Frequently Asked Questions

Creating a My Reflections photobook is a matter of downloading the Photobook Designer software and installing this on your computer.

You then select the type of book you wish to create. Drag a template onto the page, drag  images onto the template and add any text you desire.

Please see our Tutorials for online videos that demonstrate how easy Photobook Designer is to use.

Photobook Designer is Microsoft Windows based software. To run it you will need the following:

• Windows XP or greaterPentium III or better
• 512 MB or more memory
• A minimum screen setting of 800x600 (Although 1024 x 768 is recommended)
• A broadband internet connection or a CD burner
• Microsoft .NET 2.0

Photos should be scanned at 300 dpi unless you require a larger printed size, in which case a higher dpi should be used.

For instance, if you scan a 6x4 photo and you wish to have it printed as an 8x10, then a resolution of around 600 should be used.

Layouts should be saved as 300 dpi and created in the size you wish to print.

A page is one side of the paper and a leaf is a sheet of paper.

For example, 20 leaves would equal 40 pages.

Yes we do, we use a process black to do this.

Your photobook will be printed using the latest high quality digital press process.

My Reflections currently prints using the award winning HP Indigo 5500

We use high quality 170 gsm silk finish paper, which is recommended for use with the printer.

Yes if your other program can save your pages as a Jpg or Tiff at 300 dpi then you can simply drop the pages into our Photobook Designer program as a full page image.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements are popular choices. Scrapbooking programs like Scrapbook Max, Digital Scrapbook Artist and FotoFusion are easier to learn and allow you to create flattened jpg files.

Yes we can print from PDF files.

Simply check the sizes and number of pages on our products page and design your book in your preferred program. Then create your book and ensure you keep the outside 3mm clear for trimming. Also leave at least 5mm clear for the binding edge.

You will need to supply print files with 3mm bleed. So for example if you are wanting an A4 Landscape book, whose page size is 297mm wide, by 210mm high, the print page size will need to be 303mm wide by 216mm high

Files must be flattened and contain NO trim line indicators.

15mm is advisable for text to read easily in the centre binding area.

Output your PDF book file for 300 dpi print quality. Then upload through the following link http://www.myreflections.com.au/upload.aspx

Unfortunately we are not able to work with any file provided if it does not meet all of the above criteria

Please contact our office if you have any questions or any clarification is required.

Please email orders with your name, address, plus colour, size and number of books.

If your file does not meet our print specifications we will not send it to print, there unfortuantely can be no exceptions to this rule.

We use industry standard methods for binding our photobooks.

All books smaller than A3 size are bound using PUR glue. This glue is a highly flexible, strong glue that is not susceptible to cracking. A flysheet is used to adhere the book block to the inside cover.

Our A3 books utilise stitch binding techniques, this requires two flysheets to be used in the book for to ensure a quality finish.

The use of flysheets means that the professional finish displays your first and last page as a white artstock flysheet.

The red cross is the warning indicator that your image is under 125 dpi for the size you want to print it at.

This indicator means that you are more than likely going to see softness or pixelation in the printed result. It is advisable that you reduce the size of the photo using the square drag handles until the red cross disappears.

The red cross will not print in your book, it is on screen indicator only. To learn more see our tutorials.

The yellow triangle is an infromational indicator that your image is under 300dpi for the size you want to print it at.

This is only an indicator that your print is less than the most optimal print resolution. Prints at this resolution will still print well. If you continue to increase the size of the photo you may see the Red Cross, this indicates there will be a problem printing, see the FAQ item above.

The yellow triangle will not print in your book, it is on screen indicator only. To learn more see our tutorials.

The grey area around the edge of the page is a bleed and binding zone indicator

The thicker grey area on the right or left side of the page shows which side of the page will be the bound edge. The thinner area around the other 3 edges of the page show the bleed or trim area.

Any text placed in this area will be either lost in the binding, or stands a very high likelihood of being trimmed. We highly recommend leaving text at least 2-4mm from the bleed and binding area.

The grey area around the edge of the cover is slighty different to the that of the pages, this is the guide for where the cover will wrap around the book.

Around 14mm of your cover will wrap to the inside of the book.

If you are wanting an image to fully wrap around the cover we suggest you let the image bleed into the cover wrap area at least 7mm (or half way) into the wrap indicator.

We highly recommend leaving text at least 2-4mm from the cover wrap area, to avoid it being wrapped around the cover.

Absolutely, you may have any number of different page colours you like. You can even use photos as backgrounds for your pages. We also have backgrounds and embellishments available to really make your page stand out.

To learn more on how to use Photobook Designer, see our tutorials.

Yes you can. Adding extra photos onto the page is as easy as selecting the 'Add New Picture' toolbar button and drawing your new picture box on the page. Then drop your new picture into the box.

To learn more on how to use Photobook Designer, see our tutorials.

After creating your photobook using Photobook Designer you will generate an album file that needs to be sent to My Reflections for printing.

If you have broadband you can do this online, (you can do it with a dialup connection, however the files generated by Designer are typically over 20 megabytes and this would take a long time), or alternatively you can put the file on CD and send that to us. Payment can be made online or via direct payment.

Once we have received your file and payment we will print, bind and deliver your book back to you using Australia Air Express.

The My Reflections Photobook software creates rpb files, which are the files you open each time you wish to view or work on your book. When you are ready to generate your finished book, the My Reflections Photobook software creates a file, which you then send to My Reflections for printing.

You can do this by uploading it if you have broadband, or by creating a CD and posting it to My Reflections.

You will be able to view the a low resolution PDF file for final proofing.

Yes you may order as many as you like.

My Reflections uses Westpac Banks Payway system to process payments online.

You can pay by credit card online, My Reflections accepts Visa and Mastercard. Alternatively your can send us a cheque or pay by direct bank deposit.

Please refer to the Products page for current prices.

Your Photobook will be dispatched within 5-9 working days from when payment is received.

90% of Photobook orders are dispatched within 3-4 days of payment being received.

We recommend that customers allow the full 9 days for dispatch.

Because each Photobook is a personalised, one off product, we cannot absolutely guarantee delivery timeframes

Delivery is dependant on your location. Please see the 'How long does postage take' FAQ item below.

My Reflections uses the Australian Air Express network to dispatch all books.

Australian Air Express is generally next day delivery, from when your item is dispatched from our production facility.

We've had specially designed cardboard packaging developed to ensure maximum protection for your photobook.

In the very unlikely event you have any problems with a book, you must contact us within 7 days from the dispatch date. If it's required to have the book returned this must happen within 14 days of dispatch date.

We do not currently ship orders outside of Australia.