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Photo book (software)

  • Book binding

    Hardcover

    Our new, strong binding with a protective laminated cover meets the highest demands. The hardcover is distinguished by its extreme robustness and durability. The book binding conforms to the state-of-the-art, professional binding processes. There is a special feature that allows you to print your photos onto the cover without a border. Choose either a matt or gloss finish.

    Hardcover with leather binding

    Our new leather binding is a particularly high-quality cover that will remain robust, elegant and beautiful forever. The leather binding is available in all formats except for "pocket". You can choose a black or brown cover. A leather cover gives your photo book that certain something. The inside pages of the book are made of high-quality 170g printing paper (250g for "maxi" and "premium").

    Hardcover with cloth

    The hardcover with cloth is only available in the "maxi" format. You can choose either a complete cloth cover or a customised cloth-backed cover. Our cloth is of very high quality and finely structured and is available in various selected shades. Your images will really stand out in this exclusive version of your photo book. The cloth cover is only available in conjunction with high-quality 250g printing paper.

    Softcover

    The professional book binding with a cellophane cover. Choose from thirteen cover colours and, if you want, ask us to print a photo on the cover. The pages are printed double-sided without a border and on high-quality 170g printing paper. Choose a gloss or matt finish for the cover (weight 350g).

    Spiral binding

    The spiral binding is very strong and particularly suitable for commercial photo presentations (e.g. architects). The inside pages are printed on high-quality 170g printing paper. The personalised front page is printed on 350g paper.

    Stapled binding

    A stapled photo book can be ordered with 24 or 36 pages. The photo book is bound using high-strength stapling technology. The inside pages of the photo book consist of high-quality 150g printing paper. The robust cover is available in a matt or gloss finish (weight 350g).

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  • Formats

    Premium format

    • from €74.95
    • 40cm x 30cm
    • as a hardcover with or without leather binding

    Our new flagship product, the grand "premium", sets new standards for personalised photo books. The "premium" is unique and the best with its dimensions of 40cm x 30cm and a capacity of 250 pages. The top quality of this extraordinary book allows you to record and present your most memorable moments perfectly. No other format matches up to this one.

    Maxi format

    • from €59.95
    • 30cm x 30cm
    • as a hardcover with cloth or leather binding

    The elegant book with a hardcover for that special occasion: we offer the option of our high-quality cloth cover exclusively for the "maxi" format, either for the complete book or for the back cover. The "maxi" format is also available with an elegant leather binding. All cover types are available in several colours.

    Panorama format

    • from €29.95
    • 29.7cm x 21cm
    • as a hardcover with or without leather binding

    Experience your photos in a new dimension. Show off those unforgettable moments in the "panorama" format. Our "panorama" format conforms to the standard A4 landscape format and is particularly suitable for showing off photos of beautiful landscapes. This format can hold up to 250 pages!

    Classic format

    • from €24.95
    • 20.4cm x 27cm
    • as a hardcover or softcover

    No other format has such a range of options. This is where you can let your imagination run wild. This very popular format is particularly suitable for photo books with a large amount of text. The "classic" photo book is also a high-quality present that will remind your nearest and dearest of you forever.

    Original format

    • from €9.95
    • 18.5cm x 18.5cm
    • as a hardcover, softcover, perfect or spiral binding

    The dimensions of this special photo book are 18.5cm x 18.5cm. Its simplicity, elegance and classic look satisfy the highest demands. The square photo book is perfect for celebrations, portraits and high-quality photo presentations, and is particularly highly valued by architects and professional photographers.

    Compact format

    • from €9.95
    • 20.4cm x 15cm
    • as a hardcover, softcover, perfect or spiral binding

    This stylish photo book with its unique format is very popular for traditional landscape photos. It also lends itself well to panorama photos of any kind, shots of landscapes and underwater photography. Give it a try – you'll be impressed!

