Helpful Tips

Portrait names can be difficult to read on darker backgrounds. You might want to consider choosing a border or lighter background. You may also try making the portrait text white when using a darker background.

When importing candid images, you should select the group that they are going to be placed into before starting the import. Once the import has begun, you won’t be able to change the tab that the photos have been placed into. You can move them later, but selecting the right one from the start saves time.

Keep all images and text within the black margin lines on the computer screen to avoid having items cut off. The black margin line around the page is a boundary, and only the background should go beyond it.

Do not use copyrighted materials in your book. These include product logos, photographs from magazines, photos downloaded from the Internet, movie posters/DVD covers, CD covers, professional sports logos, etc.

Proof your PDF file before submitting your book. The publisher will go by this if there is something in question when the book is processed.

Troubleshooting/FAQ

Problems Getting Started - ONLINE ONLY
I started the EZBook application but I don’t see my pages.
After you start EZBook, you will have to open your book. To do this, go to the File menu and choose Open. You will then be prompted for a username and password. If you do not have one, please contact your yearbook advisor. If you are the yearbook advisor and have not yet activated your account, please follow the instructions earlier in the manual on how to do this.

Cover Set-Up
May we design our own cover?
Custom covers for Spring yearbooks MUST be submitted between November 1 and February 6 on all books shipping before June 30. For Fall delivery books (delivered by December 31), cover files must be submitted between June 1 and August 1. Customers meeting submission deadlines will receive a free proof. Shipping charges will apply.

Additional proofs are available for an extra charge. Custom covers submitted late will add 10 working days (Monday- Friday) to production time. Additional time may also be added if files are not submitted in the correct format.

Please see the Custom Cover Brochure/CD for cover setup instructions and cover templates. Cover Templates should be used for all custom cover setup unless it is to be scanned and set up by your yearbook provider. Cover templates vary according to cover type (soft saddle-stapled, soft perfect-bound or hard cover) and page count. You will need to choose the correct cover template by these criteria. Your yearbook provider has cover templates available in QuarkXPress, InDesign, and Photoshop. If design work needs to be done by the publisher for your custom cover, there is an additional charge. In order to do a custom cover, the Custom Cover Envelope provided in your kit must be completed and submitted with your custom cover design.

If you will be designing a custom cover within EZBook, you will still need to follow the custom cover deadlines. Please contact your yearbook provider with any questions concerning the submission process. A proof will be provided if requested and if cover is submitted on time. You may print your own proof by going to the File menu and choosing Print Cover.

May we print on the back cover?
Only if you are creating a custom cover. Custom cover pricing includes printing on both the back and front covers.

Formatting Your Images
Should my images be in RGB or CMYK color mode?
Only RGB images can be imported into the EZBook program. Grayscale images should be converted to RGB as well.

Which file format should we use to save our images?
EZBook accepts JPEG, TIFF, and PNG files only. JPEG files are recommended for candids because of the much smaller file size when compared with TIFF files. PNG files are recommended for clip art because PNG files can have a transparent background.

At what resolution should I have my images?
Every image should be 300 DPI at the actual size the image will appear in your book. Scanned pictures should also be scanned at 300 DPI at the actual size the image will appear in your book. When ordering a photo CD from your photographer you should request a high resolution CD.

How do I know if my images are high resolution?
EZBook keeps track of the resolution of every image that has been placed on a page. When you click on an image within EZBook, the resolution is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Can I open images in Photoshop and change the resolution to 300 DPI?
Your images will still be blurry even if you force them into a higher resolution. You cannot add quality back into an image where no quality existed previously.

My image is only 72 DPI but it is very large (40 inches by 30 inches); will this image be okay?
Certain digital cameras take images at 72 DPI but make them extremely large to retain quality. An image that is 72 DPI at 40 inches by 30 inches has an actual size of 2880 pixels by 2160 pixels. This means that this image could be as large as 9.6 by 7.2 inches and still be 300 DPI since 2880 / 300 = 9.6 and 2160 / 300 = 7.2.

How should my images be named?
You can name your images in any way that you see fit. EZBook will automatically rename any images that it needs to. There is no reason for you to rename your images for EZBook.

May we import images from a digital camera?
Yes. You should have your camera set to between two and four megapixels so that images are the appropriate resolution.

