Selecting Objects

The selection area is the left-hand area of the program window with the customisation elements.

The customisation elements are the editable components that make up a photo product, i.e. photos, page layouts, backgrounds, clipart, templates, frames and designs. Before you can edit an element in the editor, you first need to select it in the selection area and add it to the workspace.
Here you can specify everything that should be included in your photo project (photo book, calendar, etc.).

At the bottom of the selection area, you can specify the element type, i.e. "Photos", "Page Layouts/Designs", "Cliparts" or "Image masks".

The top of the selection area contains selection options that you can use to filter the elements so you only see a specific selection of elements.
For example, you can display the photos from a specific directory, or only the page layouts for a specific number of photos per page, or only the backgrounds from the category "Nature".

Below this is the "Preview display", which contains small thumbnails of the elements that you can drag into the workspace using the mouse, in order to add the element there.

Favourites and Recycle Bin

Not available for all design elements.

Favourites

Design elements (designs, layouts, backgrounds, etc.) that you like and you want to use again and again, you can collect in the "favourites" category. Simply highlight the item you want to add and click on the preview display "Mark as Favourite".
Your item is then marked with the favourites icon and will be listed first, as well as be grouped in the category "Favourites".

You can remove a Favourite with the "Remove from favourites" icon.

Recycle Bin

Design elements (designs, layouts, backgrounds, etc.) that you do not think you will ever use can be placed in the "Recycle Bin". Simply select the item(s) you want to remove, and in the preview display select "place element in Recycle Bin." It will no longer be displayed in the preview.

As a precaution the design element is not immediately deleted, but simply filed in the "Recycle Bin". You can choose to restore an item at any time, or delete it forever.

The width of the selection area is variable.

Move the mouse over the right edge of the selection, then the mouse pointer changes and you can move the edge within certain limits to the right or left.
The working surface of the photo product decreases or increases accordingly.

The Individual Element types:

Photos

The only selection option here is a button with the location of the currently selected photo directory.

If you click on this button, a new dialogue window will open up, enabling you to select the origin of the photo in the upper dropdown list.

If the selection is a storage location on your computer, a directory tree is displayed, through which you can navigate to the desired directory.

Note:

A directory is now displayed as a strip including a preview of containing photos.
The directory name and the number of photos and subfolders are in the heading of the list.

Double-clicking on a thumbnail opens it for editing in the photo editor.

The "Back" button in the top left will bring you back into the appropriate directory view.

Note:
If you have added a photo to your photo product from a removable medium (CD/DVD, USB stick, memory card), please save the photo product (photobook, calendar, etc.) before removing the removable medium.
Otherwise the software will show an error message when you come to order, stating that the photo file can no longer be found.
When you save, a copy of the photo is stored on the hard drive, which the program then accesses.

Alternatively, a different dialogue window will connect you to your internet image galleries on Loc.
You can also search for photos on Locr, either via a keyword or by using geographical coordinates.

The photos are then displayed as thumbnails in the preview display.
Photos already used in the photo product are marked with a tick. You can use one photo several times in the same photo product.

Videos and freeze frames from videos

You can select up to six individual images from a video on the hard drive to be displayed next to each other in a film strip (or not, if preferred) on the photobook page.

You can also choose to add a QR code to the page and have the video uploaded to the gallery when you place the order.

You can then scan the QR code printed in the photobook with a smartphone or tablet and play the video.

You can find out exactly how this works in the section entitled "Working with videos".

3D Photos

Some digital cameras and smartphones are able to take stereo/3D photos in *.mpo and *.jps file formats.

These stereo/3D photos are displayed in the selection area and converted to an anaglyph image when they are added to a photobook page.

With the help of red/cyan glasses, these photos create a 3D effect in the printed or developed photobook.

Note

In the case of 3D photos in JPS format (JPEG stereo), there is no standard as to which photo is responsible for which eye.

Please therefore check the three-dimensionality on the monitor with a suitable pair of glasses before ordering.
If necessary, please change the display mode or mirror the photo horizontally in the photo editor.

You can change the view size of the thumbnails using the zoom buttons below or by making the selection area wider or narrower.

There are other buttons next to the zoom buttons that you can use to control the use of the photo as a background.

The pop-up menu (right mouse click on the preview display) contains various viewing, ordering and pasting options:

"Update Directory"

If you have since added or deleted photo files in the current directory while working with the photo software, then the new photos will not be displayed immediately. This command forces the software to refresh the list and therefore the thumbnails.

"Bob Book Assistant"

Starts the Bob Book Assistant.
(See the section "The Bob Book Assistant".)

"Start Photo Editor"

Starts the photo editor. (See the chapter "The photo editor".)
The photo editor (a separate program with the ability to edit photos) can also be started by double-clicking on the thumbnail of an image.

"Colour Sorting"

Shows the photos in a separate window grouped by their colour mood.
Photos that are directly beside or beneath each other also go well together on the same page in the photobook.
Double-click on a photo to add it to the photo product.

Tip: Choose a background in a matching colour too.

"Image as Background"

Use these commands to add your own photo as a page background on the right-hand or left-hand page or across both pages (whole double page). Unlike the backgrounds supplied with the software, you can edit photos added as a background by double-clicking on them and editing them in the workspace using the photo show.

"Find image within your design"

If a photo has already been used in the photo product, this function will open up the page to which it has been added.
If the image has been used several times, this function will show the next occurrence of the photo in the product each time you click on it.

"Find similar..."

Not available when ordering photos!

