Print quality / resolution for iPhoto books

Hi -
I am getting ready to upload my first iPhoto book for printing, and a colleague told me to beware of a potential issue. After searching these forums, and searching Google, I found that people in the past (perhaps prior to iPhoto '08?) have had print quality problems when printing 8.5 x 11 books vs. 6x10 books.
Basically, we are creating an 8.5 x 11 book and will have several books printed by Apple. At some point in the future, we will make similar books at the 6x10 size. Will the photos that are included in the books print at similar quality?
Thanks -

I have ordered books in the past that were made up of photos 1600 x 1200 pixels in dimension and they came out fine. HOWEVER, I had no pages with a photo filling the entire page as Larry warned about.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.≤br>
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Similar Messages

Low budget image proofing for iPhoto book order

Hello!
I want to prepare my photos the best I can for iPhoto book ordering (Christmas present for family).
I have a Dell U2711 attached to a Mac Mini running OS X 10.6.8 and iPhoto '11 9.2.1. and a Canon Selphy CP520 dye sub printer which I thought to use as a precheck of what my JPG sRGB images would look like when printed in a book.
Here's my headache:
If I set up the monitor and calibrate the display profile as suggested in post #1 under this thread then such setup makes me color correct the photos by RADICALLY pushing the midtone slider in the levels adjustments to the left (brightening the picture). Prints that come out of the Selphy under this setup are a perfect match to what I see on the monitor and that is wonderful. However, I hesitate to order a book using such images because they appear far too bright on an iMac for example. (Perhaps I should mention that Google logo in Safari looks like its on steroids in this setup).
On the other hand, if I set up the monitor as it came from factory (PC gamma, standard preset), and use the default DELL U2711 display profile in SystemPreferences, then pictures look relatively ok on screen without any radical color correction. But prints that come out of Selphy with this setup don't match what is on the display, prints are too dark, and again I hesitate to order a book with such images.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Mato

Yes - don't try so hard and use your Mac and iPhoto - not a PC
iPhoto is designed as a consumre level program for point and shoot comeras - many people (including me) report excellent results using it that way - load sRGB photos form a digital camera and do minimal processing on them - never do major color adjustments - using iPhoto - preview rthe book -
Before ordering your book preview it using this method - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1040 - and save the resulting PDF for reference - the delivered book will match it.
and order
Apples comments on this are here
Of the negative comments posted here nearly all of them were from people who spend lots of time and energy adjusting photos trying to second guess the printing process and failing to do so - Apple does have an unconditional sastisfaction guarentee - do it the simple way - less is more in this case
LN

What is optimal computer monitor resolution for iPhoto?

what is optimal computer monitor resolution for iPhoto, please? I have a G5 imac and am getting a message that the screen reslution is not optimal.
Thanks.

mine is set to 1680 x 1050 and I have never seen that message
set it to the highest resolution (that is what I have)
LN

Screen resolution for iPhoto

Screen resolution for iPhoto-I keep getting the message when I open iPhoto,"screen resolution not optimal for iPhoto". How do I find what is the optimal resolution?

See this previous discussion
Re: When I open iPhoto I get on the screen The currant screen resolution is not optimal for iPhoto

Print quality preference for HP 6500

The default print quality preference for the HP 6500 seems to be "medium" which obviously uses more ink. how does one rest the preference to "one star" or draft quality print?
Thanks.

Please read this post then provide some details. What operating system?
Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button ------------V
If my answer was helpful please click the "Thumbs Up" to say "Thank You"--V

PDF Preview quality is horrible for iPhoto book!

I created an 82 page iphoto book with several photos and some text and when I preview the order in PDF the quality is distored in various ways every time I try it! I even did a software update and reconfigured iphoto! And the problem then is that this PDF quality is what is meant to be your final product once it is ordered!