How will we know if our images are linked correctly?
You will not need to worry about linking images in EZBook. The program automatically stores a copy of your image within your book when you initially import it.

May we include a two page spread in our book? How should we submit it? What size works best?
Yes, a two-page spread can be done directly through the EZBook program. A digital 11 x 17-inch photo at 300 DPI provides the best results. A 10 x 8 or 14 x 11-inch photo will also work, but will not be proportional to the page size and will leave a 1/2-inch margin on the top and bottom of each page. When creating your image, be sure to leave space in the center for the gutter. To avoid empty space, make sure that you have ample space in the picture around the subject of your photograph that can be cropped out.

Artwork
Does EZBook include artwork for me to use in my book?
Yes, EZBook includes a wide variety of backgrounds, borders, clip art, and autograph pages for use in EZBook. Use coordinated artwork from one of the artwork series or mix and match to suit your tastes. There are no usage limits on stock artwork in EZBook.

Can I import my own clip art into EZBook?
Yes, you can import any clip art so long as it is not copyright protected and meets our specifications: RGB color profile, high resolution, and JPEG, TIFF, or PNG file format. PNG files are allowed to have a transparent background, so you will be able to see the background on the page around the clip art. This makes them ideal for use as clip art. Custom clip art should be imported into the Clip Art tab and you can either make your own tab or use the standard Default tab.

May we use custom artwork?
You may use custom artwork that follows our guidelines. Use caution when bringing in custom art. We cannot guarantee that custom art will reproduce through our image setters, nor can we assure faithful color reproduction. Not all art is suitable for printing processes, and not all art is legally available for reproduction if you are selling your books. If you choose to use custom art, you can import it from a CD or scan it and import it into EZBook as a candid image.

Can I place images to the edge of the page in a collage?
It is not recommended to place any images outside the solid black line on the screen as these images may be cut off when your book is printed. If you are aware that any images placed outside the solid black line may be cropped and you are okay with these images being potentially cropped, please note on the production form that you realize cropping may occur. Do not place any text outside the margin lines.

Book Submission
What process do we follow to get our book printed?
Complete the export process as detailed on pages 25-28 in the instruction manual. This will provide all of the necessary information to the publisher. If you have any questions or concerns about whether your yearbook was received properly, please contact your yearbook provider.

Do we get to see a proof of our book before it's printed?
No. The PDF file you download and review will be used as the proof to check the final pages against. You should keep a copy for yourself of the digital files you submit for publishing. If you discover errors or changes you’d like to make after your book has been submitted, please call to see what can be done. Changes made after you submit your book will incur an additional charge and may delay your book. If you request a proof, you will be billed for the proof and your book will be delayed. It will be rescheduled to the next available date once your proof is returned. To avoid delays, please let your yearbook provider know if you will be requesting a proof when you sign up, so your book can be scheduled properly.

When will our book ship?
The EZBook plan is fast. In as few as twenty-four business days after you send in your files and they pass preflight, your books will be shipped. Allow up to five business days to receive your books.

Flowing
The names on my portrait flows are not how I want them (example: Harold instead of Harry, names all in upper case, etc.) To fix this, you will have to go to the Portraits menu, choose Edit Database, and make the changes you wish to make. Any changes that you make under the Edit Database screen will automatically be reflected on the portrait flows. You will not need to reflow the portraits.

I have two classes that are flowing together, how do I get them to flow separately?
To get two classes to flow separately, you will have to go to the Portraits menu and choose Edit Database. In this box, you will have to change every student in one of the groups to be another value. For example, if there are two kindergarten classes that are flowing together, you might consider changing one class to “Kindergarten AM” and the other to “Kindergarten PM.”

I want to flow my portraits but the icon is not highlighted.
First, make sure that you are not working on the cover. If you are not on the cover, the problem is that you do not have a database imported. If you import a database, you will then be able to flow portraits.

Working With Images
How do I delete candids from the book?
To delete a candid from the book entirely, go to the tab on the left hand side that contains the candid. Right click on the candid and choose Delete.

Is it okay if I use color images on my black and white book?
Yes. When your book is submitted, any color images will be converted to black and white. Please bear in mind that dark backgrounds will show up darker when the book is printed in black and white, so you may want to consider using lighter backgrounds.