    Pocket format

    • from €7.95
    • 14.8cm x 10.5cm
    • as a perfect or spiral binding

    Good things come in small packages! This newcomer is very popular when you're out and about, as it enables you to show your latest photos to your friends and family at any time. A winner at any party! It's not just convenient, it allows you to have your most memorable moments with you all the time.

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  • Prices

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  • Delivery times

    Current delivery times are about 9 working days (excluding Saturdays + bank holidays) once your payment has been received. Deliveries abroad can take between 9 and 14 working days due to shipping delays caused by the service company.

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  • Windows + Mac versions

    The free software for creating your photo book can be downloaded from http://www.myphotobook.co.uk/.

    Whether you own an Apple Mac or Windows PC, just click the relevant operating system symbol in the download area and select the folder where you want to save the installation file.

    The software takes between approx. 10 sec. (DSL) and 2 mins. (modem) to download depending on the internet connection. Note that you must remain connected to the internet while the software is downloaded! The installation file will be saved in the folder you specified (usually on the desktop) and can now install the program.

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  • Software installation

    Click the myphotobook.co.uk symbol and follow the instructions of the installation wizard. Do not forget to accept the licence agreement by activating the check box next to "I accept the licence agreement". The software takes between approx. 15 sec. and 2 mins. to install, depending on the speed of your computer.

    If you have any problems during installation, please send an e-mail to:

    support@myphotobook.co.uk

    When the software has been installed, you can either launch it immediately or at any other time using the desktop icon. From this point, you no longer need to be connected to the internet.

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  • Start-up

    When you have started the software, you will first see the homepage of the myphotobook.co.uk software.

    1. 1. Information about the types of book we offer can be found under Products.
    2. 2. You will find a full table of book prices under Prices. Just choose the format you want by clicking the small black arrow.
    3. 3. "How it works" contains a brief description that you can access at any time, even if you're not connected to the internet.

    The right-hand side of the screen contains an overview of the books you have already created. Open the photo book you want by double clicking its title or single clicking the desired book, followed by the green Open photo book button at bottom right. The book can be deleted or duplicated by right clicking its title. If you have not already saved a draft of a book, this area will be empty. Start a new photo book at any time by clicking the corresponding red button at bottom right.

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  • How do I create a book?

    If you want to create a new photo book, click New photo book. From now on, the software is shown on the entire screen. If you have reopened a saved book, the name of your book appears at top left.

    Before you begin designing your photo book, you must first tell the software whereabouts your photos are located on your computer. All hard disk(s), CD ROM drives and connected digital cameras are displayed in the Folder area.

    Click the required data medium (usually your local disk C:) and then drill down to the folder containing your images. The selected folder is highlighted in red and the photos in this folder are displayed in the Images area underneath.

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  • Settings

    The format, binding, cover type and cover material can be defined in the Book type area along the bottom edge of the screen.

    In the drop-down menu at bottom left, you can see the dimensions of our four formats and select the size you want for your book.

    Choose between hardcover (strong book cover) and softcover (soft, flexible book cover / paperback) in the cover type. This cover is available in a matt or gloss finish. There are 120 different combinations of book features available, although a few are not available for technical reasons.

    All settings can be changed at any time before you send your book to myphotobook.co.uk If you decide that you want another format for your book while you are creating it, then you can change it at any time. In addition, the number of pages can be increased if you want to use more photos than you originally intended.

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  • How do I create a book?

    An overview of all the pages in your photo book is available in the book area. With the exception of the two inside cover pages, you can design the cover and all the other pages as you wish. Click individual pages to display them in the Page area in the large working area, where they can be easily edited.

    Predefined photo and text layouts are provided so that each page can have its own design. After you have selected the required book page, you can switch to Layout mode in the bottom part of the screen. Just click the Layouts tab.

    First, decide whether you want to place one, two, three or four images on the page. Various layouts are available for each quantity, which you can apply by clicking directly on the just opened page. The layout you selected will come alive in the next step.

