General Questions about Imagine Your Photos
Questions and Answers about Photo Mousepads
Questions and Answers about Photo Mugs
Questions and Answers about Photo Ornaments
General Questions
- How does Imagine Your Photos work?
- Do you have a catalog?
- What kind of web browser do you recommend?
- Is there a setup fee?
- What is the minimum quantity required to order?
- What are the supported file types?
- Can I use Black and White images?
- What is the preferred image quality or resolution for uploaded images?
- What does "dpi" mean?
- What is the difference between standard and expedited shipping?
- Do I have to create an account in order to shop?
- Why do I have to log in to place an order?
- How long do my uploaded images remain online?
- What is a cookie?
- Can anyone else see my uploaded photos?
- What if I forget my password?
- Can I change my order after it has been placed?
- How do I contact Customer Service?
- What are your shipping rates?
- Holiday Shipping Cutoff Dates and Times
How does Imagine Your Photos work?
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Imagine Your Photos (IYP) lets
you design and create awesome photo gifts with our online design wizard
using your own artwork or photos. You have access to over 200 quality
photo gifts from which to choose at the lowest prices!
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Do you have a Catalog?
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IYP does not have a print or online catalog to view but you can go to any page and access product categories in the left side menu.
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What kind of web browser do you recommend?
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IYP currently supports the following web browsers. If you receive an unsupported browser warning, and yours is not listed, please upgrade your browser:
- Internet Explorer/Edge (Windows 8.0 or higher recommended | Version 44 recommended | Mac OS is not supported)
- Safari (Mac OS: 10.1 or higher; 10.0 or higher recommended | Windows is not supported)
- Firefox (Version 63 recommended)
- Google Chrome (Version 70 recommended)
System memory
- Recommended: 1 GB and above
- Minimum: 500 MB
Monitor resolution and color depth
- 1024x768 minimum required, larger resolutions are recommended
- 16-bit color or above recommended, 256 colors required
Internet connection
- Uploading
and viewing images on 4 Photo Gifts takes a considerable amount of
bandwidth, we recommend you have a broadband internet connection (such
as DSL, cable modem, satellite, T1). Dial-up connections are not
recommended.
Image file formats
- Currently,
we can accept only JPEG (JPG), GIF, and PNG images. The best resolution
is 150ppi or higher. Photographs should be scanned at 300ppi. Images at
150ppi will be converted to 300ppi before processing. PPI is an
abbreviation for Pixels Per Square Inch. This means that at 300ppi,
there are 300 pixels (images information) in a square inch. 150ppi is
half the resolution and not as sharp as a 300ppi image.
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Is there a setup fee?
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No setup fee is
required to order from IYP! Simply create an account
and you're ready to order! There are no hidden charges. You pay for all
the personalized products you want, plus the applicable shipping charge.
That's all.
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What is the minimum quantity required to order?
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There
is no minimum quantity required to order. You can order quantity one or
10,000 depending on your needs. The more you order, the better your
price.
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What are the supported file types?
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Currently, we can accept only JPEG (JPG), GIF (Non-animated), and PNG images.
JPEG/JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) JPEG's
support 16.7 million colors, but can "distort" the image to compress
the file size. The amount distortion is directly related to the
'quality' setting the image is saved with. We also recommend that you
use the least amount of jpeg compression possible. (This is a setting on
cameras that is sometimes called "quality" or "compression".) While
high resolution and low compression will increase transfer times, they
will produce the best results. For best results, the file should be
scanned in or converted to 300ppi.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a bitmap image that support
up to 256 colors. Used mostly when an image has a large area or flat or
single tone colors. Logos, icons, banners, and cartoons use the GIF
format. Use non-animated GIFs on 4 Photo Gifts. If you use an anmatied GIF, only the first frame will be shown. These images only work well with small photo gifts such as keyrings that have an images area of 1-2 inches. Anything larger with result in pixelization where the image looks very low resolution.
