. If you like your
font to be in a different colour: Highlight the text and click on the small arrow
next to the big letter A in the menu bar. A drop down menu let you change the colour.
Important good news: : All text boxes that you open later will all have the
same original default font. However: Once all captions have been typed through your
book, right click on your preferred font in an open text box. Then select “Apply
this font to all captions”
All captions through out the whole book will change into the same font, font colour
and font size. Obviously, you can still change the fonts one by one if so required.
This is a major improvement from our previous software version.
TIP: If you have a lot of text to type on page, like a poem or other short
story, it is easier to type that in a Word Processor such as Microsoft Word. It
gives you the added comfort of a spellchecker as well. Once ready, highlight all
this text. Right click on the highlighted text and select ”COPY”
Go to the page in your book creation, open a text box, double click on “type picture
caption here” then use this key board combination: Simultaneously press “Ctrl” and
the “V” key to paste all that text in one fell swoop into your text box.
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Spine text (book title)
This new software allows the inserting of a spine text or title for the PhotoWrap
hard cover books. Please note, regular Hard Cover Books cannot be executed with
any printing on the spine or on any other location of the exterior.
To do this at
home requires quite the skill. In order to make this really easy for our customers,
you are encouraged to enter the spine text inside the Customer Comment box that
you will see at check-out. Please type it there and we will place it nicely on the
spine.
If you wish to try in this Spine Text adventure yourself, then right click
on the spine and double click on the tiny ““type caption here”.
Then enlarge this
and make it fit the spine. We are aware of this difficulty and have started working
already to make this process much easier. For now, entering your spine text inside
the comment box is the easiest and surest way to get it done easy and perfect!
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Image Resolution
Digital photographs are built up from horizontal and vertical lines, the same as
your TV screen’s digital picture. The more horizontal and vertical lines you have
in your picture, the better the resolution and the better the photo will look in
print. The horizontal and vertical lines form tiny squares. Each little square contains
a bit of information, and all squares combined build the image. The more digital
squares your image has, the more detail it can reproduce. It starts with your camera.
No, it is not necessary to have that latest high-end model digital camera. But what
is important is that the camera that you have is placed in the high resolution mode
in the camera menu.
Rule of thumb: change the settings in a way that fewer pictures fit on your storage
card. The smaller that number, the higher resolution your photos will be. Even an
older 5 mega pixel camera can produce phenomenal clarity and detail, as long as
the menu settings are placed in a high resolution mode. For Photo Books, where images
won’t be much larger than the size of a 12 x 12 page , a minimum 5 megapixel camera
in high resolution settings will do the trick. It is true that a 12 Megapixel camera
can produce a better image, but the difference is only visible to the average person
when the image is enlarged to a really huge size. Most cell phone camera images
are not up to the task, so better leave these out of a photo book. In case the software
warns you that the resolution is too low, do the following to correct the situation:
1.Hover with your mouse over the image
2. Look at the bottom of your screen and read the DPI value of the image
3. We print our books in 300 DPI (dots per inch of ink)
4. If the resolution is over 150, your printed work will look stellar.
5. From 120 to 150: it will look good, 100 to 120 still acceptable, but not the
best.
6. If the resolution value shows below 100, fix the problem in your book, by resizing
the image to a smaller size.
7. Hover again over the photo and see what the new DPI value is, try to reach that
100 number.
8. If the images are kept small, it is usually OK to ignore the software “low resolution”
warnings
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Rearrange Book Pages
Look at the small thumbnail book pages on the top of your screen. If you want to
move a page to another location in your book, let’s say move page 4 to page 8, do
the following:
Click on small page 4 and drag it to page 8. Let go of the mouse and your page is
now in a new position. All other pages move one page back in position as well.
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Change Book
In the event that you want to change the size or execution of your book, you can
change that easily. Keep in mind though, that a book can only be changed inside
the same orientation. You cannot change a Portrait book into a Landscape book. Landscape
or Portrait can also not be changed into Squares.
However, you can change a landscape
soft cover into a landscape hard cover, or an 11.5 x 11.5 Square photowrap into
a 12 x 12 or 8.5 x 8.5 book and vice versa.
You can also change a 4 x 6 landscape
into an 8.5 x 11 landscape.
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Preflight
Click “File” and select “Preflight”
This will show if the book is OK in the “resolution” department. If some pages miss
photos or have low resolution photos, here you can check that before you send the
file for printing.
