Upload Images
I can upload photos from Instagram or Dropbox, but not on my local computer. Help!
Short answer: try a different browser.
- If you are using IE, try a Chrome or Firefox.
- If you are using Chrome, try IE or Firefox.
- If you can't seem to get it working on your iPad, try upload from a desktop computer with IE or Firefox.
Basically, between Chrome, IE and Firefox, one will almost certainly work. I'm sorry about this. The internet is a weird place. We have seen 95% upload problems disappeared when our customers switched to a different browser.
If you have tried different browsers and it still not working? Get in touch and we will find out a solution for you.
Can I print both Instagram and desktop photos in one order?
You most certainly can! In fact, you can mix photos from your Instagram, Dropbox, Google Drive, your Mobile or Desktop. You can pick and choose from wherever you like.
Can I print from multiple Instagram accounts?
If you have the login information for both Instagram accounts, this is doable. Here is a video showing you how.
Can I print from my friend's Instagram or a public hashtag?
You can indeed download from a friend's Instagram without any login information, though it is a pretty intense workaround. Instagram recently changed conditions of their API and took away access for downloading photos for many of the Instagram viewers out there that made this process easier. Here is the workaround we have figured out!
- Open Instagram on your browser, and navigate to your friend's stream.
- Open another tab and head to https://downloadgram.com/
- Navigate to the photo you would like to print on your friend's stream.
- Click on the picture to enlarge, which will give you a unique URL for this photo. It will look like this, for example, https://www.instagram.com/p/ucHN_mFpEo/?taken-by=jennypostage
- Take this URL, and enter it into the blank field on Downloadgram.
- Hit download, and then hit the green "Download image" button.
- Downloadgram will open a new window with the photo. You can now either drag it to your desktop or right click to save.
- Go to our website and click the product you would like to print. You can select "Upload Photo", and this will allow you to print from your desktop as well as your own Instagram.
Image Formats
What image file formats are accepted?
JPG format
- sRGB or Adobe RGB colour embedded
- 8 bits or 16bits per channel
- Baseline Standard encoding
PNG formats
- sRGB or Adobe RGB colour embedded
- 8 bits per channel
- No alpha channels
TIFF formats
- sRGB or Adobe RGB colour embedded
- 8 bits or 16bits per channel
- All layers flattened
- No alpha channels
- Image Compression: NONE, LZW, or ZIP
- Pixel Order: Interleaved
What do you recommend? I thought JPEG compress photos.
Not necessaries. When you export the JPEG from either iPhoto/Photo app or Photoshop, make sure you select Quality > Best. It will automatically disable any compression that might be applied.
Ideally, files should be in JPG format, sRGB or Adobe RGB colour embedded, a resolution of 300 PPI at print size, with Baseline Standard encoding (if saving from Photoshop).
All 3 file formats will yield an identical print result on our equipment, as long as they have the same pixel dimensions, bit depth, and colour space. JPG format will have the smallest overall file size, which will require less time to upload. We recommend doing all post-processing work in an uncompressed format (RAW, TIFF, PSD, PSB), and then when the file is print-ready, export or save as in JPG format at maximum quality.
If you are a professional photographer, you might be interested in our blog post A Primer on Colour Profile
I am a graphical designer, what's the best way for me to send in my designs?
Use JPEG in RGB mode. Please have a read of Best Settings For Saving Vector Images For Print.
My image uploads as scrambled lines. Why?
It's likely that your image is in CMYK or grayscale mode. We can print from RGB mode files only. You can change this by opening your image in Photoshop and going to Image > Mode.
Crop and Aspect Ratios
Should I crop my files before uploading them?
You may crop your files, but cropping them beforehand is not necessary. If the file is not proportional to the print size, you can click and drag inside the print preview, either up and down or left and right, to change the crop. The crop displayed in that preview is how the item will print.
I have selected a print size, but my image does not fit within it. What can I do to make it fit?
If the image does not fit within the bounds of the print space, that means the photo is not proportional to that print size. Your best bet is to select a print size that is more closely proportional to the image. For example, if your image’s proportions match an 8x12 size (2:3 aspect ratio), but you have selected an 8x10 size (4:5 aspect ratio), then the image will be cropped.
How can I tell the proportion of the photos?
As a general rule, if you took the photo using a mobile device, like a phone or a tablet, the aspect ratio will be 4x3. If you used a camera, it's very likely to be 2x3 aspect ratio. (This is why we design products like "Moments" so your mobile phone photos will not be cropped.)
Previews
Can I change the size of the print once I uploaded them?
Yes, you can. From the toolbar at the bottom of the screen, click "Options" and then select "Sizes".
Can I try different frame colours for my photos?
Yes, choose "Addons" under the same "Options" menu as you've seen above.
How do I order duplicates?
We do not automatically duplicate photos to fill orders. If you only upload or select one photo for printing, you will only receive one print.
If you would like duplicates, hover your cursor over the photo in the upload screen and hit the "+" sign on the quantity. You can also do it in the Shopping cart page, especially if you want the two copies of the same set of prints.
Can I save my order and continue later?
Yes. And even better, you don't have to anything. We automatically save your projects. You can always access existing projects through the "Top navigation menu > Accounts > Projects".
The preview becomes pixelated or grainy. Will my image print like that?
No, that does not indicate any issues with colour or file quality. To make the webpage faster to load, we create a low-res preview to show the crop without having to use the full-resolution file.
Misc
Do you offer custom sizing?
Yes, we will try to accommodate your needs. Please get in touch.
As a general guideline, we can print anything up to 24", 609mm in one dimension. (Wonder why? Check our blog post on meet the printers. So for example, we can do 24x48" prints or even longer, but we can't do 32x48".
