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.

Similar Messages

Giving Apple Feedback on poor quality printing of iPhoto Books

Hi,
I just filled out the feedback form to let Apple know I am not happy with quality of new printing on iPhoto Books. As I know I am not alone, and many people on this board have posted their frustration and disappointment, please post and give Apple feedback so we can hopefully get better books.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html
Thanks!

Hi,
I just filled out the feedback form to let Apple know I am not happy with quality of new printing on iPhoto Books. As I know I am not alone, and many people on this board have posted their frustration and disappointment, please post and give Apple feedback so we can hopefully get better books.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html
Thanks!

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.

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

IPhoto Book linescreen, resolution, and color space

to maximize the quality of the iPhoto book I plan to preparemy image files, but I need to know some things about the printing process. Does anybody know the following for the production of the Large iPhoto books:
linescreen
print resolution
colorspace
ANY accepted file types (16 bit layered Tiffs, JPG, or other)
and possibly dot gain (?)
Anybody using Pixel Genius' PhotoKit Sharpener to prepare their files? If so which output sharpeneing settings did you use?
Thanks

Joe:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. I'll try to answer those that I can.
Linescreen - not familiar with that term but read a while ago that 150 lpi printers were used. Don't know if that's related or not. Also there seems to be a difference (for large book at least) between those printed at the West coast site and those from the East coast site. The west coast books were reported better.
Print resolution - large books are printed at 150 dpi. However, you can change the dpi resolution of the pdf file that gets created for uploading and printing as follows:
Method to increase the print resolution for books:
1 - download and run Pref Setter.
2 - open the iPhoto preference file from within Pref Setter.
3 - locate the Keys titled BookTargetMediumImageDPI, BookTargetSmallImageDPI and BookTargetImageDPI.
4 - change their current values to 300.
5 - save and quit Pref Setter.
Colorspace - I've used sRGB but don't know if that's the optimal one. My results have been OK in my mind.
Files accepted - all those you've listed are acceptable. Tiff file shouldn't have alpha layers as iPhoto doesn't play well with them.
Dot gain - don't know what that is.
For sharpening of those I've sharpened I used Photoshop's Unsharp Mask filter.

IPhoto Book Quality

I am interested in hearing about other peoples experiances with the print quality of thier iPhoto 6 books.
I have ordered two iPhoto books, the first about a year and half ago with iPhoto v5 came out spectacularly. The most recent I just received today ordered via iPhot v6. I am not to happy with. It has the following problems...
1. Washed out colors. Several of the photos have distinctly muddled colors. This washed out effect is not consistant and varies from photo to photo.
2. Blurry photos. The printing process has severely blurred some photos as if the print heads of the printer where misaligned.
3. Banding. Several of the photos indicate print banding such that occurs on low end inkjets.
4. Print artifacts. Several pages contain marks and blemishes in the white borders and margins.
I have emailed support asking to retun the book but beyond that does anyone have ideas of things I could do to get a better quality print out? Thanks.
- C. Thomas

thomas_c:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. I've had very good luck with book but others have experienced what you have to some extent or another. It's probable that your book is a on time error and you should contact Apple and ask for a refund - http://www.apple.com/support/iphoto/customerservice/orderbooks/. Apple has been very good at correcting such problems.
Regarding quality of the books and materials the following is what I received back from Apple regarding an email asking about material and print quality:
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.

Exporting iphoto book quality

What is the quality of the photos exported to PDF from iphoto? I'm having a professional lab print up my photo book but I would like to select them from iphoto and give them a general idea of layout using the photo book in iphoto. However, I'm concerned about giving them the highest quality photos. It would be much easier to select the photos in iphoto book and burn to disc than finding and exporting.

scubanut:
Are you going to provide the layout to the printer in the form of a pdf of the book?
From what I've gathered iPhoto uses 300 dpi for it's books. If you look at the iPhoto preference file with Pref Setter and search for dpi you can see the settings for the various sizes of books.
There are several good threads on Apple's book quality, materials, etc. I asked Apple about book quality back when iPhoto 6 was the latest version and here's their response to me:
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."
Also, see Dusky's response in this thread. He's a ditigal press operator and gives some insight on how the books are printed. http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3751865&#3751865.
Happy Holidays
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.

I want to order a second copy of an iPhoto book. Thought created in the smaller format only the larger format is showing. How can I switch an existing iPhoto book back to the smaller format?

I want to order a second copy of an existing iPhoto book. Though created in the smaller format now only the larger format is showing. How can I switch an existing iPhoto book back to the smaller format?

To change a book size duplicate it (select the book in the source pane and press command and D) since text flow and picture placements can change due to the size differences - then click on change themes, select the same theme and the new size
check it carefully
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

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

IPhoto book low quality warning?

I've created an iPhoto book. I'm ready to buy it but I get a warning that some of the photos are too low quality for the type of book I've chosen. Yet all photos were imported at 300dpi and there's no warning on any one photo that the quality is low. How do I determine which photo(s) are the low quality ones?