Boot into Safe Mode and try again.
Regards
TD

Custom page layouts for iPhoto books- bleeds and type

I've been digging through the forum for info on creating custom page layouts. I have the basics: print PDF (to capture the page BG and graphics elements), manipulate in PhotoShop and place the custom page as a full page photo.
How does iPhoto deal with bleeds? Since I'm trying to recreate the style of the other pages I'd like it to match.
Is all type in an iPhoto book rasterized? The printed PDF retains type. Will rasterized type in PS layouts match "native" text in iPhoto?
I haven't purchased a book yet and I'm wondering if the book is sent to Apple as a PDF with vector data. If that's the case can custom pages be inserted into the PDF with vector type intact?
Thanks all!
rg

gatz:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. I don't know much about bleeds but you can manipulate it in the iPhoto preference file with Pref Setter.
Regarding the rasterized type, you'll have to give it a try and then create a pdf of the book to check it out. In iPHoto 5 we used to be able to get a copy of the pdf file that was uploaded to Apple but in V6 that's not possible. I think the pdf file may be the same as we get when creating it via Print to PDF. Here's the info I received from Apple about book quality and materials:
I contacted Apple and asked for information that I could pass on. Here's the reply I received from Apple:
"Thank you for contacting the Apple Print Products Customer Service.
I understand that you would like to know the printing process that is used and the color mode the files should be in, so you can better advise users in the iPhoto forum.
iPhoto version 4 or later, allows you to import and print files through the Apple Print Product service as RGB, grayscale, or CMYK color space. JPEG files with RGB color space are recommended for best results.
While iPhoto 2 can import files of various formats, including RGB color, grayscale, and CMYK, this version requires JPEG files with RGB color space when printing photos and books.
For more information regarding iPhoto 2, please visit the following article:
iPhoto: Color, Black and White Prints Appear Garbled or Distorted
For more information regarding iPhoto 5, please visit the following article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=165501
Here are some of the technical specifications for the books, cards, and calendars. I hope this gives you an idea about their quality and form.
BOOKS
All iPhoto books are printed using acid-free paper for long-lasting image quality. The photos are printed at a high resolution (300DPI if you use iPhoto 6). There is no external modification--such as sharpening or contrast adjustment--of the photos; what you see in the application is what is printed in the book.
Hardcovers Books
The cover is hard-bound and covered in linen. You select the linen color during the book-ordering process. The hardcover books have a solid, stiff binding that is glued and crimped. The internal pages, measuring 8.5 x 11 inches, are printed on McCoy 100# Text Gloss paper stock.
Softcover Books
The softcover books come in three sizes:
- Large 8.5 x 11 inches
- Medium 6 x 8 inches
- Small 2.6 x 3.5 inches
All of the softcover books have internal pages that are printed on McCoy 100# Text Gloss paper stock. The large softcover book has a white cover (Kromekoteplus Folding Cover, 16 point) with a cutout on the front that reveals the cover-page photo in the book. The covers for the medium and small softcover books have the cover image and title printed directly on the cover. All of the softcover books have a glued binding and feature a thick cover of McCoy 100# Cover Gloss paper stock.
CARDS
All cards are printed on McCoy 120# Silk Cover paper stock. The postcards measure 4 x 6 inches, and the greeting cards measure 5 x 7inches.
CALENDARS
All calendars measure 8 x 10 inches and are printed on McCoy 100# Silk Cover paper stock.
To ensure the best print quality, we have chosen to use Kodak NexPress technology. The press uses a dry toner, which is fused to the surface of the paper. Please see NexPress' site for more information:
KODAK NEXPRESS 2500 Digital Production Color Press
I hope you find this information helpful in answering questions on the iPhoto forum."
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Print quality difference between iphoto and aperture...?

when ordering books, is there a print quality difference between using iPhoto and Aperture? or are they sent to the same lab?
it's possible i may have some setting wrong, but when i order a book using iphoto, i never really feel the quality is that great. it's good, i just feel it could be a lot better. the print quality sort of reminds me of newsprint, albeit high quality newsprint. similar sized prints made at home on my basic 3-in-1 printer look better.
thanks...

