1.1 Why photobooks?

Photobooks can be created as personalized gifts for many occasions such as family history books, blog books, childrens’ portfolio, school project reports, photographer portfolio, travel journal, funeral and memorial booklets, etc.

As digital photography becomes popular, we are taking an abundant amount of photographs. Instead of printing them out, we may store them in our PCs or share them online at free websites. The latter however often have storage space and time limits. Creating photobooks is an easy and interesting way to turn your precious moments into a custom printed keepsake. With your own design and description, your book is more than just a photo album but a unique creative work of your own.

1.2 Can photobooks be used for commercial purposes?

Photobooks are a perfect solution for printing corporate collateral such as company brochures, proposals, project reports and product catalogues, especially when only a small quantity is needed and no design budget is available.

2.1 I am not a designer. Can I make photobooks?

Absolutely. Our software myPhotobook Creator is developed for layman users. No design skills or experience is required. As long as you know basic Windows applications such as MS Word, you can make use of the software to create photobooks easily and in a professional manner.

2.2 How long does it take to create a photobook?

It’ll take only a few minutes to create a 24-page photobook by using the autoflow function. If you prefer to edit photos one by one, add captions and design the layout page by page, it may take a couple of hours or more. All depends on how much efforts you wish to put in.

Our software distinguishes itself by its flexibility and ease of use. Users have total creative control. You can move around and edit nearly everything in the book including covers, photos, text boxes, background colour and photo frames. With this powerful tool, you can easily create and personalize a book for yourself or your loved ones.

2.3 Can I make books offline (i.e. without broadband internet access)?

Yes. myPhotobooks Creator are available in CD-ROMs on request. Just send in a self-addressed stamped envelope and we will send the software to you free of charge. You can install the software and start making the book. When finished, you may save the file in a CD and mail it to us together with your payment receipt. The entire process can be completed without internet access.

3.1 Can the book have more or fewer pages?

A standard book contains 24 inside pages and can be increased by 4 pages each time (every 2 pages for A3 and Square 30 books) up to 80 pages.

When a page is removed, the other side of the same sheet will be deleted too. If you just wish to remove one page, please click edit > clear page.

If you design the book with other publishing software, you can freely decide how many pages the book has and our printing facility can accommodate your need. Please contact us for details.

3.2 Can foreign languages be used for photo captions? Which fonts can I use?

Our software allows users to employ any fonts in any languages. However, for the best printing results, please avoid using the default font SansSerif. For Chinese fonts, unbold types may look nicer than bold types.

3.3 How can I copy and move photos and captions across pages?

Please move the cursor onto the photos and captions to be moved and right click the mouse, choose edit > cut or copy. Move the cursor to a new page, right click the mouse, choose edit > paste and it is done.

3.4 Why an error message “missing picture file” is shown?

Once when a photo is used in the book, please do not change its location on your PC; otherwise the software will not be able to locate it and the error message will be shown. A designated folder can be created to keep all photo copies to be used in the book.

4.1 What image formats does myPhotobook Creator support?

Our software supports jpeg, png, gif, tiff, Photoshop, bmp images.

4.2 What image size/resolution works best?

The higher the image resolution is, the better the printing quality will be. Please use photos taken by cameras of 5 million pixels or higher. Anything below 2 million pixels should not be used. For example, the file size of a 1600 x 1200 pixel image is 1.92 million pixels. If it’s printed at 300 dpi, the printed image size will be 5.3 x 4 inches. Alert messages will appear if the image dpi is too low. However, even when preflight shows no problems, low resolution images may not deliver desirable results. It is important to review the proof carefully and make sure all pages are satisfactory before sending the file to print.

4.3 Any tips for selecting photos for use in making photobooks?

Naturally, photos rich in colours and taken outdoor generate best results. The following photos will not look as good as on screen when printed:
1) Photos taken indoor with insufficient lighting.
2) Photos taken under direct, harsh sunlight producing deep, black shadows across the face.
3) Photos with a large patch of plain background.

5.1 Is the photobook printing quality comparable to photo prints?

To put it simple, our photobooks are printed as books and not photos. They are printed on 200 gsm art paper and the finishing is like hard-cover books. The printing quality is close to traditional offset printing, and not as good in brightness, colour contrast, touch and feel as photo prints. On the other hand, photobooks are less bulky and easier to keep than photo albums.

6.1 Do you accept files of other publishing software?

Absolutely yes, please contact us for details.

6.2 Can I get the files back after printing?

Sorry, all files uploaded will not be returned.

6.3 Will you keep my files?

Files sent in for printing will be deleted four weeks after delivery. Incoming files without any purchase orders will be removed from our server after two weeks.

7.1 Must I place orders on the same day when I send the files?

Please complete the online ordering process within 14 days upon submission of your file. Files will be removed regularly without prior notice.

7.2 When will I receive the book?

Upon receipt of your order, file as well as payment, we will complete your order in 7 to 10 working days. Urgent service is available upon request.

8.1 Will you provide bulk order discounts?

Get 5% off for ordering 10 or more books or books totaling HK$2,000 (excluding shipping costs) or more. Discounts for larger quantities are available on request.

8.2 What privileges do members enjoy?

Newly signed up members will receive a $40 e-coupon, which can be used for ordering books during the specified period. E-newsletters with special promotional offers will be circulated to members on a regular basis and published on our website.