For those of you who did not save your layered files, you are not completely out of luck. The first thing I recommend is resizing y0our layout to the bleed size. This is the page you would upload. To see if your page will present any problems. trim your page to the LIVE MATTER area. What you see now will be what you see once the book is bound. As long as your important photos and journaling are still visible, your page is okay and can be uploaded. (Upload the full-bleed page, not the one you just trimmed.)

If, once you trim the page, you see that something important will be cut off, I recommend adding a border to the page. (I have actions that can do this for you as well.) Simply resize the layout to the bleed size. Then, make sure you double-click on your layer so it is not flattened. Reduce the layout by at least 3/8" on each size. Now you can add a paper behind your layout. Your layout will print with a lovely coordinating border. Another alternative is to print your square layouts on a landscape book with journaling or credits beside it. Or, add a coordinating paper behind and some additional elements. Be creative! Another option is to reduce and rotate the page. Instead of a square border, you get a funky effect that seems more interesting.

Once you have prepared all your pages, you are ready to upload them to your printer's site. Most sites are very user friendly and have multiple ways to get your phots uploaded. iOnce they are uploaded, you select your style of book and begin assembling your pages on the preview. With Shutterfly, you simply drag and drop your iipages onto their interface. (Make sure, when uploading your layouts, you do not apply any special effects or color correction to your pages. The color correction software used by photo book printers is designed to work on individual photos. It is not designed towork on scrapbook pages with special coordinated colors. If you forget to turn these Opinions off, your may end up with pages that have strange color casts.)
 

Once you have your book assembled, be sure to look carefully at the preview the site generates. Most sites show previews very similar to what you will receive with regards to the cropping. If you see a white border or layout that is not cropped correctly, that is most likely what you will see in your book. The one exception to this is the quality of the preview. Many sites will show you a low-resolution, blurry preview. As long as you uploaded a high-quality JPG or PDG, the quality of your book should be okay.

With your book carefully proofed and added to your cart you only need to check out and anxiously await the arrival of your newest creation! I love my photo books. They are a big hit whenever I take them out and it's extremely rewarding to see my pages in print!

If you have any questions about photo books, or my Toolkits, please contact us.

Happy Scrapping!
Wendyzine Scraps

  Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | FAQ