Album99 Tutorial

Our Nations Photo Lab Album99 features archival-quality paper with a floating spine and various premium hardcovers. You can fully customize your Album99 using the tools provided on our Nations Photo Lab website’s ordering platform. Below you will find a step-by-step guide to help walk you through the process. Also included are visuals and descriptions of the customization tools provided on the platform.Click HERE for a video on how to order an Album99. 

1. To create an Album99, you must first upload the images that you would like to use to your gallery. Here is a helpful link to walk you through this step.

2. After uploading images into your gallery for the album you would like to create, you will head to the Album99 product page on the website to begin personalizing your album, where you can choose the size, page thickness, cover, and amount of spreads you would like.

Please note that you cannot change the cover, size, or page thickness once you start creating your Album99. In order to do so, you would need to start over.

Album99 Photo Albums come in 7 popular sizes, from 8x8" to 12x12". We print Album99 spreads on Kodak Professional Endura Lustre or Fujicolor Crystal Archive Super Type PDN Lustre photo paper and flush mount them to your choice of thick or thin pages.

Thick pages are approximately the width of a penny, while thin pages are roughly the width of a dime.

THIN pages:

THICK pages:

The Album99 also comes with 3 various cover options you can choose from: Genuine Leather Cover, Linen Cover, and Photo Wrap Cover.

For the Photo Wrap Cover, you can choose between a Lustre or Canvas medium. For the Genuine Leather Cover, you can choose between 7 colors (Black, White, Sterling Gray, Distressed, Distressed Cappuccino, Distressed Sand, and Midnight Blue):



For the Linen Cover, you can choose between 2 colors (Oatmeal and Black):

Lastly, Album99 has several spread options. For the thick page option, you can choose between 10-25 spreads. For the thin page option, you can choose between 10-50 spreads. Spreads for your Album99 can be selected in increments of 5 spreads (10 sides).

3. Once you have selected the specs for your Album99, you will click the "Personalize" icon to choose a theme. We have a variety of themes to choose from, or you can "Create Your Own" blank theme.

The Blank Theme Panoramic starts you off with a completely new project to build your album spread by spread. This template conjoins the left and right sides of the spread. The Blank Theme Two-Sided also starts you off with a completely new project; however, the left and right sides of the spread are split.

The Full-page Photos Theme lets you pre-select the images and pre-place them in the Album99 template. The Full-page Photos Two-Sided Theme will pre-place one image per side of a spread. The Full-page Photos Panoramic Theme will pre-place one image that spans from the left to the right side of the spread.

Helpful tip: 10 spreads = 20 sides. 

4. Once you pick your theme, the website will bring you to the Album99 design interface to start designing and personalizing your album!

Please note that when you open an Album99, it will open to black flypaper, which has a matte finish. The initial spread of the album starts on the left side after you turn the first page. 

Please also be aware there is a ⅛” bleed/trim inside the templates/spreads. Later in this tutorial, you will see an image of the orange border, which will show you the bleed/trim area.

Questions about bleed and trim?  Click Here!

Need a Photoshop Template?  Click Here!

Helpful tip: Should you see a low-resolution warning pop up, please visit this help center article for more information!

At this point, it's best to familiarize yourself with the icons and customization tools to create a fantastic Album99 of your own.

The icons and customization tools can be seen to the left of your screen, laid out vertically.

1. The top icon, “PHOTO,” allows you to access images from your gallery to use in the Album99 template. Please click the gallery of images you are interested in using within your album. You can also click on the “Upload Photos” button to upload additional photos if needed.

2. The “TEXT” icon allows you to add text to a spread or photo wrap cover (lustre or canvas photo wrap covers only). If adding a text box, you can select the font type, color of font, and size of the font you would like.

3. The “LAYOUT” icon allows you to choose different image layouts for each spread in the Album99 template. It’s a great tool to use if this is your first time creating an Album99 or are having a hard time deciding on a personalized layout. Please note that ⅛" bleed/trim occurs around the edge of the templates/spreads.

