Welcome to the SmileBooks FAQ Section

The turn-around time including production and shipping is usually 6-10 business days from the time you order to the time you will receive your photo book(s) in the mail.

We recommend to allow 6-10 business days for your order to arrive. This includes 3-5 business days for printing plus shipping time. If you are interested in overnight or express shipping, please send us an e-mail to shipping@us.smilebooks.com. We will check whether express shipping is available for your order and will give you an individual price quote for the expedited shipping. Please note that payment for express shipping is only possible via Paypal.

As long as your order hasn’t been shipped we can change the address to any other US mainland address except PO Boxes. Please send an e-mail including your order number and the new address to support@smilebooks.com.

No. At the moment we don’t ship to Canada. We only deliver to mainland addresses in the USA.

No. We only ship to mainland addresses in the USA.

You can reorder on the SmileBooks website for six weeks after you placed your order. Please click on the following link: http://www.smilebooks.com/photo-book-reorders.php. After six weeks you can still reorder from your computer if you used the downloadable SmileBooks desktop software as your projects are saved on your hard drive.

Most of our coupon codes are only valid for one time use only. Please make sure that you haven’t used your coupon before. Please also verify that you spelled the coupon code correctly. All coupon codes are one word and all letters need to be capitalized. If your coupon still doesn’t work, please send an e-mail to support@smilebooks.com and include your coupon code, the percentage or dollar amount that it was issued for and where you got the coupon from.

Our regular paper is professional digital printing paper with a lustre finish. The photo paper is about double as thick as the regular paper. Another advantage is that it automatically comes with lay-flat binding. The colors come out a little brighter than on our digital printing paper. Our photo books printed on photo paper are available for the sizes Medium (8”x8”), Panorama (11”x8”) and Deluxe (12”x12”). You can select the paper type before you start designing your photo book. software please click on the tab on the very right called “Printed on Photo Paper“ . You can change the paper type later in the design process by clicking on “Paper Type” in the bottom left corner of your SmileBooks screen.

Once you open the downloadable SmileBooks desktop software please click on the tab on the very right called “Printed on Photo Paper“ to create one of our products printed on real photo paper. You can change the paper type later in the design process by clicking on “Paper Type” in the bottom left corner of your SmileBooks screen.

No. You can only add sets of 8 pages. If you leave pages blank they will print white. We are not able to cut those white pages out, because all our printing processes are automated. 

Once you submitted your order it cannot be cancelled, because all our production processes are automated.

After you submitted your order it is not possible to make changes, because the production process is fully automated and we cannot interfere.

For a complete list of all SmileBooks prices please click on the following link:
http://www.smilebooks.com/photo-book-prices.php 

To find the best SmileBooks coupons please sign up for our newsletter subscription field in the footer down below.
We also publish special offers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/smilebooks.fans) and on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Smilebooks)
 

In the subscription field in the blue footer down below you can enter your email adress and subscribe to the SmileBooks newsletter.

Yes. You can find it at www.facebook.com/smilebooks.fans

Yes. You can find it at http://twitter.com/Smilebooks 

Yes. If you are interested in partnering with SmileBooks, please send an e-mail to affiliates@us.smilebooks.com

Please click on the following link to order one of our gift certificates: http://www.smilebooks.com/gift-certificates.php

You can enter your coupon code once you start the order process from the shopping cart. 

Yes, you can change the paper type if it is available for the photo book size that you are ordering. We offer our photo books printed on real photo paper with lay-flat binding for the sizes Medium (8”x8”), Panorama (11”x8”) and Deluxe (12”x12”). Just select the “Paper type” in the bottom left corner of your SmileBooks screen after opening your photo book project.

Yes, you can change the photo book size to a different size in the same aspect ratio. For example you can change a Deluxe (12”x12”) photo book to a Medium (8”x8”) because they are both square shaped. Just click on “Change size” in the bottom left corner of your SmileBooks screen after opening your photo book project. Save the photo book under a different name after you changed the size. Now you can add both sizes to the shopping cart.

You can download the SmileBooks software for free at http://www.smilebooks.com/download.php
 

In order to download the SmileBooks software go to http://www.smilebooks.com/download.php, click on the "Download now" button. We will automatically detect your operating system (Win or Mac) and provide the software for your operating system.

Windows:
You will have the choice of two download options: either you can save the software onto your hard drive and then install the software manually in a separate step or you can opt to simply have the installation take place automatically once the download has been completed.

a) Save software and opt for a manual installation process
Save the software on your desktop. Start the installation process by double clicking on "downloaded file". Follow the SmileBooks Setup Assistant's instructions. Once the installation has successfully been completed you can start compiling your SmileBook.

b) Save software and opt for an automatic installation.
Click on "Open", in order to start the download process. The SmileBooks Setup Assistant will open automatically. Follow the directions. Once the installation has been successfully completed you can begin compiling your SmileBooks.

