Photo Album Layout

FAQ

Why did I create this?

As a new parent, I quickly realized how fast my phone filled up with photos of my child’s everyday moments. Like many parents, I wanted to bring those memories to life in print, rather than leaving them forgotten on a digital screen. However, I couldn’t find a tool that made printing easy. The existing options lacked a simple way to batch-print multiple images quickly, and they didn’t allow for easy panning or zooming to frame the photo perfectly. That is exactly why I built this app. It is designed to take the friction out of printing, giving you total control over how you crop, frame, and print your favourite memories across multiple pages in just a few clicks :)

How do I print?

Tap Print, then tap Download PDF — that is the easiest way. Open the PDF and print at 100% / Actual size on the same paper size you chose (A4, A3, or US Letter), landscape. Then cut on the inside of each thin black guide line.

What paper size and orientation should I use?

Choose A4, A3, or US Letter in Settings & Options (Paper size), or on the first-run welcome screen. Under Layout → Rectangular / Circular / Square, use Fit page to pack as many exact-size prints as fit (frames may be rotated). Exact N-up presets keep a fixed count. Custom layouts also refill. In the print dialog, select the same paper size, landscape orientation, and print at 100% scale (no “fit to page” shrinking) so photo sizes match the layout.

Do my photos leave my device?

No. Images are processed and stored locally in your browser. They are never uploaded to a server. Caption dates and places are read from the photo file’s own metadata on your device. Approximate towns from GPS use a cities list bundled in the app — coordinates are not sent to a map service. The only file that leaves your device is a .album project you choose to save or share yourself.

Why does the app sometimes contact the website?

To check for app updates and for anonymous usage and performance metrics (page views via Vercel Web Analytics, and Speed Insights). As a progressive web app it may briefly contact the site that hosts it to see if a newer version of the app code is available, then offer a refresh. Those checks do not send your photos, album, or edit history. Album work itself stays on your device and works offline once the app is loaded or installed. Optional Support / tip-jar links are in About (the pink heart button) and only open if you tap them. The Contact tab only sends the message you type when you submit it.

How does Contact work, and is my email public?

Use About → Contact to send feedback. Your message goes to the developer through the app’s host (not by showing a public email address on the page). A bot check helps reduce spam. Only the form fields you enter are sent — not your photos or album.

Where is my album saved?

The app autosaves in this browser. For a portable copy, use Save to file or Save as to write a .album project file you can open later or move to another device. The .album file embeds all images (as a zip of the originals, not links to files on disk), so the file can be large depending on how many photos you save. Edit history for each photo is also stored in the project.

What if browser storage fills up?

Your album auto-saves in your web browser, and that save space has a limit. This limit is for this app only — it is not your device’s full storage space. Very large albums (lots of high-quality photos) can reach that limit. If that happens, the app will warn you and auto-save may pause until you free some space. You can usually keep working until you close the tab. To stay safe, use Save to file regularly, remove photos you no longer need, or start a fresh album. Once you download a .album file to your device, it no longer uses this browser save space.

What do the DPI / quality badges mean?

They estimate how sharp a photo will look when printed at its slot size, based on your original image resolution and how much you have cropped or zoomed in. Green is good for typical home prints; amber is acceptable; red means the image may look soft or pixelated on paper — try a higher-resolution original or a less aggressive crop. This refers to the print output, not the on-screen editing preview.

Why does a photo say "Preview" while I edit?

Very large originals are shown with a lighter on-screen preview while you edit so pan and zoom stay responsive. Framing still matches the full image. Printing and PDF export always use your original full-resolution file rasterized at 360 DPI — the preview is only for editing on screen.

How do I crop, pan, and zoom a photo?