Previews are what you view on your display. When you import a photo into Aperture (and I'm pretty sure iPhoto as well), your computer automatically generates a preview for quick viewing. The original images are stored in your library, but it is the preview that you see.
In Aperture, you are able to set the size and quality of these previews. When sharing photos between Aperture and iPhoto, the process is as follows:
Let's say that your images are stored in Aperture, but you also want to be able to view them in iPhoto without taking up too much room on your hard drive. Essentially, if you were to import the originals into iPhoto as well, you would be storing two exact, yet separate copies of the same image on your hard drive. As you are aware, with large images (whether JPEG's, and especially RAW) this would put quite a tax on your storage capacity after not too long.
So, you have your images in one or the other (in this case Aperture), but you want to play around with them in iPhoto. What you can do, is open iPhoto, go to the File menu and then select, Show Aperture Library. This will open a window with all of the contents of your Aperture Library. You can then drag any images you want into iPhoto . The only thing is, you are not dragging the original JPEG's, but rather, the previews of those images. If you have those previews set to a lower quality (again for capacity concerns), you will only have lower quality and lower detailed images in iPhoto. These images might not be ideal, or even suitable for printing high quality prints. The previews that you generate in Aperture though can be adjusted to be extremely high quality with no size limits.
My thinking was that since you mentioned Aperture, it sounded like you had experience with working with it and with ordering a photo book through Aperture. I guess you were saying that you ordered via iPhoto, weren't happy with the quality and were wondering if Aperture created books were better.
Anyway, if this is the case, I cannot answer that for you. I have never ordered a book through Aperture. If the quality of your images is good, you should be able to get a decent product no matter where you order it from. There is not doubt that the materials used and the print shop that does the work makes a difference, but if your images are good, you should still get a decent product through iPhoto. Perhaps iPhoto isn't the way to go though if you have had poor experiences with them.
If you haven't used Aperture yet, I would highly recommend it though aside from the photo book aspect of this thread. It is a stellar product.
I hope this helps.
Message was edited by: macorin

Decline in quality in small iPhoto book?

Up until this year, I've always been really happy with the books that I've ordered from Apple. I typically do two small iPhotos books each year with photos of my daughter. Back in March, I had problems with my Fall/Winter book. The bindings were defective. In some places, the pages had glue on them. In others, the binding seemed to "crack" and peel away from the pages. I received very good customer service and had the books reprinted (several times), but they were never as well-made as they had been in previous years. I recently printed my Spring/Summer book and have similar issues with the bindings. On my first batch, the binding seemed too thick--that is, about a half inch of my picture was lost in the center binding. I wasn't happy about it but figured that maybe that was the only way the printer could get these little books to stay together. I needed a few more copies of the book, so I ordered three more. These copies had the opposite problem--like my Fall/Winter books, these books didn't seem to have enough glue/binding. As I opened them, the binding seemed to crack and peel away from the pages. I'm concerned that the pages will fall out over time. Again, Apple customer service was excellent, and the books were reprinted for free. Has anyone else had similar quality problems with the small books? Back in March, I sent copies of the defective books back to Apple so they could see the problem, but the situation doesn't seem to have improved. I'm so bummed, because I love these little books. Any suggestions?

1. no, the first image is specs for the 2 combined files after output from FCPX (not the original motion file). one of the two original files is:
2. Media Inspector is this: http://mediainspector.massanti.com the Mac full report file analyzer. it calls the final output file (not from motion, but from FCPX after the project has been made with the 720x480 import from Motion used as it's default event, the two (one of which is referenced above) files imported as PR422, paired and exported as h.264:
3. no, the "try again..." file is not from Motion. I made a 720x480 from Motion to use as default event. Made a 720x480 Anamorphic project in FCPX, added the two files i've been calling 704x480 (but which now that i look at the top pic i guess are 640x480), crop their sides (but not top/bottom!) to fit neatly side by side, and export in h.264 last named "try again... etc".
objective: determine why the paired PR422 files look like crap exported in h.264 as opposed to just one singular one exported in h.264.

Print quality tip for Epson printers with wifi

Just wanted to post a resolution to a print quality problem we were having with an Epson Artisan 730.
I discovered that if we cnnected via wifi the printer driver used offered much lower quality and fewer options then we were used to under Snow Leopard.
When I connected via USB the print dialog offered addtional options and more control over quality and color management.
Seems very strange to me so i thought I would point it out.
Jeff

I just had to go into system preferences for the printer and click on the printer and then click on sharing preferences and type in my computer name. Then turn off the computer and turn it back on again and the printer now WORKS. Amazing.
That solved the same problem for me also. I had already gone into Time Machine and put back the old Epson files that were changed by the update, but that didn't fix the problem. Typing the computer name fixed it.

Fonts for iPhoto book

I would like to use a special font in my iPhoto book (hardcover large size). When I Preview the book, the font shows up as it should, but I'm not sure if it gets embedded in the document sent to Apple when you go "Buy Book" or not.
Also, books are generally printed only in sets of 4 pages (4 sides). Mine comes to a number that is a multiple of 4, but the dustcover and outside cover are included in that number. Will Apple automatically insert white pages to make up the difference? or should I add 2 more pages?
Thank you for your help!!

