IPhoto books appear corrupt.

I have tried several times to order iPhoto books and have been unsuccessful. I have been making iPhoto books for years, but with iPhoto 11, I cannot get a file that is not corrupt. I have rebuilt my thumbnails and updated my iPhoto. Went to the genius bar and they recommended the iPhoto rebuild (done). Still no luck. Should I give up? Any suggestions appreciated!

hey, i was looking for iphoto book back up tips and i read your post sometimes ago....
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
what do you meant by back up a copy of library6 iphoto database file?how can i do it?
I have back up my iphoto library to an external hard disk, is that mean the iphoto books will be saved as well?

Similar Messages

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 books appear oversaturated

I realized some iPhoto books and I was disappointed by the quality of the pictures because they appear oversaturated.
I tried saving the PDFs from iPhoto and also the PDFs appear oversaturated if I open in Adobe Reader or Apple Preview.
But the pictures (all with embedded sRGB color profile) are well balanced in iPhoto and in Photoshop, and If I make photographic prints they are OK.
Where is the problem? Is in the PDF conversion made from iPhoto when it sends the books to print?
I work on a MacPro with Snow Leopard, and a LaCie 324 monitor calibrated with Xrite instrument. I live in Italy and the iPhoto books are printed in Europe, the first time I received them from Czech Republic, the second from Holland.
Here are three PDFs saved from iPhoto with oversaturated pictures
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1631025/Diego_Cuoghi_Computergrafica_3D_300dpi.pdf (40mb)
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1631025/Diego_Cuoghi_Grafica_300dpi.pdf (32mb)
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1631025/Diego_Cuoghi_Fotoinserimenti_300dpi.pdf (54mb)

hey, i was looking for iphoto book back up tips and i read your post sometimes ago....
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
what do you meant by back up a copy of library6 iphoto database file?how can i do it?
I have back up my iphoto library to an external hard disk, is that mean the iphoto books will be saved as well?

IPhoto library appears corrupted - help

Within the last week I have upgraded to OS 10.6.3 and iPhoto 8.1.2
When I click on the iPhoto icon in the dock, all of the event icons are intact, but when I click on an individual photo in any event I see a dark screen with an exclamation mark. The only event that is OK is the one created with my most recent batch of imports.
I have tried restoring using TM, but it quits after about 10% of the library is restored. I was hoping to restore all my calendars and albums and so went back to a time when I was using iPhoto 8.0.3 (I think). Is that why I can't restore everything?
I have tried holding down the option + command key to launch iPhoto and rebuilding from there. No success.
I have tried using iPhoto Library Manager, again with no success.
I do have all but one iPhoto event stored on the external drive. Can I delete the library on the HD and transfer everything back from the external drive?
Is there anything I should try before I do that?

I would drag the iPhoto library to the desktop and drag the backup version to the pictures folder and launch iPhoto - you probably will be ok but you will have all versions available just in case
LN

I launch iPhoto and it "Appears Corrupt"

For a while now every time I launch iPhoto I get a message that it appears corrupt and it checks the database before I use it.
All functions work great once it does its checking, but the next time I launch iPhoto I have to go through the same thing.

What version of iPhoto? Assuming 09 or later...
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

I ran MacKeeper and demo'd my wife's iPhoto archive bigtime: RAW files appear corrupted and lotsa pix w/no thumbnails or "!" marks instead. Help!

I ran MacKeeper and demo'd my wife's iPhoto archive bigtime: RAW files appear corrupted and lotsa pix w/no thumbnails or "!" marks instead. Help!

Should I take it that recco'd means 'recommended'? Still have no idea what demo'd means in the context you use. I've often seem it as an abbreviation for 'demonstrate' but that makes no sense. The problem with idiosyncratic abbreviations is that other people don't understand them.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

When I click "Buy Now" in iPhoto's book I get the following message: Your book appears to have default text that has not been edited. Printed books will not include this text. Do you want to continue?"

When I click "Buy Now" in iPhoto's book I get the following message: "Your book appears to have default text that has not been edited. Printed books will not include this text. Do you want to continue?"
How do I proceed? How do I identify which is "default text?"