Select a photo, then drag to pan. Tools sit on the bar at the bottom of the screen: Layout · Rotate · Scale · Place · Caption (Colour, Image, and Turn view sit in the tray when no tool is selected). Zoom with Scale (± / reset) or pinch; twist two fingers to rotate after a short deadzone. Use Rotate 90° for big turns or ±5° / Tilt to fine-tune. Indigo Turn view buttons in that tray only rotate how you look at the frame while editing — they do not change the print; Remember keeps that view for the next time you select the same photo (cleared if you replace the image). The area inside the frame is what prints; the faded overflow shows the rest of the image while you adjust. Reset crop returns to a centred cover fit at the current rotation. Composition guides (rule of thirds + centre) appear on the crop while a photo is selected — pan lightly snaps the image centre to those lines; toggle them from the photo tools next to Dim, or from Settings. Colour adjusts brightness, contrast, saturation, and red/green/blue balance on the photo only — use Auto to analyse, or drag the sliders; each channel has a reset. Caption adds text or opens the last caption; selecting a caption swaps the bar to Type · Position · Look. Opening Type, colour, or other caption tools slides a window up from the bottom — drag the handle (or pull the list) to see the photo while you change settings.

How do I crop, pan, and zoom a photo?

Select a photo, then drag to pan. Tools are grouped on the overlay on the image: Layout · Rotate · Scale · Colour · Place · Caption. Pick a tab to open its tools; none is selected until you choose. Zoom with Scale (± / reset) or the scroll wheel; choose Rotate to use the scroll wheel for fine rotation instead (Shift+scroll still rotates in any tab). Use Rotate 90° for big turns or ±5° / Tilt to fine-tune. Indigo Turn view buttons at the top left and right of the selected frame only rotate the edit viewport (±90°) so sideways content is easier to crop — they do not change the printed photo; Remember restores that view next time you select the same image (cleared on replace). The area inside the frame is what prints; the faded overflow shows the rest of the image while you adjust. Reset crop returns to a centred cover fit at the current rotation. Composition guides (rule of thirds + centre) appear on the crop while a photo is selected — pan lightly snaps the image centre to those lines; toggle them from the photo tools next to Dim, or from Settings. Colour adjusts brightness, contrast, saturation, and red/green/blue balance on the photo only — use Auto to analyse, or drag the sliders; each channel has a reset. Caption adds text or opens the last caption; selecting a caption keeps Caption on the dock and shows Type · Position · Look.

Can I use this offline or install it?

Yes. It is a progressive web app (PWA). After visiting once, you can often install it from the browser and keep working offline with albums already saved on the device. An online connection is only needed to download the app the first time or to pick up an optional update.

Why does print look different from the screen?

Screens and printers use different colour and resolution. For best results, use Download PDF (exact page size, no browser margins), print at 100% scale on your chosen paper (A4, A3, or US Letter) in landscape, use photo paper if available, and check the DPI badges before printing.

What are the black lines around printed photos?

They are cut guides. The inside edge of each thin black line is the true photo size (for example 6×4 or 5×7). Cut on the inside of the line so the guide stays on the scrap and the finished print matches the intended size.

Can I import photos in date or place order?

Yes. When you add photos, a three-step Import wizard can ask for Layout (chosen print size and count / Fit, or current album layout), Order (File, Date, Place, or Name), and Captions. A pack preview shows pages and empty slots; one photo into a multi-print layout uses the matching single print. Corner captions support presets and per-corner details with thickness/offset beside each control; menu samples are examples only. Tick Remember to skip the wizard next time, or set Ask each time / Always use under Settings → Photo import.

Where do caption dates and locations come from?

When you add a photo, the app reads date, time, camera, and a place name or GPS from the file’s own metadata (EXIF), still on your device. If the file has coordinates but no place name, it picks the nearest listed town (for example York, UK) from a cities list that ships with the app — this works offline and does not send GPS to a map service. Any caption can use those fields from Caption → Type → Details (Date, Location, City, Coordinates, Camera, and combinations). Position → Preset → Text still offers the same list when you drop a caption on a 3×3 cell. Copying a caption layout then fills that field from each destination photo, not the words from the source. Some photos have no metadata — details captions for missing fields are skipped when you paste, so they do not print as “Caption”. iPhone HEIC details are read from the original file as you import it. Date and 12/24-hour time follow your device’s locale by default; change them in Settings. Changing the format does not rewrite captions you have already placed. Typing over a details caption turns it back into ordinary words, so a later paste keeps that typing.