Mac:
Just download the .zip File and unzip it. Then double click on the SmileBooks icon to launch the software.

The SmileBooks photo book software is currently available in three different versions and supports the following operating systems:

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, MAC OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher
 
When you start downloading the software our system will detect your operating system and provide the version for your operating system.

Windows (recommended for PC users)
Operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000
1 GHz-Processor and 512 MB RAM
120 MB free space on HDD for software files

Multitouch Version (Win7 only)
Operating systems: Windows 7
1 GHz-Processor and 512 MB RAM
120 MB free space on HDD for software files

Mac version:
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher
1 GHz-Processor and 512 MB RAM
120 MB free space on HDD for software files 

No. The SmileBooks software is completely for free. You can download it at http://www.smilebooks.com/download.php 

A unique feature of the SmileBooks photo book software is our intelligent SmileBooks Assistant. The Photo book Assistant helps you select a cover type, backgrounds, layouts and images and compiles your individual SmileBooks in seconds.

After choosing the size of your SmileBooks photo book the assistant will immediately open in a new window. Drag the images or folders into the assistant, choose the cover type, average number of images per page and the total number of pages of your SmileBooks and click on "Create" and the assistant will create your SmileBook in no time.

The SmileBooks software has an automatic resolution-check built in. You can check if the resolution of your picture is high enough for print, by entering the image into your SmileBook. You will see a smiley in the top menu bar. If the smiley is green, the resolution is high enough for print. If the smiley is yellow or red we recommend to resize the picture to smaller size until the smiley turns green.

Please make sure that your pictures are using the sRGB color space. That is what most cameras are using by default. 

Yes, please turn the automatic image correction off, if you already edited your pictures in a different software.

Please allow a 0.2 to 0.3 inch bleed area on each side. Make sure that you enter your designs as backgrounds, because otherwise white borders can occur.
In the downloadable SmileBooks software please right-click on your design and go to "More image options" and select "Use as background image".
In the SmileBooks Online Photo book Builder please right-right click on your design and select "Set as background". Then right-click again and select "Toggle full bleed" if you want to spread your design over a double page.
For the exact dimensions in pixels for each photo book size please contact support@smilebooks.com. 

Yes, SmileBooks offers a Mac software. You can download it for free under the following link:

http://www.smilebooks.com/download.php

The SmileBooks software for professional photographers is free. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to professionals@us.smilebooks.com
 

If you are using the downloadable software you can save your photo book anywhere you want. Just click on the "Save As" button at the bottom of your SmileBooks screen. It looks like a disk with a little yellow star on it. Once you clicked this button, you can browse for the location where you want to save your project. 

No, you won´t lose your SmileBooks photo books when you run an update or reinstall the software. Please make sure that you know the location where you saved your SmileBooks photo books on your hard drive, before you deinstall your software. Please note that the SmileBooks software automatically creates the following 3 files when it saves your photo books. You need to keep all these files:
1. A *.mcf file
2. A folder with all the pictures from your book
3. A back-up file of your *.mcf file. You can recognize it by the ending ~. (*.mcf~) 

The lay-flat option automatically comes with our photo books printed on real photo paper, which we offer for the sizes Medium (8”x8”), Panorama (11”x8”) and Deluxe (12”x12”). We do not offer the lay-flat option for our photo books printed on the regular digital printing paper.

A photo book is a story. Your story. It is an important story to tell and doing it well takes time and story-telling skill. Many people don´t have the time it takes to create a high quality book, and even of those that do, the majority lack the true ability to tell the story well. Our design service is ideal for people who want a professionally designed product but who either don´t have the time or the skills to create one by them self. We all love eating good food but aren´t necessarily the best cooks!

Browse the GET INSPIRED section for some excellent samples that have been created by the design service.

Designing a classy photo book requires more than just time. It requires skill in album layout, optimization of your photos, background selection, photo selection, color balancing and most importantly story telling.

We want you to enjoy taking pictures and let our experienced designers create an emotionally compelling photo book for you. All you have to do is choose a design style and our designers will work with you in creating your master piece. The best part of our service is that you are always in control: you get to review the photo book online and provide us feedback to make changes. 

The design fee per page is $0.95. The personalized photo book service starts at $24.70 (26 x $0.95)for a 26 page photo book (with 50 to 100 photos). This design cost is added to the price of printing the photo book which starts at $26.95. So, a 26 page Photo book using the service would cost about $51.65. This price includes the first design and up to 3 further edits based on your feedback.

If you value an expert´s skill in designing artistic photo books and you would like to save time, we are the best service available in the market.
 

We have a unique and compelling "Style Board process" wherein you choose a design style that best fits the story you want told. Our master photo book designer will take your inputs as inspiration and create a completely unique photo book, customized just for you. We have 6 primary design styles and many moods within each style.

Absolutely! Our philosophy is to work with you in telling your story. We will design the photo book and show it you online.
You can then provide comments and feedback to make changes. You are always in control of the final product. 

