Creative Memories "Storybook Creator" software versus iPhoto Book

Have any of you compared the CM product that Creative Memories has for only PC users (or the Mac users who have PC too)?
I love that Storybook Creator software - and only wish that the iPhoto Book software had all the wonderful "themes" and the ability to have more text! It just frustrates me that CM has such a superior product but that it is not compatible with all the many Macs out there - unless you are luck enough to have the MacBook Pro - which I do. It is a big nusiance to export from iPhoto to a file that is shared with the PC side and then use those photos to import to my pictures and use them for a storybook.
Ahhhh - frustration!
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Similar Messages

Importing photos from Windows Creative Memories Software

I just got my wife a Macbook for Christmas and have successfully imported almost everything from her old PC. The one problem I have is that she invested a considerable amount of time labeling and organizing digital pictures on the PC using a Creative Memories Program called Memory Manager 2.0. Does anyone know how I can import this into iPhoto so the old work is not lost?

purth01:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Unless the CM program can write the metadata into the image files the keywords, comments and titles will not be retrievable. If your photos were organized by folder then each folder imported into iPhoto will result in an Event.
Happy New Year
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 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.

Importing Windows Creative Memories Files into iPhoto

I just got my wife a Macbook for Christmas and have successfully imported almost everything from her old PC. The one problem I have is that she invested a considerable amount of time labeling and organizing digital pictures on the PC using a Creative Memories Program called Memory Manager 2.0. Does anyone know how I can import this into iPhoto so the old work is not lost?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Perhaps your question would be better suited for the iPhoto '08 forum?
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1192
-Doug

When i am creating an iphoto book my pictures looks blurry, is it going to be like that on the real book or is just the software?

when i am creating an iphoto book my pictures looks blurry, is it going to be like that on the real book or is just the software?

What resolution are the photos? What size are the photo frames are you placing them in? Are you getting the yellow low resolution warning triangle on them?
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.
LN

DO NOT BUY AN IPHOTO BOOK!!!!!!!

I have been going at it with Apple now for over a month! I ordered a book and it came back with blank pages and with photos not scaled properly. (This was my second iPhoto book. The first one also had several minor printing flaws which we overlooked) I sent three emails via the iPhoto support page and received no replies. Apple promises a response within 48 hrs. Then some two weeks later they had the nerve to send me a survey thanking me for using the web support function and please rate "how we did!" You can only imagine how I responded. I next tried contacted a live person at Apple Care to help me out. I provided them my order number. They indicated that was not a valid order number. Turns out that Apple Care cannot track orders made through iPhoto! No one at Apple Care was even familiar with what an iPhoto book was. I then called Apple corporate hq's and spoke to a "customer care" rep. She assured me I would be contacted within 48 hrs (sound familiar) and my problem would be resolved. I heard nothing for over a week. Calls back to Ms. Graser of customer care were met by voice mail. Finally this week I received a canned response back from Apple. They noted that they would credit the charge back to my card. They also asked if I were interested in reordering my book and if so they would "assist" me. I replied that I was interested in trying to reorder the book. So what does Apple do? Without any further contact to find out why the book came back incomplete (such as a corrupt file or incomlete file transfer), they reprinted the same screwed up book and recharged my credit card for the full amount (including $15 for express shipping)!
BUYER BEWARE! Apple provides no support or quality control for this product. DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heidi,
Welcome to the forums, and I'm sorry about your book. I too have ordered a book very recently and also found several photos to be on the dark side, and several too red as well.
But I believe that there's a "but" here.
I don't know your professional background -- I work in the print industry (I design pages) and I know how hard it is to get the color correction on images just right, EVEN if your monitor is calibrated and your particular version of image processing software is optimized for use with your specific output device. And that's when a professional is behind the wheel, which I am not.
My iMac's monitor is not calibrated, I am not trained to make images look their best for reproduction, and I am using a consumer-level application. With a little bit of research on these forums (which you have done), anyone can find out that the reviews on the iPhoto books' quality are mixed... At the very least you'll know you're taking a calculated risk -- as you said yourself.
I would consider myself a picky customer, but I am not disappointed with the quality of these books, especially considering the price, and knowing how difficult and unpredictable color correction can be. If you have some photos that are good (even if it is only 25 out of 142), then I would suspect the problem is with the "pre-pressing" of these images, not the printing. If the printing was to blame, they would ALL be bad.
That said, I am still sorry about your negative experience. We anticipate these books to be great, and it's a bummer when they aren't.
Full disclosure: I am in fact asking for a refund as well on my recent book, and I too don't like the fact that there is no phone support for iPhoto orders. I sent my e-mail 24 hours ago, so it hasn't been 48 hours yet. The reason I am asking for a refund is not due to print quality (I think I am responsible for the color/darkness thing), but because my $57 softcover 8.5x11 book arrived in a flimsy envelope and got bent during shipping. The (cheaper) calendars I ordered the same day arrived in sturdy boxes, so the logic behind that escapes me.
Anyway. For the future, if you've got a project you really care about, I'd recommend spending a little extra and ordering a "test book" with the minimum amount of pages, using only your most challenging photos, so you'll know how to tweak them for the final book. If it matters that much, the extra money will be well-spent, and in the end, the price/quality factor of these one-of-a-kind books will still be more than acceptable.
Just my thoughts.
An