What version of iPhoto are you using?
Go thru each page, check the layout to see if there's a text box included on the page and make sure there is text in that text box. If not it may show the "holding" text like this:
If you don't want to change the page layout to one that only has photos and no text boxes just select that holding text and put a space in its place.
OT

IPhoto Book with Missing Pictures

I submitted this problem via the Apple support site but have not received an answer. I am hoping someone visiting this forum might have advice.
I ordered a 50-page hardcover 8.5x11 iPhoto Book (theme: Modern Lines) that I created using iPhoto 6.0 on a G5 Mac running OS 10.4.4. This was my first iPhoto book. The book, when assembled, looked perfect in the main book window, and I also saved a pdf of it, which was (and is) perfect as well. When the book arrived, I was very pleased with the quality of the printing, except that seven photos (some but not all of the photos on four separate pages) were not printed in their places in the book (there is just white space there).
I then opened the saved file of the book within iPhoto on my computer. When I went to the pages where the printed book is missing photos, I was surprised to see the following. In the main book window, the photos appear initially, for just an instant, and then disappear. In the main book window I then just see white spaces where the seven photos should be (just as in the printed book). This was not the case when I first created the book and placed the order – all photos were present in these places in the book (as the pdf I made just before placing the order confirms). Also, curiously, on the pages with the missing photos, even now the photos do appear in the small images of these pages in the page browser at the top of the iPhoto window, although as mentioned, the photos do not appear (except initially for an instant) in the main book window.
I have since updated to iPhoto 6.0.1 and OS 10.4.5, and the book appears the same with missing photos in the main window, but appearing correctly in the browser.
As you can imagine, I am very disappointed to have spent $70 for a book with seven of the critical photos missing. I assume that there is some bug in iPhoto causing this problem. Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Any suggestions?
G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)
G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I looked on the forum for iPhoto 5, and found a discussion of a similar problem: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=315857&tstart=45
Essentially, the picture you see in iPhoto is a corrupted file. In my case, I deleted the pictures from the library that weren't showing up correctly, emptied the trash, and reimported the originals. Voila! No more missing images. Things are now showing up correctly.
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Creating iPhoto Book

I cannot seem to create iPhoto books any longer. When I choose the library in the source pane and click add book or add album, only the first photo in the library appears in the new book or album. I can't seem to get the entire album to show in order to enable the drag and drop into the photobook despite having created books before.

Are you selecting more than one photo before clicking on the Book button at the bottom? If it's an album you want to make the book from just click on the album icon and then on the book button.
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.

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.

Iphoto books -- color management & sharpening

I have recently decided to try to print photos from a trip to New Zealand as an Apple iPhoto photo book. (I am using the latest version of iPhoto 6.XXXX.) I have a few basic questions that I'm having a hard time confirming answers to: (1) I read on a discussion forum somewhere (not sure where) that iphoto photo books are color managed to sRGB color space. Can anyone confirm this? (2) To keep my photos in sRGB, I am saving them from Photoshop as sRGB files. When I import the images into iPhoto to make a photo book, I am pointing to them only, rather than having the files recopied into the iPhoto database (save space on my hard drive). I assume this should work to preserve sRGB color space? (3) I do not plan on making any edits of photos in iPhoto itself, although some will presumably be resized by the program given that they will exceed 300 dpi. (4) For sharpening, I plan on saving all my files at 300 dpi and sharpening based on an 11" print. (I'm going to print an 8 1/2" x 11" book.) For photos that are smaller than full page size (i.e., 2 or more photos per page), I assume they'll get downsized in iPhoto, so sharpening won't be perfectly maximized, but this should work pretty well, I hope? Any other suggestions/tips about a work flow? I looked at Amazon for an instruction book on iphoto but the only one I found (the "missing manual" by pogue), only has part of a chapter devoted to iphoto books. If someone tells me that this book, or another, will answer all of these types of questions, I'll buy it. Oh yeah, one more question, is there different quality paper used in the single side photo books vs. double sided photo books (both hardcover). From what I could tell, the single sided paper must be thicker because it permits less photos per page. Any other differences? Thanks in advance, Howard

Howard:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Apple does prefer the sRGB color space. As far as dpi, just provide the largest pixel dimension file possible. If you want the files to fit the frames in each page exactly the crop to the 4:3 ratio beforehand. However, you can use non 4:3 files. If one is added to a frame it will be scaled to fill the frame, losing some of the image on the larger side. To get the entire photo in the frame Control-click on it and select the Fit photo to frame option.
I believe the same paper is used for single or double sided. Here's what Apple sent me regarding book materials and 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.

IPhoto Book Colour Profiles & File Sizes?

I want to make a book in iPhoto. All my images are Adobe RGB. Do I need to change the colour profile.
I have a Mac with and Apple flat screen that has been colour balanced. So all the images look good. I am just concerned that they will be printed in a different profile and look rubbish.
What is the smallest file size and resolution that will look good.
Any other helpful advice.

Here's what Apple responded with when I asked them about book material and print quality:
"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."
As for file size, keep the pixel dimension of the photo the largest you can. That will convert to the highest resolution possible when converted to the pdf for uploading and printing. iPhoto will assign a warning flag to those photos that end up with a dpi of less than 180 when added to a particular frame in the book. When added to a smaller frame the warning flag may go away. I've printed books with that warning and was happy with the results.
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.

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.

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.

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

IPhoto books appear corrupt.

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