Designing in SmartAlbums

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SmartAlbums®2 for MacOS and Windows allows you to export MomentoPro products directly to a print-ready PDF, so you can upload and order at Momento Pro immediately. Make sure you update to the most recent version of SmartAlbums to access this time-saving feature.

Below you’ll find instructions for starting and exporting Momento Pro Photo Books and Flush Mount Albums in SmartAlbums®2. Users of older versions will need to continue exporting JPEGs for import into MomentoPro’s software.
 

Read these instructions carefully before starting your project. We recommend you print this page and read our Colour Management page.

If you’re exporting to PDF for direct upload, please use JPEG Quality 99%, not 100%.

View all MomentoPro products available in SmartAlbums®2

Video Tutorials

SmartAlbums®2 software overview
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​Design + proof an album in SmartAlbums®2

SmartAlbums®2 + Momento Pro workflow

Starting Your Project

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New Project

• Run SmartAlbums®2 and click the New button
• Set Album Company to Momento Pro (AU & NZ)
• Select the Format (shape) of your album or book.
• Set your preferred Size:
  • Albums are specified in inches
  • Photo Books are specified in millimetres
• Select your preferred Album Type and Subtype

• Write down these settings before proceeding, as you’ll need this information when uploading your finished file

View all MomentoPro products available in SmartAlbums

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Template Library

• Settings on the Templates page are entirely up to you

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Important Notes:

• Make sure you set the Colour Profile to Adobe RGB in the Inspector panel on the right
  
• With MomentoPro you can order smaller sizes from any upload e.g. if you upload a 12×12″ album can order it as a 10×10″ or 8×8″ album
• When designing a Flush Mount Album you will start and end on a double page spread
• When designing a Photo Book, you will start with a single page at the front so you remember to convert your last page to a single side. Right-click on the last page, select Convert to single page/side. Failure to do so will result in the last (left) page of your book being blank.

• Before exporting a Section-sewn Photo Book ensure that the number of pages is a multiple of 8. Page count is displayed in brackets in the Spread Grid view in the right panel.

Export to PDF

When you’ve completed your page layouts, proceed to the Export window, observing and correcting any warnings.

Export Settings

• It is essential you use these 

  exact settings

• Failure to do so will result in incorrect colour and pagination
• The Inside bleed fill setting is only available in earlier versions of SmartAlbums. If present, ensure it is selected.

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Quality Settings

Before you proceed to export, click the Change Quality button and ensure the JPEG output quality is at least 95%.

Using 100% will give only marginally better print results but it will make the upload much larger and slower.

You have the option to sharpen images for print but we recommend the default setting of Medium.  You may want to reduce this if you have previously sharpened your images in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

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Designing Covers

SmartAlbums doesn’t include a cover design feature so if you plan to order a Printed Cover or Dust Jacket (for Photo Books only) or a Prestige Mount (for Photo Books and Flush Mount Albums) you’ll need to create your cover design in other software. The simplest method is to import your SmartAlbums spreads into the Momento Pro software (see below) as it will perform all the relevant spine and bleed calculations for you. Alternatively you can use our Photoshop cover templates. Because the spine dimensions of your cover will depend on the size and thickness of your completed book, you should design your cover only when your book is complete.
 

Note: If you are supplying a separate cover file DO NOT PLACE YOUR ORDER until we have attached the cover design to your page design and emailed you a notification that the cover is uploaded and your project is ready to order. This usually takes 1-2 business days.

Uploading + Ordering SmartAlbums PDFs

2. Complete the online Questionnaire:

1. Sign in and Upload your Album or Book pages PDF. Your file will automatically be recognised as a SmartAlbums PDF.. Complete the online Questionnaire:

• Select the correct Album Type and Subtype in the SmartAlbums Settings question
• Verify that you used the correct SmartAlbumsExport Settings

Note: It is crucial you select the Album Type and Subtype as you set in SmartAlbums Settings when starting your project. Incorrect selections will result in errors in the manufacture of your product and Momento Pro will not be liable for any expenses required to fix or replace your product.

3. Your Album or Book pages file will appear in your
Note: There is temporary issue with preview thumbnails not appearing in the Project list but you are able to proceed and place your order.

4a. If your project does not require a Printed Cover or Prestige Mount Plate you can proceed to place your order.

4b. If you require a Printed Cover or Prestige Mount Plate we need to manually add your Cover design to your Album or Book page file.

• Click the Upload  button and upload the Cover file
• Complete the online Questionnaire
• Wait until you are contacted by our Customer Service team before ordering

Note: The Questionnaire must be completed before our Prepress team can attach your cover design to the correct pages file.  Ordering your Project before your cover has been added by our Prepress team will result in your book being produced with a blank cover design. Momento Pro will not be liable for any expenses required to fix or replace your product.
 

3. Your Album or Book pages file will appear in your Projects list 4a. If your project doesrequire a Printed Cover or Prestige Mount Plate you can proceed to place your order.4b. If you require a Printed Cover or Prestige Mount Plate we need to manually add your Cover design to your Album or Book page file.

Momento Products available in SmartAlbums®2

These are the products you can design in SmartAlbums®2 and upload directly to MomentoPro:
 

Flush Mount Album
 

Format                    
Sizes (Inches)                                         
Album Subtypes
 

Square
12×12, 10×10, 8×8, 6×6
Thin cotton rag (0.6mm), seamless lay-flat (up to 50 spreads)
 

Square
12×12, 10×10, 8×8, 6×6
Thick cotton rag (1.1mm), seamless lay-flat (up to 35 spreads)
 

Portrait
11×15, 10×13.5, 8×11, 6×8
Thin cotton rag (0.6mm), seamless lay-flat (up to 50 spreads)
 

Portrait
11×15, 10×13.5, 8×11, 6×8
Thick cotton rag (1.1mm), seamless lay-flat (up to 35 spreads)
 

 
6″ sizes available by uploading 8″
 
 

Photo Books – Epson Inkjet
 

Format                     
Sizes (mm)               
Album Subtypes
 

Square
390×390, 297×297, 210×210, 148×148
Cotton Rag, lay-flat section sewn                                                        
 

Landscape
550×390
Cotton Rag, side sewn with gutter
 

Landscape
420×297, 297×210, 210×148
Cotton Rag, lay-flat section sewn
 

Portrait
390×550
Cotton Rag, side sewn with gutter
 

Portrait
297×420, 210×297, 148×210
Cotton Rag, lay-flat section sewn
 

Photo Books – Indigo Press
 

Format                     
Sizes (mm)             
Album Subtypes

Square
210×210, 148×148
Select stocks, lay-flat section sewn

Square
297×297, 210×210, 148×148
All stocks, side sewn with gutter                                                         

Square
297×297, 210×210
Lay-flat hinged paper

Landscape
210×148
Select stocks, lay-flat section sewn

Landscape
420×297, 297×210, 210×148
All stocks, side sewn with gutter

Landscape
297×210
Lay-flat hinged paper

Portrait
210×297, 148×210
Select stocks, lay-flat section sewn

Portrait
297×420, 210×297, 148×210
All stocks, side sewn with gutter

Portrait
297×420, 210×297
Lay-flat hinged paper