PNG (Portable
Network Graphics) is a raster graphics file format that supports
lossless data compression. Supports 24-bit RGB and 32-bit RGBA color
palettes, grayscale images with or without alpha channel for transparency. This is an improved format over GIF. PNG files can be very high resolution at 300ppi.
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Can I use Black and White images?
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Yes!
In fact, black and white images can give your photo gifts a "timeless"
feel that will give them a special feeling to you many years from now.
Feel free to use black and white images, sepia, old-fashioned toned
images. Children's artwork is also a popular theme and you can get
quality results with today's advanced phone and digital cameras.
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How big of an image can I upload?
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In order to be able to efficiently produce your order, we store enough image data to print a 24" x 36" image at 300 dpi. If you have anything larger than this size, please reduce the resolution to 150ppi. This will reduce the physical file size so that you can easily upload to the design wizard. A 24" x 36" image at 300ppi is equal to 7200 pixels X 10800 pixels image. This is a very good image for canvas prints, aluminum photo panels, and other large products.
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| DPI is an abbreviation for Dots Per Inch. This term comes from the paper printing world that refers to the number of physical dots of ink in a paper printed document in a square inch area. Since we use digital technology to produce photo gift products, we use PPI, or Pixels Per Inch. Pixel stands for Pixel Element and it's the smallest physical element of a computer monitor screen that our eyes can see. We recommend images at 300ppi to produce the best quality products. However, we do not recommend converting a 72ppi web image to 300ppi as the resulting image will be very blurry or pixelated. See the examples below to get a better understanding of various resolutions. |
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| This is a 300ppi, 1000x800ppi image |
This is a 72ppi, 640x480 converted to 300ppi |
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| When printed as an 8x10, here's what they'll look like zoomed in (only part of the image is shown): |
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What is the difference between standard and expedited shipping?
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Standard Shipping will usually arrive 2 to 5 business days from the time the order is shipped*.
Expedited shipping will arrive up to 2 business days from the time the order is shipped*.
*Most orders are shipped within 2-5 business days. During times of high volume, it may take as many as 7 business days to produce and ship an order.
Some products may have longer production cycles. Check the product's description for details on how long it takes the product to be produced.
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Do I have to create an account in order to shop?
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No. Although there are advantages to creating an account and logging in before you start to create your Photo Gifts, you are only required to create an account when you actually check out.
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Why do I have to log in to place an order?
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We allow you to shop completely anonymously up until the point where you go to check out. When you place an order, we need to have some basic contact information about you so that we can get in touch with you in the unlikely chance that there is a problem with your order.
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How long do my uploaded images remain online?
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If you have logged in before uploading images, you will be able to use those images to create your Photo Gifts for at least 30 days. We clean all accounts regularly in order to keep the performance of the website high, and so it's always easy for you to see the most recent images you've uploaded.
If you have not created an account, you will need to upload your images each time you visit IYP.
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Can anyone else see my uploaded photos?
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If you have uploaded your pictures into an account, the only way someone else can see your images is if you share your username and password with them. Other than that, you are the only person who can see your images.
If you have not created an account and you upload images, nobody will be able to see them unless they sit down at the same computer you used, and your session is still valid. If you want to make sure this doesn't happen, just close your browser when you're done.
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What if I forget my password?
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- On the Login page, click the "Forgot Your Password?" link. It's right under the space to enter your username and password.
- Enter the email address you use to log in.
- Click Continue.
Your password will be sent to the email address you entered in step 2.
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What is a Cookie?
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What is a cookie? A cookie is a piece of information that your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) places on your computer so that web sites can identify you. We use cookies so that you can conveniently re-use your images to create different Photo Gifts without logging in. We DO NOT contain any account information in cookies. In order to make sure that your computer is accepting cookies:
Internet Explorer (PC):
- Disable, Enable Cookies in Internet Explorer.
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button.
- Next click Internet Options and select the Privacy tab.
- Under Settings, move the slider to the top to block all cookies or to the bottom to allow all cookies, and then click Apply.