How to fix lost connections to original high-resolution pictures in iPhoto and how to import an iPhoto Book from one iPhoto library to another

Hi there,
I am using a MBP Pro with 8 GB cache and 1 TB HDD from beginning of 2011 with OS X Yosemite and iPhoto version 9.6 (910.29).
I created an iPhoto Book to print which contains my best pictures of 2013 and 2014. Then I got an error message when I wanted to print the book, saying (translated from German):
Book could not be created.
With photo p233432343.jpg there was an error. The original version of that photo with full resolution could not be found or is damaged. Please replace the photo or delete it from your book.
When I enquired further, I found out, that many, many pictures in my iPhoto library have that problem - only the thumbnail picture is found by iPhoto, but not the one with the high resolution. When looking at the photos in detail one sees that they are not sharp because obviously the photo book only refers to the thumbnail. When I went into the iPhoto Library using Finder, I saw that the original high res photos are still there. As there are an estimated 3000 photos with a lost connection (some still have, it but about 1/2 of my photos don´t), it does not make sense to import those photos manually. This photo book is just the tip of the iceberg, so to say.
Then I looked for solutions in some forums. I had two lPhoto libraries, one on my HDD (120GB) and one on an external HDD (175GB). Assuming there might be problems, I have deleted (moved) the one on my HDD, because the "right one" is the one on my external HDD and started iPHoto again using the alt key. But that did not work either.
I then tried to repair my iPhoto library using iPhoto Library Manager, and merged and rebuilt libraries. The library that came out was crap - all folders that had lost connections to the high resolution pictures now have zero photos in it. Also it is lacking the projects, including the photo book I created.
Then I went to find out if there is a way to import the iphoto book project from the old, corrupt library into the new, repaired library but could not find anything. It can only be exported as a file structure or website. As the file structure is missing the high res pictures, that does not even solve the "little" problem of the photobook.
I would REALLY appreciate your help on the two questions:
1- Can you advise what I need to to do to to get the connection to the high resolution photos established again ? As it is more than 3000 photos, I use an automated way of reestablishing that connection. Probably an answer to this question would make question 2 irrelevant.
2- Do you know if there is a way to export and import a book project created in iPhoto from one library to another ?

1 - Select the thumbnail of one of the problem photos and use the File ➙ Reveal in Finder ➙ Original menu option. This will take you to the folder containing the original file with that file selected by the Finder.
You can also use Find Any File to search for that file (get the file name from the Info pane in iPhoto). You will find the thumbnail version and maybe an edited version also. Made sure what is found is the large, original version and note were it's located. Search all of your drives with FAF just in case.
If you don't fine the full sized version then the only recourse is to use a file recovery application like SubrosaSoft FileSalvage on your drives to see if any of your full sized photos can be recovered. If you find enough files to make the purchase of the software worthwhile buy it and recover the files. However, since it may have been quite a while since you discovered the missing originals it seems unlikely you'll be able to recover any due to being overwritten.
2 - book projects are just entries in the library databases and can't be exported to another library.

What are the photo dimensions in the iPhoto book?

I'm scanning 35mm slides and want to know what size I should set my output. I'm looking in the iPhoto Help, but don't see anything about the printed page dimensions.
Currently, my scans show up in Photoshop's image window as: 4"x6", 256 dpi and 1500x1000 pixel size.
I think/hope this will be OK for 4, 3 and 2 images per page, but I want to rescan for the pages that will only have 1 picture.
Should I set my output to the actual physical size of the picture on the printed page of the book? If so does anyone know what the dimensions are for 1, 2, 3 and 4 per page?
Using VueScan software, I can set the input Scan Res from 300 to 4800 dpi. Is 600 dpi enough? Or should I go to 1200 or more?
My Canon LiDE 600F scanner says it handles up to 48 bit rate. Should I set the Bits to pixel to this?
Thanks for your assistance,
Steven

Steve:
Setting the print size in Vuescan will adjust the dpi of the resulting file so that the photo is set to print that size. The scan dpi is what sets the number of pixels to be created during the scan. The print size just adjusts those pixels in the file so that an application like Photoshop will read it as that print size and adjusts the dpi as read to fit that size. If the print size it larger than the scanned image the dpi will be less than the scan dpi. It the print size is smaller conversely the dpi will be greater than the scan size.
If you think that you might use a photo for a full page layout in the iPhoto book, 8.5 x 11, you would want to scan at a resolution that would give you 3300 pixels in the largest dimension. For a slide that would be 3300/1.4 or about 2400 dpi. The books are printed at 300 dpi so a 2200 dpi on the maximum dimension would fill the bill for nearly all but a full, one photo per page, layout. And then it would still come out pretty good.
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 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.