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Share On Line
We offer the wonderful opportunity to share your book with friends or relatives
on line. Is a great tool if one person works on a book with input from others, located
elsewhere. On the top of your page click the “share on line” button. The book (even
a half finished one) will quickly upload to a server. You will get the opportunity
to type in your friend’s e-mail addres. He or she will receive a clickable link
by e-mail and can then see your book at home on a computer. This is a highly secure
system, only those that you designate by typing an e-mail address, will have access
to a shared file. However, we have no control if that persons forwards the link
to others. We do not assume any liability for anything that could be the result
of such forwarding. That is your responsibility.
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Order a Book
Once the file is to your liking and you are ready to order, do the following:
Click the “send to Treasure-Book” button on the top right side of your screen.
A screen will show that states: “prepare for printing”
Once this is done a new screen
opens that gives you a chance to see the actual PDF file that we will receive and
which we use to print. Click on “view pages” to see your book page by page in large
size with a better opportunity to proof-read text and see how it all looks. Click
on the “up” and “down” arrows on the top to browse from page to page.
If you want to make changes, click out of this PDF file and stop the “send to Treasure-Book”
process.
You can go back into the program, work in your book, make changes and click
“send to Treasure-Book” yet again. After you have viewed the pages, and you are
happy with the result, close the PDF file and click on the “I agree” box to continue
the upload process to our server.
The upload will take some time, as it depends on the size of your file and the speed
of your internet connection. An average sized book will take anywhere from 15 to
30 minutes to complete. Really large books with 200 pages can take up to an hour
to send. Be patient and let the software do its job. Have a coffee or tea and relax
a bit, then check progress again.
IMPORTANT: it is strongly recommended to have a fixed wired connection to the internet
during the "send to Treasure-Book" procedure. We have learned from a few cases where
people used a wireless connection and had the file arrive damaged, as there are
sometimes split second interruptions with wireless connections that can damage the
file and have pages arrive incomplete or we are unable to open it. No problem to
be "wireless" during your book creation, or during the download of the software,
but again, once you are ready to send the file, hook up to a fixed cable connection
to your internet outlet at home.
When the upload is complete, a shopping cart will open.
First, you must register
as a new customer, or check in with your existing user ID and password.
Then: you can select your quantity. The default is “1”. If you want to order more
than 1, click on the small down-arrow besides “1” and select the quantity that you
need. Important: Click “UPDATE” to confirm this new quantity.
Colour: For those
who made a Leatherette or Suede hard cover, the Default Colour is BLACK leatherette.
Click on the down-arrow besides BLACK to see other choices and materials. Select
the colour and material of your choice and click “UPDATE” to confirm this action.
Continue to follow instructions and select choices for delivery and methods of payment.
Also, sometimes we have a promotional coupon and if you have one, look for the Coupon
line and enter the code there. IMPORTANT: you must click “SUBMIT” to activate a
coupon and get your discount. This button is located underneath the Coupon line.
Always check our blog and/or website to see if there is a promo available to you
before you send a file for printing. If you send it without checking, your order
will be processed at regular prices. On the website, click on “Discounts? Click
here” on the top of the page.
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Payment
After all has been filled out and selected, you can make a choice to pay with either
VISA/MasterCard or by PayPal. For security reasons: Treasure-Book Printers Inc.
Never receives any of your credit card information. All we receive is a payment
confirmation from the Credit Card processing company. Consequently we do not have
any credit card records and are not able to use such information for a “repeat order”
as some people sometimes ask us to do. Every order has to be paid by you on your
computer. Our VISA/MasterCard processor has the highest security protection in place
and you can provide your card details in our shopping cart with the greatest of
confidence. Our membership of the Better Business Bureau will give you additional
peace of mind. Canadian shoppers: if you do not have a credit card or PayPal membership,
call us to see if we can arrange something else for you. But please note, payment
must have arrived in full before we start printing any order.
For International
and USA customers: Credit Card or PayPal payments are the only two acceptable methods
of payment.
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Delivery
We do our best to have all shipments arrive at their destination in Canada within
10 business days. Usually we ship within 3 business days after receipt of your order
and payment. If you have only limited time to wait, call us to make arrangements
for Xpress delivery, which we are happy to arrange at a surcharge that represents
the actual Canada Post surcharge rates. Pick-Up is available as well but only from
our location in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Shipments to the USA will take
a bit longer, International shipments from 10-15 business days, depending on the
destination. Select either “Pick-UP” or “Canada Post” at check out. Selecting “Pick-UP”
will save you the shipping costs.
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Warranty and other fine print
Please check our website to read our “no questions asked” return policy and issues
on privacy and legalities.
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