Safari (Mac)
- Select Preferences from the Safari menu or use the Command+, keyboard shortcut (hold down the Command key and the comma key at the same time).
- Got to the privacy tab
- Choose how you want Safari to treat cookies. By default, Safari allows cookies from the sites you visit, but prevents third-party content that might be embedded in those sites from storing cookies on your computer. Your other options are:
- Always block: No cookies are allowed to be stored on your Mac. Keep in mind this option might prevent some sites from working properly.
- Allow from current site only: Only the current site you're visiting will be allowed to store cookies.
- Always allow: All websites, third parties, and advertisers can store cookies on your Mac.
Firefox:
- Click the menu button and choose Preferences.
- Select the Privacy panel
- You can choose to remember history or never remember history
- Under History, check the box "Accept cookes from site" to allow cookies or to never allow cookies
- Close preferences page. All changes are automatically saved
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Can I change my order after it has been placed?
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Always make sure you check over all details in your Photo Gifts thoroughly to make sure that what you are ordering is correct.
If you decide you want to change something after you've added your photo gift to your shopping cart you can edit that product. Simply click to edit the item in your cart, and you'll be able to make any changes you want.
Once you've completed your order, our automated manufacturing process immediately schedules your Photo Gift for production. Because we strive to deliver high-quality Photo Gifts to all our customers as quickly as possible, we are unable to accept changes to an order after an order has been placed. You may, however, cancel an order and recreate your order. |
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What is the preferred image quality or resolution for uploaded images?
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What looks good on your screen will not necessarily look good printed.
The preferred image resolution depends on the size the image will be printed on your Photo Gift. We will display a message if you select an image we feel may not have a high enough resolution to look good.
Generally for best results, we recommend that your image be at least as tall or wide as your chosen photo gift and be at least 300dpi in pixel per inch resolution.
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What are your shipping rates?
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Economy shipping, 7-14, days is $6.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
Standard shipping, 2-5 days, is $11.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
2nd day shipping $17.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
Next day shipping $27.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
Photo Blankets $8.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
Photo Car Mats and Floor Mats is $6.95 for the first item ordered. Each additional item is calculated based on volume.
Volume rate for each additional item is $2.95.
When selecting a shipping method, please note that most products require 2-5 days in production... and THEN they ship.
International Shipments may be subject to duties, taxes or other customs fees upon delivery. The recipient is responsible for paying any such fees. All international shipments include customs forms that list the value of the order’s contents.
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Holiday Shipping Cutoff Dates and Times
*New shipping cut off date December 7, 2022 11:59pm PST for delivery by Christmas with Economy shipping*
Holiday Shipping Cutoff Dates
| DELIVERY METHOD |
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| International Orders (Includes Canada and Puerto Rico) |
11/28/2022 |
| Economy Shipping (UPS Mail Innovations, USPS First) |
12/7/2022 |
| Standard Shipping (UPS Ground and USPS Priority |
12/9/2022 |
| UPS 2-Day Shipping |
12/15/2022 |
| UPS Next Day Shipping |
12/16/2022 |
All orders must be received before 11:59 pm PST on December 7, 2022 to ensure
there is enough time for production and delivery by the carrier. Any orders placed after
December 8, 2021 is not guaranteed for Christmas delivery.
The following photo gifts are NOT guaranteed for Christmas delivery even with expedited shipping after December 7, 2022.
- Car Mats (Front or Back)
- Blankets (Woven, Fleece, and Soft Touch)
- Mats (Floor or Comfort)
- Watches
- Towels
- Pillow Cases
- Playing Cards (Poker, Canasta, Jumbo, Pinochle, Bridge)
Note: Our holiday production time may reach up to 7 business days prior to shipping.
Please keep in mind that due to Covid-19 regulations our production time may increase during peak season. We will work towards keeping the same turnaround time. We have also been made aware by our carriers of potential delays with shipping transit times.
FAQs are subject to change. 10/27/2022
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