Unable to order iphoto books :(

Hi,
I've never had trouble ordering iphoto books before. In fact, I order one every year on our anniversary. This year, I have tried to order our iphoto book 5 times and each time it makes it to the uploading page and then freezes. I have to hardboot my computer in order to exit out of iphoto. Does anyone know if this is a software glitch or if there is a setting I need to change? I love ordering iphoto books and feel very discouraged
Thank you, Jenny

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.
If it is correct boot into safe mode and preview again (note that safe mode disables some fonts) and then order while in safe mode
LN

Using other apps to create iphoto book

I want to use indesign to create an iphoto book - just to give me some more control over text, layout etc. What are the dimensions of the page in the softcover book?

one thing I forgot to mention is that I'm in Australia and my only option is to burn the final pdf file to disc and post it off to the printer. While this could be seen as a hassle - it does allow me the added luxury of using other software to produce the book in - giving me additional options on layout etc. What I want to know is how much I should allow for the binding on the page. I have printed out pages on a dummy copy I have made in iphoto and the print comes out at 20 cm x 14.8 cm - which is a bit smaller than the 8 x 6 spec they mention on the specs for the soft cover. So I'm assuming that the additional .5 cm is for binding the book?

IPhoto book displaying corrupt pictures

I successfully ordered a number of calendars iLife 08. Image quality was great ... no complaints. HOWEVER, when I received my first hardcover book, I was surprised to see 8 photos displaying what appeared to be corrupt files.
Subsequently, with the help of Apple Photo Services, I have tried to determine what the problem may be with the photos or if the problem lies with IPhoto! I examined every photo, tried inserting them in various programs, ran some through PhotoShop and all appears well. I followed the following instructions from Apple:
Our engineers suggest the following troubleshooting steps. I hope
this will help resolve this issue and allow you to resubmit your
order:
1. Close iPhoto and use Software Update to install the latest
version of iPhoto and Mac OS. For more information on using
Software Update, see the article entitled
“Updating your software” at
docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh292.html
2. Once the installation is complete, launch iPhoto.
3. Select your book from the Source list on the left.
4. Select Print from the File menu.
5. Click the Preview button on the bottom left. This will create a
PDF of your book and display it using the Preview application.
If the PDF no longer shows corrupt images, you may resubmit your
book order by clicking the Buy Book button.
If the PDF still shows missing images, follow these steps:
1. Return to iPhoto and go to Page 25.
2. Press and hold the Control key while clicking on the appropriate
image. This should display a contextual menu.
3. From the contextual menu, select Edit Photo.
If you can see the photo after selecting Edit Photo, but the PDF
preview still does not display this image, please let us know by
replying to this email and we will investigate further.
If you cannot see the photo after selecting Edit Photo, or you get
a gray square with an “!” in the middle, then the original photo is
damaged or cannot be found. If you have a backup copy of the image
file, you can copy it back onto your computer and import it again
into your iPhoto book. If you do not have a backup copy of your
missing image, you may wish to replace the missing images with
other images prior to resubmitting your book.
Be sure to preview the PDF of your book (step 5 in the
“troubleshooting” section above) before resubmitting your order.
We hope this information helps. Thank you for being an Apple Print
Products customer. We appreciate your business.
To date,I have created saved 8 PDF's of the book file and each one shows different corrupt files while at the same time while in iPhoto, all the photos appear okay.
About to give up and either go back to an earlier iPhoto or just go to an alternate vendor.
Any help, suggestions or insight is appreciated. Is iPhoto 7. 1.1 really that buggy?
Bob

Robert:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. You may have a corrupt database file. Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select the first three options. This will rebuild the thumbnails as well as the database file. While you're at it you might as well select the option to repair permissions. See if that makes any difference.
Report back and we'll go from there.
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 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.

