This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to bring your photo book visions to life with Gelato. Whether you prefer a hands-on approach with our intuitive design editor or have a specific design in mind that you'd like to upload, we've got you covered. We'll guide you through the steps of using our design editor, uploading a print-ready file, and understanding our design templates.
Designing Your Photo Book
You can create your photo book in two ways:
Using our Design Editor
Uploading your own print-ready design
Using the Design Editor
Our user-friendly design editor simplifies the process of creating stunning photo books. Here's how to get started:
Go to the photo books product page.
Choose your preferred dimensions, orientation (if applicable), and the number of inner pages.
Click the 'Start Designing' button to launch the design editor.
With the design editor, you can:
Seamlessly add your photo book to your order.
Save your design as a template for later editing, adding to your store, or using in a new manual order.
Design the spine and back cover of your photo book.
Utilize our convenient layouts to effortlessly incorporate your designs and photos.
Uploading Your Print-Ready Design
For those who prefer to use their own design software, you can upload a print-ready file. Follow these steps:
Go to the photo book product page.
Select your desired dimensions, orientation (if applicable), and the number of inner pages.
Click the menu button next to the 'Start Designing' button.
Select 'Download template' to download the design template for your chosen format.
Open the downloaded template in your preferred design program and use it as a guide layer for creating your design.
Ensure your entire photo book design is submitted as one single PDF document containing both the cover and the inner pages.
Understanding the Photo Book Design Template
To illustrate the layout of our design template, let's consider an 8x11 inch softcover photo book with 30 inner printable pages. After downloading the template, you'll notice the PDF has 33 pages structured as follows:
Page 1: A spread containing the front cover, spine, and back cover.
Page 2: Blank and non-printable (back part of the front cover).
Pages 3-32: Single pages (not spreads) containing your design.
Page 33: Blank and non-printable (inner part of the back cover).
Always remember to leave page 2 and the last page of the PDF document blank.
Keep in mind that the number of pages you select in the catalog only includes the internal printable pages.
Adding a Photo Book with a Print-Ready File to Your Store
While it's not possible to directly design a photo book by uploading your print-ready file when adding it to your store, you can use this workaround:
Add a placeholder photo book product to your store. If you add a front cover to your placeholder product, Gelato will generate a mockup and publish it to your store, potentially saving you from updating it later.
Go to the store section in Gelato and find the placeholder product.
Disconnect the product by clicking the three dots next to the pencil icon and selecting 'Disconnect'.
Click the black 'Connect' button and select the desired photo book from our product catalog.
On the product page, you'll now see the option to 'Upload print file' by clicking the three dots next to the 'Start Designing' button.
Remember to update the mockup (if necessary), description, and prices before making the product available in your store.