If you have highlighted a photo, this function will search within the same directory for photos that were either taken at the same event (by date and time) and/or look similar. You can use the slider to set the degree of similarity.

"Create Collage"

Creates a collage from several highlighted photos. The size and position of the photos are adjusted automatically.
You can run the command several times in a row until you are pleased with the result.

Note:
To ensure you achieve a satisfactory result with the collage, go to "Settings" and under "Photos", set the "Behaviour when inserting photos" to "Maintain frame size, crop and centre the photo". This will ensure the collage is free of gaps.
If you choose the setting "Change frame size/shape to fit whole image", gaps will remain between the photos, which can also look good.

Add Photos

To add a photo to your photo product, drag it to the selection area of the workspace in the editor or to the desired layout frame by holding down the left mouse button. It will then latch onto the layout frame.

There are two different options here:

The photo adjusts to the layout frame. The layout frame stays as it is and the photo is adjusted in terms of either height or width, depending on how the aspect ratios of the photo and the frame fit best.
Any parts of the photo protruding beyond the frame are no longer visible, but you can scale the height and width of the layout frame and specify the image detail within the frame using the "Reduce Image"/"Enlarge Image" tool icons.
The layout frame adjusts to the photo. The photo can be seen in its entirety, and the layout frame adjusts to the longest side of the photo. You can scale the layout frame here too. If you scale the layout frame with the corner handles, it will keep its aspect ratio and the photo will be automatically scaled. If you only enlarge the width or height of the layout frame, any parts of the photo protruding beyond the frame will no longer be visible.
If you enlarge or reduce the layout frame, the photo is scaled too, but it is not scaled if you reduce it via the side handles, and you have to reduce it manually within the frame using the tool icon "Reduce Image".

You can set this property of the layout frame for all photos to be added in the Settings on the menu bar. See the section entitled "Settings".

Note:
If you would like to use the page layout templates, I recommend that in the "Settings", you set the "Photos" so that the photo is adjusted to fit the layout frame.
This is the "Maintain frame size, crop and centre the photo" setting.
If the layout frames are adjusted to fit the photo, then the gaps and aspect ratios of the frames will no longer be correct.
You can specify good image details at a later stage by panning and zooming images within the layout frame.

Designs

Only for photo products that support such designs, e.g. themed photobooks and calendars.

Designs are ready-made pages to which you can add photos and which generally do not need much, if any, editing.

In the selection options, you will be able to choose from the various design categories or themes in a dropdown list. The standard setting is "Show all...".

You can download additional designs later via the "More..." button in the selection area (as described in the chapter entitled "Tips and Tricks").

Page Layouts

A page layout is the arrangement of layout frames (photo placeholders and text boxes) in the editor workspace.

Ready-made page layouts are provided and you can also save your own page layouts and allocate them to a page.

Photobooks
In the selection options there is a dropdown list containing various pre-sorted page layout categories:
Show all...	Shows all the available page layouts.
Favourites	You can save a highlighted page layout as a favourite via the dropdown menu (right mouse click). You can then find it under the "Favourites" heading.
Recycle Bin	You can place a highlighted page layout in the recycle bin via the dropdown menu (right mouse click). You can decide at a later stage whether you want to restore it or delete it once and for all.
Angled	Page layouts with at least one angled (slightly rotated) photo placeholder. Partially overlapping at times, often looks like photos that have been "thrown on".
High coverage	Large photos, only a small amount of page background visible. Usually with the same-sized gap to the margin and between the photos.
Irregular	Photos arranged loosely across the page, lots of page background visible.
Full coverage	Borderless and with no gap between the photos, no page background visible.
Overlapping	Photos in straight alignment that overlap partially or fully.
My Layouts	Shows the page layouts that you have created and saved yourself. It will not appear if you have not yet saved any of your own page layouts for this photobook format.
Other	This contains page layouts that have not yet been allocated to any category.

The categories "Favourites" and "Recycle bin" can also be used for other layout elements.

By default, only those page layouts are shown that fit with the existing number of photos on the current page.
You can choose to display a different number of the photos to be used by means of the second dropdown list in the selection options.

If you double-click on the thumbnail in the preview display, the page layout is applied to both pages shown; for only one page, drag it to the appropriate page by holding down the left mouse button.
Or you can use the paste icons "Add layout to the left page", "Add layout to the right page", "Add layout to current double page" or "Layout is applied to all interior pages".

Backgrounds

In the selection options, you can choose from a dropdown list containing the various background categories and themes. The standard setting is "Show all...".

The "Multicolour" backgrounds are textured (patterned) backgrounds and are available in 12 different colours each with 3 saturation levels.

You can download and install additional backgrounds from the internet via the "More..." button.

To add a background to a double page, double-click on the background thumbnail in the preview display; to add a background to a single page, drag it to the desired place by holding down the left mouse button, or use the paste icons or the commands in the pop-up menu.

You can also use your own photo as a page background.

Cliparts

Clipart is graphics to brighten up your pages.

In the selection options, you will be able to choose from the various clipart categories and themes in a dropdown list. The standard setting is "Show all...".

In the element view, choose a clipart that you like and drag it into the workspace.
You can position it anywhere and scale the size as you wish.

Image Masks

An image mask trims the photo into a specific shape like a stencil.
Depending on the stencil chosen, the edges of the photo can be clearly defined or fade softly into the background.

Example masks:

A frame is a combination of an image mask and a clipart.

Example frames:

In the selection options, you can choose from a dropdown list containing the various mask and frame categories.

You can drag a mask or frame from the selection area onto the desired photo or the corresponding layout frame in the workspace. The effect is immediately visible.