What types of images will give me the best photo quality?

File Formats: Uncompressed image formats such as TIFF and PNG will yield the best quality (compared with compressed formats such as JPG).

Resolution: 300 dpi at the given output size will yield the highest quality. For example, if you want an image to be 10 inches wide, you would need that image to be at least 3000 pixels wide. 

Many photos will still reproduce well at resolutions down to 150 dpi. Images below 150 dpi will cause Motif to issue image quality warnings at checkout. Warnings can be ignored if you choose, however. 

Please note zooming images requires they have enough resolution to support the enlargement. For example, take the same image discussed above and zoom it such that half the original image is now full frame. Those five inches of the original image also need 300 dpi (i.e., the original would have needed 6000 pixels of width). 

RGB vs CMYK: Either mode is fine. Both are ultimately converted to CMYK by the RIPs on the printing presses (which do an excellent job).

How do I add a page once I have started a project?

You can add a two-page spread by clicking the Plus icon in the upper-right corner of  either Page View or Project View. 

• In Page View, the new spread is added after the current one.
  
• In Project View, the new spread is added after the selected spread or at the end of your book if no spread has previously been selected.

Please note the following:

• Spreads cannot be added to books of maximum length (100 pages).
  
• Spreads cannot be added after the back-inside cover or back cover.
• Spreads cannot be added before the front cover or front-inside cover.

How do I remove a page once I have started a project?

While individual pages cannot be removed, you can delete two-page spreads by following these steps: 

• Step One: Go to Project View by clicking the Grid icon in the upper-right corner of Page View.
  
• Step Two: Select the two-page spread you want to delete by clicking it once.
  
• Step Three: Click the Trash icon in the palette below the spread. 
  

Please note: a photo book needs to have a minimum length of 20 pages. Therefore, a spread cannot be deleted from a a book with 20 pages.

Can I add a page with only text to my photo book?

Yes, you can follow these steps to add a text-only page: 

• Step One: Delete any images (or image placeholders) from the page, by selecting the image and clicking the trash can icon.
  
• Step Two: Click the Add Text Block icon located in the corner under the project page. 
  
• Step Three: Hover near the edge of the text box to see the handle. Click and drag the handle to resize the text box to fill the page.
  
• Step Four: Add the desired text. Inside the Motif text editor you can change the font, size, color, spacing, and alignment of the text.

How to add and delete text 

1. To add text to your layout, click on the Aa icon in the bottom corner below your project.
2. A text box will appear on the page along with an editing control panel. 
3. Click in the text box to enter text. 
4. Click outside of the box to hide the frame and control panel.
5. To delete the text box, click the text to reveal the box and control panel.
6. Click the trash can icon in the lower right corner of the control panel and the text box will disappear. 
7. Click the Aa icon to create a new text box. Our video demonstration will walk you through the process again. 

How to move text boxes

1. To move a text box, you can drag and drop the text box to a different location.
2. The text box can be located above or below an image, to the left or right of the image, or on top of the image.

Alternatively, you can also follow these steps to move the text to a different location.

1. Click the text directly. A text box will appear on the page along with an editing control panel. 
2. Within the editing control panel, click the crosshair icon above the trash can icon.
3. A crosshair icon will appear in your text box. Click and drag this crosshair icon. Your text box will follow the movement to your preferred location. 

How to resize text boxes

1. To change the size and shape of a text box, move the mouse over the edge of the text box. 
2. Once over it, the cursor will turn into a drag handle, and a border line will appear. 
3. Click and drag the drag handle, and the border line will follow your movement to indicate the new size and shape of the text box. 
4. The text inside the text box will automatically adjust its position with the shape of the box.

Please note:

• Enlarging the size of the text box will allow you more space to write in more text. 
• Reducing the size of the text box will reduce the space for text. 

How to change text font, size, and color

1. Click and highlight the text you want to change.
2. In the control panel, click the “Choose Font Family” box and select the font you prefer. 
3. Click the “Choose Font Weight or Slant” box to select that font’s available weights and styles. 
4. To change font size, click the ? or ? in the font size box. Or, type in the number, then press return/enter.
5. To change font color, click and drag to select the text you want to change color. Click on the “Choose Font Color” box to select a color swatch.
6. Alternatively, you can also select “Custom color” at the bottom to show the color wheel. 
7. Click on a color. Close the box. Click out of the text box. The text is now in the newly selected color.  

How to adjust horizontal and vertical word spacing

1. Click and highlight the text you want to change.
2. In the control panel, click the ? or ? at the right side of the “Adjust Vertical Line Spacing” box to change line spacing. Or, type in the number here, then press return/enter.
3. Click the ? or ? at the right side of the “Adjust Horizontal Word Spacing” box to change letter spacing. Or, type in the number here, then press return/enter.