I've created an iPhoto book. I'm ready to buy it but I get a warning that some of the photos are too low quality for the type of book I've chosen. Yet all photos were imported at 300dpi and there's no warning on any one photo that the quality is low. How do I determine which photo(s) are the low quality ones?
digital photos do not have a "DPI" until you select a size to print them - See The Myth of DPI for additional information.
someplace in the book you have places a photo which will not be at least 180 dpi when printed at the size frame you placed it in - if you have carefully gone through the book and do not see and low res warnings it is possible that there is a full page photo behind another full page photo - this can make it difficult to find
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
Message was edited by: LarryHN

Quality ? iPhoto Book vs. Koday Easyshare

Has anyone compared books from these two services? I've received prints from Easyshare (formerly Ofoto), and they've been excellent - no books yet.
The one book I got from iPhoto was not so hot - but I have read about the resolution settings that one can adjust if necessary.
Thanks

For recommendations for books and instructions on resetting the dpi before ordering see this: http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@@.68ba5c75
and this: Old Toad, "Dissapointed with quality of pictures in book-help?" #6, 11:36am Jul 31, 2005 CDT
Be sure to track all the threads.

Digital Camera for great iPhoto book quality

I want to start making iPhoto books, calendars, and cards and was looking to buy a new digital camera in order to do this. I was wondering how many megapixels I should get in order to ensure high quality pictures when I have the books printed out.
Thanks

..... Be happy with your budget. I had a nice Canon that sold for under $300, as I recall. My pictures and videos came out looking wonderful, I feel. (So did others) Unfortunately, it was eventually ruined, by my very hard use under awful weather conditions. I wasn't always careful. It just went off to recycling heaven.
Shooting nature shots, I must say that I did see other people's pictures that were better than mine. Gosh knows how much those big cameras with telephoto lenses and super-fast shooting cost.
Those cameras are almost unfair competition, since these people could simply put the camera on auto, aim at a moving subject and start shooting multiple pics per second. Of course one of them would catch this or that bird in flight with a fish in its mouth, for example. Fantastic Picture! Yet, it was the camera that made the pic, not the photographer, IMHO.
Eventually, I just called them nature paarazzi, and enjoyed myself despite some rude laughter at my real mistakes. Still is fun. Some photographers are just cruel, but that's different story.

Changing quality of iphoto books

some time ago i asked here to change the dpi number in iphoto pref file to get a better quality for iphoto books..
someone suggested me an application to dit that file,but now I can't remeber its name..can u tell me the name of thi app?
probably it was something like pref setter..but I could remember bad

Hello, Lorenzo,
It IS Pref setter. You can look through this thread for more details: Nick LDN, "Editing the .plist - better books..?", 02:52pm Mar 1, 2005 CDT

Iphoto books have received bad raps years ago... is it still risky business. Are the pages glossy? matte? quality ok?

after reading negative posts concerning iphoto books I wonder if the service has improved?

Guess only you can answer that - I see the comments here being overwhelmingly positive - and that is amazing on a forum devoted to problems rather than successes
All of mine have been great
printing depends on where you are
the paper specs are here
LN

IPhoto books and Photoshop

Hello,
I have assembled my first book and had it printed as a folio medium and large soft cover book. I discovered this forum after having sent the books up to Apple to be printed so these books have not benefited from the archived wisdom of everyones comments. Sure enough the medium book shows the half tone quality problems in the non full page images. I am hoping that I can improve the quality of my books for the next try.
Issues with the Medium sized book;
Image quality on the non full page images (I have since downloaded pref setter and made the adjustments as described in another post- one setting was at 300 dpi and the other two I changed from 150 to 300)
Issues with the large book
There was no separation between images on pages with two images. The small book had a narrow white space separating the two images. Is there any way to make sure that that line is there in the big book? (it did not show up in my pdf preview of the book)
Are there any tricks for improving image quality in the big book? I should say that my images are from and Olympus C8080 and they are jpgs 240 dpi 13.6" x 10.2"
Issues common to both books.
I found the text quite hard to work with and I would like to create a Jpg in photoshop that has the text that I want on it in order to bypass the limitations of the iPhoto layout. Are there any suggestions about Canvass size or resolution? Will the quality of text be OK?
Thanks so much for considering these questions

nektai:
The halftone appearance with the medium size book was evident in my books ever with the 300 dpi change. There was a post from a user who had received books from different printing sites in the US, west coast and east coast. His experience was that the east coast book better image quality.
Regarding the space between the two photos, are your photos cropped to the recommended 4:3 ratio? I did notice that if I put a 4x6 cropped photo into one of the frames and Control-click and select Fit Photo to Frame" it will be reduced a bit and leave a white space at the bottom and top.
If you're going to use a 1 photo per page layout and the text on the image file, you'll be best served to find a them that has a full page layout like Picture Book. For the large size I would make the canvas 8.5 x 11 inches at 180 dpi minimum. Then when you place it in the 1 photo per page frame and select the Fit Photo to Frame option it gets fitted without any cropping of the image. If the image is the 4:3 ratio and is placed in the frame if the Fit option is not selected some of the image will be cropped. If the Fit is selected it will be reduced so it will fit horizontally but smaller vertically. So use a letter sized canvas.

Decline in quality in small iPhoto book?

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