Our designers have told hundreds of stories. You simply need to tell us just a little bit about your story. Our experienced designers and story tellers have been specially trained to choose the best photos. We focus on creating a storyline that seamlessly flows from the first to last page while capturing the best emotions. Some of the selection criteria we use are:

    * Emotions expressed in the photo; we like to see shining happy people
    * We choose photos that best fit the story board. Every page that you turn has to make sense, like the scenes in a movie
    * We don´t use duplicates unless we can tell a motion story
    * The quality of photo (brightness, focus, shadow detail etc)

Again, the best part is you are always in control. You will get a chance to review our selections and make changes if needed. 

Within 3 business days of sending us your photos, your customized photo book will be ready for your online review and feedback.

Once you approve the final photo book, you will receive it in 8-10 days (we need time for printing and shipping).

Yes, you can provide captions and notes for the pages in your photo book. When we have finished the first design draft for your review online, you can enter your personalized text for each page. We will lay it out with a font that matches the design spirit. 

After we have designed your Photo book, you get a chance to review the photo book online. At that time, you can order multiple copies. We assure you that the finished photo book will be a beautiful representation of your story and you will be able to buy as many copies of the book as you like. They will make great gifts. And you only pay for the design fee once. 

After the designer completes the book, you will be able to review it online. During your review, if you feel that the design of the book is not what you want, you can easily provide comments through the online tool in a very simple and straight forward manner. Your comments will be reviewed by your designer, who will then modify your book accordingly. Within 3 working days, you will be able to review the modified design online. 

Sorry, once the design process begins, we are not able to accept additional photos. Should you really want to add photos, you will have to cancel the order and start over insuring that all the photos you need are uploaded in the beginning. The best way to prevent this is to think about which images will make the best story and insure that you include them during the upload process. 

Before designing your Photo book, we design from the photos you provide. So every picture is part of a sequence. At this time we are not able to accept additional photos once the design process begins. 

You will receive an email once the book has been designed and placed online. You will then have seven days to review the book. We want you to review the book when the idea for the story is fresh in your mind. Therefore, we encourage all our customers to review their book as soon as it is finished by our designers. 

Over 95% of our customers are ecstatic about the results after the first design iteration and simply add captions and purchase. In the event you would like to iterate on the design, we will be more than happy to work with you to get the book right. Our designers will redesign your book on the basis of the feedback and comments provided by you. However, after thousands of books, our experience tells us that if we are not able to match your expectation in 3 design iterations, then we are not the best service for your photo book design. You can cancel your order at any time. 

Each revision based upon your input will take 3 working days until you can review the modified book. 

Once you have approved the design of the photo book and have checked-out online, the book is sent to the printer. You will then receive it 8-10 days later. 

No, once you have submitted the book for redesign, you cannot give anymore comments for that version of the book. However, you will be given a chance to make additional comments once the redesign comes back.

You can easily reduce the number of pages during the review process. You can also easily modify the length of the book by requesting changes to the number of images used per page. For instance, two images per page with 100 images equals a fifty page book. With the same number of photos, you can request four images per page to be used and reduce the book to the lower limit of 26 pages. If you have provided a lot of photos and there are many left over not used in the design, then you can simply request the designer to add more photos and this will lengthen the book. The best books are usually about 45 pages in length but you are ultimately in control as long as the book contains the minimum of 26 pages. 

No. At present, all your photo books will be sent to the shipping address which you provide at the time of checkout. 

No, sorry, we do not have this feature. 

Yes, this is possible. Once you have purchased your book you will be able to share it. 

In the order process, you can upload photos from your Picasa webalbums. We are in the process of providing this functionality for Flickr and other social media sites. Register with us and we will keep you updated about the new features we add. 

You can enter the discount when you are selecting the type and size of photo book or in the shopping cart at the time of checkout. 

You can cancel your order at anytime up to the time you check out and pay with your credit card. If you have problems with the book after it is received, simply contact our customer service department. Your complete satisfaction is very important to us. 

In our Events and Category selections, we have covered the most popular events such as vacations, weddings, birthdays, etc. However, if you do not find a Style and Mood that matches your event, you can simply do the following:

1) choose one that is the closest match, or even the other category, and something matching your event,

2) then provide as much detail as you can in the special instructions section.

This will help us make your photo book design very specific to your event. And remember, you will always be able to provide comments during the review process and request changes. 

You can only upload JPEG formatted images in our service. You can convert other file formats to JPEG quite easily through any number of tools. Your best bet is to research the methods available on the web. 

The JPEG files you upload must be at least 100KB in size and can not exceed 7MB. 

Please try again. If you have tried several times and the uploading process isn’t working then the issue is most likely with your machine or your internet connection. You can contact our customer service team at any time with questions as well.

Simply log-in to your account to check your order status. 

Yes. You can order additional copies at any time, but you will need your original order ID.