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  • How do I add images and text?

    Adding images

    Once you have uploaded your photos to the program (step 1), you can then start adding them to your photo book. You have two options:

    1. 1) Add images manually Use drag&drop to select and add individual images. Click the image you want, hold the mouse button down, drag it across one of the grey placeholders in your book (a red border appears around the placeholder) and then release the mouse button.
    2. 2) Add images automatically. Take advantage of the Apply function to add your photos easily and quickly. myphotobook.co.uk 3.0 automatically adds all your images to the grey placeholders, starting from the first page inside your book. If you only want to add some of your images automatically, hold down the CTRL key and then select the images you want. You can also select a contiguous sequence by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking the first and last image in turn. Use the Apply button to add the selected photos. If you have already added some photos to your book using this function, then the cursor changes to a stack of photos icon when you click Apply. Now click a page of your book in the overview at the top of the program window to transfer your photos automatically. Images that you have already added will not be overwritten, but moved towards the back of the book.

    Once a photo has been placed on a particular page, the corresponding page number appears in the relevant preview image. You can always see which photos have already been added and whether you have duplicated any.

    myphotobook.co.uk 3.0 checks the quality of your photos so that you will achieve the best possible printing result. If the resolution (number of individual pixels) is lower than recommended, the photo is marked with a yellow dot. If a red dot is displayed, the resolution is not high enough for a good-quality print – you must take some sort of action. What are the options?

    1. 1. Use the minus icon to zoom out of the image as far as possible.
    2. 2. Reduce the size of the image or move it to a smaller placeholder so it is not so large.
    3. 3. Replace the image by one with a higher resolution.

    Adding text

    Double click one of the text placeholders with a grey border to open a new window for adding comments, poems or something similar. You will now see the text field again in its original size. Type in your text. There is a range of common formatting options that will be familiar to you from Microsoft Word.

    An interesting option is the ability to arrange text vertically or turn it upside down. This effect is not visible in the text input field until you click OK.

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  • Fine adjustments

    To present your photos in the best possible way, it's still possible to make a few final adjustments at the end of the process. This is all done using the three tabs along the lower edge of the working area.

    The first Page tab allows you to choose an individual background colour for every page. This is particularly important for the cover page, as it determines the outside colour of your photo book.

    You can also number individual pages. To number the entire book, first click in the page overview. Next, press CTRL and A simultaneously to select all the pages and activate the page number box.

    The Images tab allows you to rotate photos using the arrow keys. In addition, you can use the plus and minus zoom buttons to zoom in and out of images. If a photo is larger than the placeholder in which it has been inserted or you have zoomed in on an image, you will only see part of the image. Now click in the image using the hand button and select the displayed image area by moving the mouse.

    The last button in the Images tab transforms a colour photo into a back and white one. You can undo this change in the same way.

    You will already be familiar with the settings in the Text tab, apart from the following eye-catcher: You can reduce the opacity of the selected text using the transparency option and let the background shine through.

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  • Edit functions

    The editing mode is switched on from the very beginning so that all functions are available. The most important function is the option to create your own layout in addition to the predefined layouts. You can position and scale your photos and text in any way you want. Your own layouts can then be saved as templates for future photo books. Borders, captions and transparent images can also be created.

    Create your own layouts. You must first create and arrange the placeholders (levels) from the layouts provided before you can freely position photos and text. The next step allows you to fill these levels with your own content.

    The process is basically the same for photos and text. There is always a button with a plus sign in the images and text tabs in the large working area. If you select this button and then click a page of your book, you will create a new level for a photo or text at this location.

    It's even quicker if you simply drag photos to a free location in the book. A new level for the image is created automatically. Select the first of the buttons to edit the level.

