Uploading scrapbook pages question

[breeze3005]

I hope my question a repeat, I've looked through the forum and could find it. I have made several photo books with MP in the classic and pocketbook sizes, but always have just used their templates. I thought I'd try something new and found this forum and some wonderful ideas.

My question is, I've made my own pages with a scrapbooking program and have uploaded them into MP, when I noticed that on the forums there's mention of a certain size and dpi. So I went back and resized, changed the dpi, making my finished page just over 1MB in size. When I go to upload the new page, it won't upload, it basically just sits there saying it's uploading, but I walked away from the computer and came back an hour later and still it didn't upload. Does size make a difference? Does quality change drastically going from 96 dpi to 180 dpi? I'm very new at this, so I hope I'm asking the right questions. Thanks for any help.

Nina

[Marti]

I just checked some PP slides that I've uploaded into full-bleed MP templates. They measure 1504 x 1130 in dimension and are 235 KB in size and all are 96 dpi. I've been happy with these images on the printed pages, but I know many people increase the size of their PP slides to ensure a sharper image. Now that I see my dimensions, though, I'm thinking your 1MB might be too large and that's why it's not uploading. But that's just a guess. Let's hope someone else sees your question and offers something better. Sorry. :0(

[Cruiser]

I'm confused.

Did you save your 1 mb file as a JPEG? 1 mb is not at all too large for a picture or a page. Most pictures or pages are between 1 and 5 mb and sometimes more. What scrapbooking program did you use? You don't "upload" pictures into the software. You can only upload a book to MyPublisher when you are ready to print.

Many of my pages I make in Photoshop or Scrapbook Factory Ver 4.0 are as large as 5 mb at 300 dpi and when I am making a book, they are stored in a folder on my hard drive. After I start my book, I go to "get photos" and choose the ones I want in my book and drag them down to the bottom of the page. They load and then I start bringing them into the templates.

If you would describe your work process, perhaps we can help you better. MyPublisher recommends 180 dpi at the minimum. I have used 200 dpi, 300 dpi and 350 dpi but never less than 180 dpi for my pictures unless I am combining them into a Photoshop page that will be 4 to 5 mb at 200 or 300 dpi.

I know some use PowerPoint and have printed successfully with less. Marti has a great collection of books she printed using PowerPoint so her method works. Mine is different because I prefer to make my pages in Photoshop over using the templates in the Bookmaker software. I found my books ended up being too large. One of my books ended up being over 2.5 gigs. So, I have changed how I make pages now.

We'll be glad to help you but we do need more information.

[Marti]

So glad to see your post, Cruiser. I was hoping you'd stop by.

Nina, read what Cruiser has said and then go from there. Her answers are very detailed and specific. It would help to know what program you used to create your own pages. But if your pages were each saved as .jpgs, they should work just fine.

[jbielot]

What scrapbook software do you use? and how do you safe your files to be able to put them in mypublisher books?

[Marti]

Hi jbielot!

I think we all use different software to create our scrapbook layouts, but Photoshop has to be one of the most popular. I used Powerpoint because it's convenient and easy for me to use, but you might like the printed results better from Photoshop.

You save each of your layouts in a .jpg format in a folder in your computer under MY PICTURES under MY DOCS. They'll be easy to grab to place in the MyPublisher templates on the book pages.

Good luck. Sounds like you're on your way.

Marti

[breeze3005]

First, I must apologize for not getting back quickly. I thought I had my post being monitored and thought no one responded, then of course (hopefully most can relate) started working on my scrapbook and was oblivious to everything else around me.

Cruiser,

I'm using Scrapbook Factory Deluxe Version 4.0. I am doing exactly as you stated. I create my page, I do change the dpi and size, also I click on the button that reads "JPEG options" and enhance the picture to 100%. This is where it tells me the size of my pictures. Let me back up, since you've used this program you would be familiar. After I create the page, I click view, select all and group my picture together. Then I right-click and click "Export Selection as Image". Then pops up the window where I can change size, dpi and JPEG Options.

When I did all that, I saved my picture into a folder on my harddrive. I go to MYPUBLISHER and start my book, click get photos. This is where it started to hang up. I troubleshot everything, just FYI, I'm not a novice when it comes to computers, but couldn't figure out why it wouldn't "get pictures". I went back and looked at the "scrapbook" pages I created and saw they were over a MB. Like you stated, I have numerous pictures on previous books made with MP that are well over 1MB, but thought I'd make the pages smaller. Got them under 1MB and was able to "get pictures." I did let my computer sit for a few hours one day, and the picture never loaded.

I printed out my page on my printer and it seems to look fine, actually better than online, so I went ahead and ordered the book, keeping my fingers crossed.

I do have a question, how do you get your pages over 5MB? What size are you making your pictures and what dpi are you using. Also, does this program run really slow on your computer? That part drove me nuts. It only required 128kb RAM, I have 1G, I also have a Windows Media computer, you would think it wouldn't run so slow.

Even though I've sent the book to be printed I'd still love to hear any suggestions from anyone here. Also, once I get the book, I'll let you know how it turned out.

