09/05/2006 Multimedia & Design

These instructions show you how to build a photo album from scratch, without using a template.

1. Start with a blank album

Click the plus button or choose New Album from the File menu.

The new album is automatically added to the album list on the left hand side.

2. Name your new album

Type a name for your album and press return.

Your new album is selected and you will automatically be moved to the Edit function if you are not already there.

3. Delete the initial photo slot

Every new album is created with an initial (empty) photo slot. Click on the photo slot to select it, and press the delete key. The page will appear blank.

4. Add a photo slot with a title

Under the Photo tab, hold down the Add Arrangement button to reveal the Arrangement menu. Select Photo with Title Above.

5. Import some photos to see how it looks

Click the Photos button to choose a photo import source, and then choose a photo album if your import source is iPhoto.

Your photos will be imported, and the photo slot you just created filled.

Additional dummy pages are displayed from page 2 on to accommodate the rest of your album.

6. Change the title font

Click on the page background to unselect everything, and then click once in the title text to select the title. Click the Text tab and the Font button to get the font dialog. Alternatively, choose the menu command Format-Font-Show Fonts. Choose a new font and size and the title font will update to show that.

7. Resize and position your photo and title

You may wish to make the photo slot and title larger on the page. To do this, first choose Select All from the Edit menu, or alternatively drag the mouse in the background of the page over a portion of both the title and the photo slot. This will select them both.

Drag one of the corner handles with the mouse to enlarge or reduce both the photo slot and the text area at the same time. Notice how the photo stays proportionally correct, but, depending on the size chosen relative to the best fit for the photo, you will see more or less of the photo.

Drag from the middle of the photo to reposition both the photo slot and the title on the page.

8. Adding the title of the imported photos or Photo Set

You can add the title of the imported photos, termed Photo Set, to your album.

Click the Text button, and drag out a text region in the page.

Double click on the word Text that appears.

Now, from the Text tab choose Photo Set, and the text will change to the name of the photo set/iPhoto album you are importing from. Center, change the font, and format the text as you desire. If you import from a different photo set, the text is automatically updated, so the album will work with different imported photos.

9. Add another page

Click the Insert Page button. You will be positioned at a new, blank, page 2.

10. Add a titled, portrait-format, photo slot

Add a photo slot with a title as in step 4 above. With both the photo slot and title still selected, resize them slightly taller and about two thirds as wide so the photo slot is shaped like a portrait photo.

Move it to the top left area of the page.

11. Make another photo slot the same size

With the photo slot and title still selected, choose Copy from the Edit menu. Choose Paste. A new photo slot and title will be pasted on top, offset by a small amount. Drag them to the right along side the previous photo. Repeat to gain three photos.

12. Add one more photo

As step 4, under the Photo tab, hold down the Add Arrangement button to reveal the Arrangement menu. Select Photo with Title Above to add one more photo. Move it into the center of the bottom of the page.

Now we are ready with a page arrangement to complete our album.

13. Make the second page repeat

In the Page area, you will see the page set to be used only once. Click that button to toggle the page to repeat.

Now, re-import your photos by choosing the photo set/album again or by choosing a new photo import source from the Photos button. The album will adapt to make use of your repeating page on page 2 for page 3 and so on.

PhotoPrinto

photoprinto enables you to create and print gorgeous designer photo albums, scrapbooks, and single pages.

* Print photo albums on your color printer
* Start with fabulous templates or create your own fully-customizable designs
* Import photos from iPhoto or any folder
* Make attractive page layouts and photo arrangements with ease
* Adorn your photos with fantabulous frames
* Enliven photos with captions, cropping, soft edges, and other effects
* Automate album creation with AppleScript
* Available in English, Japanese, German, Italian, and French