How to change text alignment

1. Align the text to the left, center, or right by clicking one of the top three “Align Paragraph” boxes for horizontal text alignment. 
2. Position text at the top, middle, or bottom of the text box by clicking one of the bottom three Paragraph boxes for vertical text alignment. 

How to create a text overlay

1. Overlaying text on an image can create strong, diverse, interesting visual effects, and enhance the overall page layout of your photo project. 
2. To position text to overlay an image, click the crosshair icon above the trash can icon.
3. A crosshair icon will appear in the text box. Click and drag the text box to the preferred location. 
4. Using the drag handles, spread the single photo until it fills the entire page. 
5. Change the font to a darker color and select a bolder font weight.  
6. Increase contrast between the photo and text by adjusting and reducing the opacity of the photo.  
7. Click on the photo to show the image control panel.
8. Click the “Adjust Image Opacity” icon to slightly reduce the transparency of the image. Click out of the album page. The text is now easier to read over the image.
   

What is the maximum number of photos allowed on a single page in a Motif photo book?

The maximum number of images that can be manually added to a page is 36. The Motif layout autoflow provides one preset layout for nine images.

What is the total number of photos allowed in a Motif photo book?

The number of images that can be placed on a page (if using Autoflow) or recommended for a page (if not using Autoflow) depends on the selected theme. Some themes have a small photo count (1–4), while others allow for more (4–9). 

Books have a maximum length of 100 pages, so they can accommodate anywhere from 100 to 900 photos. A typical book includes between 200 and 400 photos.

What is the maximum number of photos allowed in a Motif calendar?

The maximum number depends on the theme you choose. The average is about 96 in total, or 8 images per month. There is one page for each month.

Can I change the number of pictures allowed on each page of the photo project that I am working on?

Of course. Just follow these steps:

• Step One: Click the Change Layout icon under the photo project page. It’s next to the Add Text Block icon “Aa.”
  
• Step Two: Using the top button bar, select the number of images you want for each page. Click the Apply button in the upper right corner. 
  

Alternatively, you can drag an additional photo onto the page and explore the suggested position options for the new photo.

Can I use fewer than the recommended number of pages?

Motif analyzes the collection of photos you start with and recommends a book length based on how many images there are and their quality. This recommendation is presented on the Book Length page. 

You can perform the following actions on the Book Length page: 

• Adjust the book length (from 20 to 100 pages)
  
• Include more images (if Motif recommended fewer than you wished)
  
• Select a different price (to fit within your budget) 
  

Your page count, number of images, and price all adjust as you make changes while using this page.

Can I spread a single photo across two pages?

Yes. You can do this by manually enlarging the image to span both pages. Simply follow these steps: 

• Step One: Place the selected image on the page (vs in the Image Tray).
  
• Step Two: Hover the pointer over the edge of the image you want to enlarge. You will see the handle used to resize images.
  
• Step Three: Click and drag the handle in the direction of the other page.
  
• Step Four: Any images on the other page will resize as you enlarge the one you’re working with. These images can be deleted by selecting them and clicking the Trash icon. 
  

Note the area between the two pages (i.e., the middle) will become part of the book binding. This means you will lose about 0.5"/1.27 cm of the image. Avoid placing bodies, faces, texts, or objects in this area. Scenic shots work best.

In future Motif releases, we plan to provide preset two-page layouts.

How do I add photos into a project I veve already started?

If you are working on macOS High Sierra (10.13), follow these steps:

• Step One:  Close the project by using the Done button.
  
• Step Two: In Photos, drag an Album, Memory, or selection of images onto your Motif project in the My Projects section of the Photos left-hand sidebar.  
  

If you are working on macOS Mojave (10.14), follow one of the following steps:  

• Drag an Album, Memory, or selection of images onto your Motif project as shown in the My Projects section of the Photos left-hand sidebar.
  
• Drag an Album onto an open Motif project in the main window.
  
• Copy and paste an Album, Memory, or selection of images onto an open Motif project in the main window.
  

In all above cases, new images will display in the Image Tray if the "Recent Additions" filter is active.

How do I remove photos from a project once I veve started?

Currently, there is no way to remove photos from a project. This feature might be added in future releases.

How do I scroll through my images to see all the photos in a photo project?

You can scroll through your photos in the Image Tray at the bottom of Motif’s screen by swiping the trackpad, navigating with your mouse, or using the grey scrollbar at the bottom of the Image Tray.