Now off to find out why I never received an email stating that a response was posted to my post.

Thanks so much and sorry this is so long.

Nina

Message was edited by: breeze3005

[Cruiser]

I have 2 gig RAM which helps with large files. I don't have a sluggish book until I exceed the 2 gig mark then I slow down to a crawl. That is why I decided to reduce my page sizes. The RAM requirements of the program have nothing to do with the RAM requirements for your book once you have loaded pictures. The RAM requirements of the program are a minimum amount needed just to run the program. You have to have enough memory to handle the total number of pictures you are loading.

You are doing a step that I don't do. I don't "slect all and group". That way if I want, I can go back and change something in my file. I make my Scrapbook Factory V4 page, and when I am finished save it as a Scrapbook Factory V4 page and then I export it. I change it to jpeg at 200 dpi or 300 dpi whichever suits me at the time. My SF V4 pages usually are between 1 or 3 mb.

I don't have any problems bringing them into MyPublisher. Once you save your file as a jpeg, go to your windows viewer and see if you can open the file. Once in awhile, the file doesn't save correctly. I find this happens in Photoshop also. In windows viewer, you won't have a thumbnail print, you will have a blank folder icon.

My pages are over 5 mb are because I use a lot of photos and elements along with a background that has a large file size. Those are usually Photoshop pages. However, I try to keep them under 5 mb. I just did a 100 page family album with all Photoshop pages where I had backgrounds and 4 to 6 pictures per page. My file size per page was 5 to 7 mb. Hopefully it prints ok. The pictures were all scanned at 1200 dpi and reduced to 300 dpi for archival purposes after I did all of my Photoshop tricks on them. I then brought everything into a template set up at 300 dpi for MyPublisher. I know I have given others instructions how to set up pages but I range from 200 to 350 dpi and your know what...they print just fine no matter what dpi I use. Some of my scanned picturs were left at 1200 dpi when I brought them into the mold. I don't always follow my own instructions. Its a lot like cooking. Once you know the recipe, you can start adjusting it to suit your own taste.

Try making your page without "selecting and grouping" and see if that makes a difference in bringing it into the Bookmaker software. Also, try loading one page at a time. I make a page then bring it in to Bookmaker see if it fits. That may help.

[breeze3005]

Thanks Cruiser, first I think I'll get another gig of RAM.

Next, I'm going to try what you said and not group. I have a question about
exporting, where do you or how are you exporting. Are you bringing it into
your Photoshop program or do you save it as a jpeg in the Scrapbook program.
I hope this question makes sense.

I'll let you know how it goes by not grouping.

[breeze3005]

Okay, I saved my scrapbook page without grouping it. The page of over 2G and it worked perfect when I used "get pictures" in MP. So I thought, I'm going to try it again by grouping the picture, I did that, it too was over 2G, and it worked perfectly as well. So, now I don't know what was happening the day I was working on my book when I posted the question, but I never did try it again until just now. And that day I tried it several times with different pages. <confused>

Thanks so much to everyone who read my post and responded, I really did learn a lot! Now I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that my books turns out wonderfully, and I'll post here in case future scrapbookers have the same questions.

Nina

[Cruiser]

For each book I'm making, I set up a folder on my "E" drive. I have four drives on my computer so MyPublisher is on the "C" drive and "E" is where I store all my pictures and my "L" drive is my backup drive.

When I save my pages is SF Ver 4, I save them as a jpeg in the folder I set up for my book on drive "E". When I am ready to "get photos" in Bookmaker, they are retrieved from my "E" drive and saved on the "C" drive in the MyPublisher software.

I just cleaned out over 7 gigs of MyPublisher files and I'll tell you how and why you should do it before you start a new book. MyPublisher saves up to 6 pictures every time you load one into the software. Those pictures are never deleted even if you delete the book. So, when you have finished this book, received it and verified it is ok, you should export it to a file and then delete it from Bookmaker (MyPublisher).

To remove all the old files, go to your start menu, in run type in "appdata" then click on "roaming". You will see a folder for MyPublisher. In that folder is a file called Bookmaker. That is where all your old books are still stored. Open it and delete the books inside. I have Vista but I'm sure XP works the same way. Your hard drive may just be overloaded with pictures that you don't need. You can click on the folder inside Bookmaker that starts with a long string of letters and numbers and see which pictures are in that book. I have one book and two large files for the same book in the Bookmaker section which I will delete once my book gets here tomorrow.

[breeze3005]

Your set-up sounds very similar to mine. I have a portable harddrive that I store all my photos, music, graphic art, etc. I'm not sure what was happening the day I posted my question, I didn't have old MP Books on my computer, the reason I know that is I had just reformatted my computer a week before I left for vacation. Whatever it was will probably remain a mystery for now. That day, I did everything, even rebooting my computer. hmm....

[PhotoGeek1]

Breeze 3005, What version of BookMaker are you using? Mine is taking a while to load and does not respond until fully loaded, but after that is fine. Maybe it was just a fluke.