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| What is the proper image size for the layouts? |
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The cover and inside pages have predetermined resolution and canvas size, though they are not the exact size of the book as we must allow space for the gutter area and trim lines around the edges. Please do not change either the resolution or canvas size, as this will cause problems with File Checker processing your files. Simply paste your images onto the blank templates and design your page.
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| Why are the templates required? |
| The templates have the correct dimension, resolution and color space already set up. You only have to focus on the design portion. |
| Why are the templates blank? |
| The blank templates allow you to be as creative as possible with your design. You can add as many images, color blocks and other graphic elements to the layout. |
| Can I use other programs such as Quark or InDesign to create my album layout? |
| No. The files must be designed in Photoshop and saved as JPEGs with the predetermined document size and resolution provided in the templates. This is the only format File Checker will accept and we can only send PDFs created by our File Checker program to our production department. |
| How do I get my page designs created with Kevin Kubota's AutoAlbum into the AsukaBook templates? |
If you have Photoshop CS or older, then simply run AutoAlbum to create your left and right page designs, then do
the following:
1) Select ALL on any one of the active layers.
2) Go to the EDIT menu and choose COPY MERGED.
3) Switch to your AsukaBook layout and PASTE.
4) Position the page on the left or right. You may need to use FREE TRANSFORM to adjust the size of your
design to match the page. TIP: Hold the "Shift" key down while dragging a corner anchor to maintain image proportions.
Using COPY MERGED will copy a flattened version of your file which makes it much easier to deal within the book
layout.
If you have Photoshop CS2, then do this:
1) Save your AutoAlbum design as a layered PSD file.
2) Switch to your AsukaBook template and choose: FILE > PLACE.
3) Select the page design you just saved.
4) The page will be placed on the layout, simply move to the desired left or right side.
It will be placed on your layout, and should shrink to fit if it's larger. This places the file as a SMART OBJECT, which is a unique single layer file. However, you can RIGHT-CLICK (control click if you do not have a right click
mouse) on the layer itself and choose EDIT CONTENTS.
This allows you to open a copy of the layered file in case you need to make any positioning adjustments later. |
| What do the Photoshop guidelines on the blank templates represent? |
Turning Guides On:
View > Show > Guides or Command + ; (semicolon)
Cover:
The outer guidelines represent the area where the cover will be folded of the board material.
The center guidelines represent the spine of the book.
Pages:
The outer guidelines represent the area where the pages will be trimmed.
The center guidelines represent the center or gutter of the book.
- Place your image at least 1/4 inch away from the trim lines to avoid any undesired trimming (see Understanding the Templates).
- Place image to the edge of the canvas to get a "Full Bleed" (see Understanding the Templates).
- Place important parts of an image (such as a face) away from the gutter area. (see Understanding the Templates). |
| Will the blue/gray barcode showing in my file be printed on the final book as well? |
| There will be a small barcode where that place marker is, but in the final book it is not as prominent as what you
see in the template. Be sure to delete or turn off that layer before saving the jpg. The barcode will appear at actual size in the pdf file. Please review this file before uploading to be sure it is not covering any important information,
as this is where it will print on your final book. |
| How many images can I place on each page/side? |
| You may place as many images as you would like. |
| Can I add text as part of the design? |
| You may add text anywhere on the design. Keep in mind the gutter and bar code areas as any text and image information placed there will be lost. |
| What is the font and size of the Hot Stamp Text? |
It is Skia (Mac OS standard font). Up to 30 characters may be used (including spaces).
Approximate point sizes:
- 10x10 is 24pt
- 8x8 is 18pt
- 7x7 is 16 pt
- 5x5 is 13 pt |
| Do I have to place an image on the cover? |
| Once you have selected your book size, including the number of pages, open up template file 0000.psd, (be sure to View/Show/Guides). You can have an image wrap around to the back, a single image or multiple images on the front and/or the back, leave it blank (the color of your canvas will be the printed color), add text, or even add text on the spine... The design is totally up to you. |
| Where should my logo be placed? |
| You can place your logo anywhere on your design. Remember that there are specific logo placement requirements on Studio Samples only. |
| Can I order an ASUKABOOK by sending single digital images or film to you? |
| Currently, we only accept your completed PDF that File Checker has created. However, our partner company, Red Boot Design, can assist you with designing your AsukaBook using digital images. |
| Do you provide color correction and retouching services? |
| We do not retouch or color correct any of the files provided. It is your responsibility to make any corrections ahead of time. We print exactly what is submitted. |
| Do you provide design services? |
| AsukaBook and Red Boot Design have partnered to offer a turn-key album solution. Please contact Red Boot Design for more detailed information. |
| Do you have a printer profile available? |
Yes. You can now download the printer profile and install to the following locations:
In Windows, right-click a profile and select Install Profile. Alternatively, copy the profiles into the
WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color folder (Windows XP) or the WINNT\system32\spool\drivers\color folder (Windows 2000).
In Mac OS, copy profiles into the /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Color/Profiles/Recommended folder. You can also copy profiles into the /Users/username/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder.
After installing color profiles, be sure to restart Adobe applications.
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| How can I be sure that the color ASUKABOOK prints matches what I see on my monitor? |
You should calibrate your monitor regularly to avoid any color differences. Keep in mind that you can see a close approximation of what the printed page will look like by following these steps, however you can't literally make a print match what you see on your monitor exactly as the CMYK printing space is much different than the RGB color space of your images. By following these steps, however, you can make your Photoshop preview what the printed book will look like so you can make any adjustments to the files if needed before sending them. We find the soft proofing process here usually provides about 95% accurate matching:
- Open Photoshop and go to View > Proof Setup.
- Select Custom.
- In the Proof Setup window, Choose “asuka_v500_FVO.icc” from the Profile menu.
- Choose “Perceptual” from the Intent menu.
- Turn “Use Black Point Compensation” on.
- Leave the other options off.
You can save this setup so that each page you build can be viewed with the proofing. Generally, it should be very close to your original image. Having a properly profiled monitor is key to a good color match.
This process is for soft proofing your images on screen only. DO NOT SAVE YOUR FILES WITH THE SOFT PROOF SETTING APPLIED. In other words, when saving the files, simply keep them in sRGB or Adobe RGB color spaces.
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| Do I have to convert my files to CMYK before submitting? |
| No. Submit your files in either Adobe RGB or sRGB. The production center will convert the files to CMYK for you. |
| Can you provide a proof sheet from my album order before it is printed? |
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No. But we can mail you a flyer printed on the press with the type of paper used. You can also download the digital file that matches the image on the flyer. All you need to do is to load the digital file into Photoshop, use the proof preview method mentioned above, and you should see an approximation to what will be printed. This is a good indication of your monitor calibration. |
| When saving images in JPEG format, which degree of compression should be used? |
| We recommend the image quality be set to 11(Maximum) with “Baseline Optimized”. |
| Are there any restrictions on what can be printed? |
ASUKABOOK requires that you have copyright permission for all images included in your order. Additionally, your
files will not be sent into production if they contain illegal and/or immoral content, or if the subject may be offensive
to the public. We are unable to print books with exposed genitalia. |
| How do I resize my album layout from a 10x10 to a smaller size? |
| You don't have to redesign the entire book into the smaller templates. You may simply drag and drop or use the "place" option (under "file" in Photoshop?) to move your layouts into the smaller template. The layouts will transfer to the smaller template easily.
Be sure to still double check your bleeds and gutters.
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