Greetings,
I would like to use a special font in my iPhoto book (hardcover large size). When I Preview the book, the font shows up as it should, but I'm not sure if it gets embedded in the document sent to Apple when you go "Buy Book" or not.
Preview your book before you place your order. In general, what you see is what you get: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1040
Also, books are generally printed only in sets of 4 pages (4 sides). Mine comes to a number that is a multiple of 4, but the dustcover and outside cover are included in that number. Will Apple automatically insert white pages to make up the difference? or should I add 2 more pages?
As long as your book is within the Min/Max number of pages listed here, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3412, whatever you see in iPhoto is what you will get in the printed version of the book (as far as number of pages goes)
Hope that helps.

Poor resolution on iPhoto book

I just ordered the large softbound iPhoto Book from Apple and am very disappointed with the poor resolution of the photos. My original files were 1280x960. Is there any way to find out if my photos are being uploaded at the highest possible res? I've read other posts about changing preferences, but haven't been able to figure out how to do that at my end.
Thanks!

Emily:
The easiest way I've found to modify preference files is with Pref Setter. Once you've located and opened the iPhoto preference file do a search for "dpi". Then change the values for the Keys BookTargetImageDIP, BookTargetSmallImageDIP and BookTargetMediumImageDIP to 300. Save and close Pref Setter. That's it.
It's interesting that you found the large book images to be poor. There was another user that received large books from both the east and west coasts. He found the east coast book to be of lower image resolution (greater halftone pattern) than that from the west coast. All of my large size books have come from the west coast and have been very good, with or without the resolution change in the preference file. Not so with the medium size books. There were patterned no matter what resolution was set in the preferences.
Good luck.

Binding Quality of Hardcover iPhoto Books

I'm interested to hear of the experiences of other iPhoto users with the new hardcover iPhoto books. I just received a new hardcover book I made for my wife. The book looks beautiful and the printing is great. However, the binding seems to be a little flimsy, with the back flyleaf pulling away from the cover. Since this is all that holds the pages between the covers, I'm concerned that the pages may eventually fall out. The last time I ordered a hardcover book from Apple was in 2003, and that book had cloth-covered boards and the binding system seemed much sturdier.
I am currently working on a large iPhoto book that will contain even more pages (more than 50 double-sided sheets) than the one I just received. This is to be a Christmas gift for a relative and I want to order it with a hardcover. However, if the binding is unreliable, I would consider a spiral-bound version instead.
Does anyone here have an opinion about Apple's hardcover binding?

Michael
Welcome to the Apple user to user assistance forums.
I am happy with the binding - I have books from both iPhoto '08 and '09 and have had no problems with either - if your binding is unacceptable I'm sure Apple will correct it - http://www.apple.com/support/photoservices/returns/
I've not seen a single post here about pages falling out since I've been involved - do a search of the forum to verify for yourself
LN
Message was edited by: LarryHN

Jpeg size for iphoto books?

Hi, have found that some of my jpegs are to small in size to print properly for books. Does anyone know what size is best for making books?

The best size is as large as you can get. iPhoto will
Default DPI Settings in iPhoto 7's Preference File
BookTargetDPI - 300
BookTargetMediumDPI-300
BookTargetSmallDPI - 300
BookWarningImageDPI - 180
PrintImageDPI - 720
PrintWarningImageDPI - 140
So if the photo you put in a frame will be printer at less than 180 dpi you'll get the warning label. A photo might give you that warning at a full page frame but will be OK in a 2 photo/page frame. I've have photos print with that warning and they looked OK. What are the pixel dimensions of your smallest photo. The smallest I've used is 1600 x 1200 and created a whole book with that size. I did not have any full page photos however.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Looking for iPhoto book template for Aperture

I created a photobook in iPhoto and now need to add a few things that iPhoto wont permit ie images in places that are not on the templates. Therefore, I am trying Aperture since it allows me to modify templates. So, I now need to recreate a template in Aperture that is the same as the one I used in iPhoto. To speed everything up, I am looking to see if I can install the templates from iPhoto. If so, that would save me lots of work. Actually, if I could only import the photobook from iPhoto, that would be even better!
So, does anyone know where I can get the templates/themes that are in iPhoto and how do I install them in Aperture?

That is not a possibility - but you can do a page layout in Aperture (or any other program) and print it to PDF using the send PDF to iPhoto option to send an option of it to iPhoto and then add it to the iPhoto book as a full page photo
LN

Print quality / resolution for iPhoto books

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