    Click the level in the middle to move it. The cursor changes to a cross. Drag&drop the level to the position you want. If you want to scale the level, click one of the eight small red and white squares around the edge of the level then press and hold the mouse button and move the mouse inwards or outwards. The cursor appears as a double arrow to indicate the direction in which you can expand or reduce the level.

    You can display the grid so that you can align the levels along virtual lines. Click the white arrow of the Page tab and select Display grid. You can now use the displayed grid to measure distances exactly when aligning objects. The grid is only there to help you during the design stage and does not appear in your printed photo book. It can also be hidden in the same way. Use the Grid spacing setting to specify how precisely objects within the book can be moved. With a spacing of 1cm, for example, you cannot move an image or text less than a centimetre in a horizontal or vertical direction.

    If you want to delete a level, select the level and click the minus button.

    If different levels overlap, these lie on top of each other like a stack of paper in a certain order. If you want to display an entire image or text level that is hidden, you can move it step by step to the foreground. It is also possible to move levels backwards to allow you to have other photos or text in the foreground.

    If you want to reuse a layout that you created on other pages or for one of your next photo books, you can save it from the Page tab by clicking the "Diskette" button. It is added to the layouts already provided in the Layouts tab and can be used again in the future. If you no longer need a saved layout, delete it by holding the cursor over the relevant preview and clicking the small cross.

    Captions: these text levels differ from normal levels, as they move automatically with their associated image when it moves. Choose the photo to which you want to add a caption. The last button in the Images tab has a submenu that is used to align text on one of the borders of the image or to place it directly on the image. You can also choose the text colour and background colour of your caption using the remaining functions.

    Image borders: you can put a border around your photos from the Images tab. Use the button to open a submenu in which you can specify the type, colour and width. Click the Border button again to return to the main menu in the tab.

    Transparency: as with text, you can reduce the opacity of your photos so that the background is not completely invisible.

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  • Short cuts and general tips

    In myphotobook, you can use some of the usual key combinations (short cuts) to speed up the process:

    CTRL + X cut object (image, text, placeholder), CTRL + C copy object, CTRL + V paste object, Del Delete object, CTRL + Z undo.

    If you select several objects, the process can be carried out in one go (e.g. paste, move and delete). Press and hold the CTRL key then click in turn on each the objects you want. If you want to select a series of images or pages for preview, press the SHIFT key and click the first object followed by the last one in the sequence. You can, for example, use both these methods to set a background colour and page numbers or complete layouts for several pages.

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  • Ordering your book

    Now that you have designed your own photo book, there are just a few steps left to complete your order.

    We recommend that you use the preview button to see how your finished photo book will look. If you are happy with the layout, click Order in the top right hand corner. If you have not done so already, you will be asked to give your book a meaningful name under which it will later be saved. At this point you may receive some warning messages indicating possible errors in your book. It may be, for example, that more pages have been created than is possible with the chosen book format. This often happens if you have allowed the software to automatically add photos and extra pages have been created because the original book format could not hold all the photos. If you are certain that you can do without the pages crossed out in red in the page overview, you can safely ignore the warning. Otherwise, increase the number of pages in your book or, if necessary, choose a larger format so that you can put more photos on the same number of pages.

    In the next stage of the ordering process, open a new user account that you will use to place all your orders in the future. It is particularly important that the e-mail address is correct, as we will send you an e-mail later in which you will be required to confirm your user account. Your details will be transferred securely and treated confidentially.

    Now all you need to do is send your photo book to us. You can send it conveniently via the internet or by post.

    Your e-mail inbox will now contain a message from myphotobook.co.uk. Click the link in this e-mail to enable all the functions of your user account. You will automatically be transferred to your internal customer area on our website.

    You can access this area at any time via www.fotoalbum.de by entering your e-mail address and password to view the status of your order. Select your preferred payment method under My details and agree to the payment terms and conditions.

    Now everything's ready – go to My books and put your photo books in your cart and place your order. We will process your order without delay and you will have your very own photo book in just a few days!

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