IPhoto Book Print - Rejected

Sirs
Could you please help me with an issue that I currently have with iPhoto.
As a Christmas Present for my 6 year old daughter, I have created an iPhoto book of our recent trip to EuroDisney. I completed the book and purchased it via the Apple Store in iPhoto.
However, I have today received an email stating as follows:
To Our Valued Apple Customer:
It appears that when your order was submitted to Apple, an error caused the
image file to be unreadable or unprintable. As a result, Apple is unable to
process your order and you will not be charged. We recommend the following
before submitting your order:
1. Update your software.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Make sure all applications are closed.
4. Open iPhoto or Aperture.
5. While all other applications are closed, preview your print product as a
PDF.
6. Resubmit your order.
While previewing and resubmitting your order, make sure all other applications
are closed. For instructions on how to update your software, refer to:
Mac OS X - Updating your software
<http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1338>
I have checked the version of my MacBook - it is OS X 10.7 and I have checked the version of my iPhoto - it is 9.1.5. When selecting purchase in iPhoto, it is stating that I need to upgrade to 9.2.3. However, when I attempt to check for new updates in iPhoto itself, it is stating that my version is the latest version. Furthermore, checking for software updates via the Apple logo does not bring up any update for iPhoto nor does any updates in my Application Store.
It seems as if I require an update but there are no ways in which I can update this.
Could someone please advise / assist as I desperately want to get this book printed.
Many Thanks
Paul

If you update your system to 10.7.5 with the OS X Lion Update 10.7.5 (Client Combo) and OS X Lion 10.7.5 Supplemental Update updaters you can update your iPhoto version all the way to 9.4.2 thru the updaters availailable here: Apple - Support - Downloads-iPhoto 9.
But that's no guarantee that will fix the problem. If the problem image appears OK in a PDF preview of the book it should, as Larry pointed out, print out OK. If it doesn't look OK in the PDF preview file export it out of iPhoto, open in Preview and export as a new, JPEG file. Import it back into iPhoto, add to the book and replace the problem file with the newly created one. Then create a new PDF file of the book and check that photo.
OT

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

I have produced (7) hard cover iPhoto books in the last three years and would like to create a using a custom photo arrangement if possible.

I have produced (7) hard cover iPhoto books in the last three years using several of the provided templates. I would like to create a photo book using a custom photo arrangement if possible. Is it possible to create a custom photo book?

No - you can create custom pages in other software and use them
Using iPhoto you are limited to the themes adn layouts offered
LN

IPhoto book - resolution questions

What resolution should I use to scan in my printed 4x6 photos to get the best result from iPhoto book? Is 300 ppi sufficient, or should I use 400 or higher? Don't want to scan higher than needed since the files are quite large. Don't know what the resolution is of the printer used by Apple.
Also, is it still the case that I should make sure photos are first cropped to 4x3 for best results? I have the latest version of iLife 5.
Thanks for advice!
Tara

Jeff - thanks so much for your reply - very helpful. I'm scanning them all in at 600 dpi to give me options of printing some large.
Another question - does anyone have experience with making photo albums from other programs/services? Are they all about the same in terms of quality? From the few I've checked out, they all look pretty much the same (as advertised) so I'm guessing they are using similar printers/processes and that quality would be about the same. In which case, I can go ahead and be confident that even though I will use iPhoto book because I am a die-hard Mac user and iPhoto is so easy to use, I'm not losing out on a better quality book that might be available through another software/service.
Thanks again for advice - can't wait to make my first iPhoto album of pre-digital camera baby pics for my now 6-year old. I made one for my boss last year that came out great but all the pics came from digital cameras.
Tara

IPhoto books too light and/or inconsistent???

Hello, Has anyone figured out if the general consensus is that the iphoto books are printing light? An order of 30 medium softcover came out light and also inconsistent from book to book. The hardcover seemed not too light and looked better.
What are others experience, as I would like to try a fix and make all the photos slightly darker and perhaps a bit more saturated....
Any thoughts??
THANKS!

I too have had this problem. I have ordered about 10 large books in the past and the photos were vivid and really looked pretty good. But the ones I received about 2 weeks ago were grainy and the images were really washed out. Funny thing is that I also ordered some single prints of the same pics used in the album and they are gorgeous and clear (very saturated!!). I realize the printing process is different with the books vs. the prints, but this was a tremendous difference. I did email support and they refunded me my $90.00 within 3 days of my email with no questions asked.
I have been reading a lot of these posts with a lot of suggestions for "tweaking" preferences, etc., but I'm convinced that there is a problem with the Apple printing or the software upgrades because I have not changed my equipment - the only thing that has changed is the version of iphoto I'm using. There is no other explanation for having 10 books look great and the newest ones looking so bad! I really like having the books and I hope Apple will resolve this soon.
So as to your question about making the photos slightly darker.........well, you still run the risk of receiving another bad book.
Powerbook Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Creative Memories "Storybook Creator" software versus iPhoto Book

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