Once you click on the type of layout you want (Page or Spread), you will see different options based on the number of images you want per page/spread.

Once you have chosen and added a pre-designed layout to your template, please note that the image boxes are still adjustable! You can move the image boxes to other positions within the layout or you can resize them with the transform tool (shown later in this tutorial).

The next few steps are optional, depending on your design preferences. However, below are different design features that our ordering platform has to offer.

4. The “BACKGROUND” allows you to change the color/design of the spread's background. We supply a wide range of background designs to choose from. If you do not see a background you like, you can upload any image and set it as the background.

5. The “BORDERS” icon allows you to add a color border to the image boxes on the spread.

6. The “STYLES” icon allows you to pick a quick background in black, white, or various shades of gray.

7. The "OPTIONS & ADD-ONS" icon allows you to add/remove the Color Correction option. It also allows you to choose an embossing font style and embossing color and add embossing text (center or bottom right position). For embossing text, you can add up to 3 lines and 20 characters per line, including spaces, based on uppercase/lowercase usage. Please advise that we cannot emboss the following characters | , / , {, }, ( , ).

Embossing options are only available if you are ordering the Album99 with a genuine leather or linen cover!

To view the embossing options under this section, you must be on the cover of the Album99 template. 

Please note that you will not see a preview of the text on the cover. 

The following features are when you are manipulating an image on the spread.

1. The first icon is a hand, which is the pan/zoom button. It allows you to pan your image from left to right or top to bottom within the image box. The bar allows you to zoom in/out of your image.

2. The "TRANSFORM" icon allows you to stretch or change the image's shape on the spread using the half-circle bumpers in black. Click and hold down on your mouse to start adjusting the size/shape.

The transform icon also allows you to fully move the image box to a different position on the spread. If you move the image close to the edge of a spread, you will see an orange border appear. For Album99s, we account for a 1/8" bleed. The orange border outlines where the bleed or trim area is on the spreads. Therefore, parts of an image or text that goes into this orange area are subject to trim. 

3. The “ROTATE” icon allows you to change the orientation of your image. 

4. The “BACKGROUND” icon allows you to make an image the background. If you change your mind, you can choose the "Minimize" icon.

5. The “TRASH” icon allows you to remove an image from the spread. Click on the image you want to remove, the selected image will be highlighted in blue. Then, click the Trash icon. Or you can click the Transform icon, click and hold the image with your mouse, and then drag the image outside of the spread template until it turns red and the trash icon appears, releasing the mouse. The image will disappear from the page.

6. The “REORGANIZE” icon expands all of the spreads across the bottom of the webpage and allows you to reorganize your spreads into a different order/sequence. To move a spread, click on a spread you would like to move. You will see it become highlighted in blue. Then, click and hold down on your mouse and drag the spread over the intended new location in the Album99 template until you see a vertical blue line. Once you see the blue vertical line appear, release your mouse! 

7. The "ADD AND REMOVE" icons allow you to add or remove spreads. Please note that you will only be able to add or remove spreads in increments of 5, and the price of the album will adjust accordingly. 

For example, if you chose 20 spreads/40 sides, you can add the album to your cart as-is once you are finished designing. Or, you can increase to a 25-spread album by adding 5 additional spreads, or you can decrease to a 15-spread album by deleting 5 total spreads. You will only be able to add the album to your cart if you end your album in an increment of 5. So if you end your album with 21 spreads, you will either need to delete a spread or add 4 additional spreads. 

That's it! Those are all of the tools and options you have to personalize your Album99!

Once you’ve reviewed and approved all of your design edits, click "ADD TO CART" to begin the checkout process.

Please feel free to call or chat with us if you have any further questions while creating your new memories. Our phone line (888-507-5755) is available Monday through Friday, 10:00 am-5:30 pm EST, and our live chat is available Monday through Friday, 10:00 am-5:30 pm EST.