FAQs Archive | Page 3 of 3

Q: How many pages can I have in my book?

All our books have a 20 page minimum. Maximums of 80, 140, 200, and 300 pages are possible depending upon the selected product range, and the tool used to design the book. Please refer to our product range comparison table for key specifications.

Q: I have some hardcopy photos and memorabilia. How do I include them in my photo book?

For photos and articles etc. that need to be in sharp focus, you will need to arrange for these to be scanned. If you have access to a scanner (?via a friend, or work, or local library), we recommend that you configure the scanner for 600dpi (dots per inch). Many scanners are set up with a default of 300dpi which is a good default for scanning documents that don’t need scaling up. However, to give maximum flexibility for cropping and/or enlargement of your chosen images when you layout your photo book, a minimum 600 dpi is recommended for standard sized photos. Smaller photos may need a higher setting while large photos can be scanned with a lower dpi setting. For (typically large) children’s artwork you may have some success in photographing such images. You should try to ensure that the lighting is as even and diffused as possible. It is worth trying to photograph these outside in the shade or on an overcast day, avoiding the uneven lighting of a flash. Pay particular attention to achieving a sharp focus, and avoid shallow depth or field, otherwise part of the drawing may be blurry. If that all sounds too difficult, Cahoots offers scanning services to assist in the process of creating a photo book. See our scanning page for details.

Q: How many photos does a book accommodate?

For a 40 page 30cm square Large Luxurious book, we would recommend between 80 and 120 photos. If you keep the number of pages fixed, the more photos you insert, the smaller the average size of the photos. You can of course have less than 40 pages, or add additional pages. Your choices may be guided by the quality of the photos themselves, and the importance of the book. For books of smaller dimensions, your page real estate is less, so your photos will obviously be smaller, all other factors being equal. Similarly, if you choose an A3 Large Landscape, you can have the same number of photos but have them larger, or you may wish to make use of the additional space to accommodate more photos.

Q: I did not (or don’t want to) use your software. Can you make a book from a PDF file?

We can take your PDF and send it to our partner to produce a beautiful hardcover book for you, provided your file meets certain requirements. Importantly, it must have the same dimensions as any of our book sizes. Please contact us to discuss the specifics as they relate to your project. Regrettably, we must charge a small setup fee for our time to import your JPEG files into Cahoots software, or to setup your PDF file to process it in our workflow. If your files are compliant with our recommended specifications, your setup fee will be in the order of $20 for a 40 page book. If there are subsequent changes and iterations required (in the event dimensions and/or bleed is not correct, or content is not correctly placed for acceptable results), our processing fees will necessarily be higher.