Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to make a book?
From the time we receive resources from you (all images + text on CD) it typically takes 10-12 weeks to receive your published book. This includes what we call our design review phase, proofing phase, book production and shipping. The best idea is to let us know your book deadline (birthday, holiday, anniversary, wedding) and we can work towards that together.

How do I get my images scanned?
You have a few options here, and thank goodness for technology which makes all this possible. option a - scan images yourself option b - hire someone locally to scan your images (kinko's, office supply, art student, family friend, etc) option c - ship your items to a scanning service like ScanCafe and they will do it for you at extremely reasonable prices with a 4-6 week turnaround, we are currently loving this service option d - mail us your images and we will scan them at $25/hour (typically 5-10 images/hour).

What size do my images need to be scanned at?
Regardless of which scanning option you choose, it is important to scan your images properly for the best printed results. We like: .jpg images at 300 dpi resolution with a dimension of 2" more than your finished book page size (ie: if book is 8x10", make image dimension 10x12" to give us extra image for cropping/resizing/etc). We'll give you more tips and techniques when you submit a deposit to get started on your book.

Do you color correct my images?
We typically do not alter the images you provide us. Occasionally, we will retouch or color correct an image if we think it really needs it. But in general you should provide us the images as you'd like to see them.

If I want a family tree in my book how do I do that?
We'll provide you a worksheet to fill in with your family information.

Can you help me with writing my book?
We don't currently offer a full writing service, but we do offer editing services for $40/hour. It is up to you whether you enlist our editing help, but we find an extra pair of expert eyes can be very helpful in polishing a book's text so you should find someone to be your editor.

What do you consider 'heavy text' vs 'light text'?
Heavy text is typically employed for memoirs, family histories, and text-based stories (see the war letters, memoirs, and 60th birthday book samples on our book page). Light text is for photo storybooks, where you may want a few captions throughout the book but the primary focus is the photos (see the child's first year book on our book page). We make this distinction for pricing because text takes extra time and attention in the design process.

How are your books printed?
We print all our books on a top-of-the line digital printer called an HP Indigo Press. We have selected several papers for our books and will specify the best one for your particular project.

Can I add extras like ribbon bookmarks, pockets, fold-out pages, etc?
We include a ribbon bookmark and CD pocket in all our custom books. We can also add pockets, fold-out pages, interleaving pages, and other specialty features to your book if you want. Just tell us what you have in mind and we'll let you know if it can be done and provide you a quote.

How are your books bound?
We handbind all our books, employing traditional tools and techniques in a family-run operation. These are handmade items and, like all handmade goods, no two are exactly the same. But they are all beautiful and filled with character.