How do I import multiple images at once?
When selecting images, there are a few keyboard shortcuts to know that will allow you to import multiple images. First, by holding down the CTRL key, you can click on individual images to select them one at a time. By clicking on one image, then holding down the SHIFT key, you will select all items in the range between that image and the next that you click on. Finally, by pressing CTRL+A, you will select every item in the folder that you have open.

I was given a picture that isn't in a format that EZBook supports (Microsoft Publisher file, Adobe PDF file, etc.), what do I do?
You should contact the person who gave you the image and request a JPEG, PNG or TIFF file. EZBook will not import any files other than those.

I need to select an item that's completely covered by another item (such as a portrait flow), what do I do?
You can use the tab key on your keyboard to move between all the items on a page. If you are unable to select an item, simply press the tab key on your keyboard until the item you wish to select appears.

Text
I'm trying to change the color of my text and it won't stay changed to the color I want.
Because of limitations in the printing process, you will not be able to select any color other than black or white, for text that is less than fourteen points in size. You may have white text as small as eight points in size. If you try to change the text color when the size is too small, it will simply revert to black.

I'm trying to use a special character, but when I click off of the text box, all I get is a square.
Only certain special characters are compatible with EZBook. See the last page of the instruction manual for a complete list.

I have a document done in a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word), how do I get the text into EZBook?
While EZBook cannot directly import text, you can use the copy/paste function in order to bring text in. To do this, open the file in whatever word processing program it was created in, highlight the text and press CTRL+C to copy the text. Then go to EZBook and insert a text box. Edit the text box so that there is nothing there but a blinking cursor and press CTRL+V to paste. You may have to increase the size of the text box in order to properly display all of the text. Also, any formatting such as size changes or bold/italics will be discarded.

Printing
My printer stalls after x number of pages.
This is caused because your printer is set to spool the entire document before printing but then the printer does not have enough memory to handle the entire file. This can be solved by printing ranges. If your printer prints the first 56 pages of an 88 page book, just print 1-55 and then 56-88, or 1-44 and then 45-88. This will ensure that the printer does not run out of memory when printing.

How do I create a high-resolution PDF suitable for printing?
Books created using EZBook software can only be printed through authorized resellers and publishers. Contact your yearbook provider for details.

Exporting
I'm exporting and getting "text not visible" on Verifying Page Layouts section of the export.
If you get this error, you need to go back through your pages on the screen and verify that you can see the solid black line around every page that is giving that error. If you can see the solid black line going around the entire page, you can safely disregard that error.

Recommended Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements - A 30-day free trial of this powerful image manipulation software may be found at www.adobe.com.

Clipart.com - This site has a large collection of royalty-free clip art available for purchase.

Copyrights and Your Yearbook
What is a copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States and other countries to authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other creative works. This protection allows the creator exclusive rights to these works, and to determine who has the “right to copy” these works.

Walter’s Publishing reserves the right to refuse to print any material for which you are not the author and for which proof of permission to reproduce, or other satisfactory evidence of the right to produce such material, is not provided.

How can I find out who owns a copyright?
Some investigative work will be required. If the copyright owner is not listed outright on the work you wish to copy, you may need to directly contact the publisher of the work where you viewed the image to see if they know who the copyright owner would be. For Web pages, you may need to contact the webmaster of the site or the company that produced it. For books it is recommended to contact the publisher. Walter’s Publishing cannot provide copyright advice for you. It is your responsibility to do necessary due diligence and provide us this information.

In most cases it is easy to obtain permission from companies for logos and images by simply contacting them. Most professional clip art packages allow reproduction rights for the files you purchase. Other sources such as Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com), Landov (www.landov.com) or other image providers have special rates for schools purchasing photos for reproduction in yearbooks. You may also search for “Public Domain” images, which have limited or no rights restrictions.

You should begin the search immediately if you know you have possible copyrighted images. Any delay after submission of your yearbook to obtain permission will delay your delivery!

What do I need to provide to be able to use a copyrighted work?
Walter’s Publishing may require a satisfactory letter of verification from the copyright owner which grants you permission to use their work in your yearbook. In the case of purchased clip art or images, simply include a copy of your License Agreement, which should specify your rights to reproduce the images in your yearbook. Your yearbook may be placed “on hold” until all copyright issues have been cleared.

Can I quote poems or music lyrics?
Poems and lyrics may also be protected by copyright. It is advisable to get the rights from the author or publisher before using them.