Interface

Having an account and using the Online Designer gives you the flexibility to access, design and print your photo products whenever and wherever you want. Creating an account not only gives you free storage space for your photos and projects, it opens up a world of possibilities — from designing and ordering to sharing, getting feedback and even earning money with your photos. Simply create an account on the website and explore the Photo Portal content to get a taste of the endless possibilities.

Once you’ve selected a product to design and opened a project in the Online Designer, you’ll have access to a range of tools, arranged as follows.

Top menu

The top menu provides the following tools:

• The Save button saves the article you are designing. You must be logged in to save.
• The Projects button opens the Projects folder, which contains all your saved photo products (login required).
• The Share button allows you to activate sharing. You must be logged in and your project must be saved. Once activated, several options will appear allowing you to customise how your project is shared. You can password protect it, copy the shared link, open it, email it, or share it with your existing contacts. The Shared Link takes you to a preview of the project. For more information, see the related article in Photo Portal.
• The Undo and Redo buttons allow you to undo or redo the changes you have made.
• The Preview button allows you to preview your project, which is important for checking before printing. To exit this mode, click the cross icon at the top right.
• Next are the tools for adding the main objects in the designer. These are Text, Image, and Fill Box. Clicking on one of these will create the object in the project.

Image menu

The left-hand menu allows you to add and view images to add to your photo product. You can access images stored in galleries by clicking on the Galleries tab.

Right menu

The right-hand menu contains tools for customising your photo product. Click on the buttons to open the corresponding menus. You can close this column by clicking on the arrow at the top.

• The Article button offers options to modify your photo article, depending on the product you are designing. It is also possible to convert the article into another one.
• The Page button displays all the elements placed in your project, including the Grid and Snap tools.
• The Clipart button provides access to an extensive selection of clipart for use in your project. You can filter by category or use the search engine.
• The Backgrounds button allows you to select different backgrounds for your project.
• The Layouts button offers a variety of pre-designed templates based on your chosen design line. You can filter layouts by number of images, save your favourites, and switch design lines as needed.
• The Support chat button opens a live chat support window where you can get your questions answered. You can minimise the window by clicking the arrow icon or close the chat by clicking the cross icon in the top right-hand corner.

Bottom menu

For multipage products, such as photo books and calendars, a page information menu appears at the bottom. Use this menu to navigate between pages, add or delete pages, and rearrange the order of pages by dragging and dropping.

Object menu

When you select an object, such as an image, text, fill box or clipart, a menu of additional tools appears on the right. This menu only appears when the object is selected and allows you to configure several aspects of it.

Working area

The working area of the project is displayed in the centre. This will vary depending on the product you are designing. You can collapse the right and left columns by clicking the cross to maximise the working area.

The working area of all products is surrounded by a red line very close to the edge. This is the bleed line and marks the safety zone to be considered when placing objects. Never place objects close to this line, as white borders may appear around the image in the final product. Images and objects must be placed at a sufficient distance from this line.