1. Gather materials FOR YOUR PET MEMORY BOOK
The first step toward creating your Paws on a Page pet memory book is to gather the materials that will fill the pages. Now is the time to choose your images—pictures of your pet alone, pictures of your pet with people if you so choose, etc. If there are any quotes, poems, stories, or other words (such as stories from family members) that you'd like incorporated, collect those. If you prefer to use quotes of my choosing, that's fine, too. I have quite a collection! You will be provided with a form to complete that asks specific questions about your pet, such as his/her personality, demeanor and quirky traits. In addition, I will ask you about your design preferences—the overall look and feel, size of the book, colors, fonts, etc.
If you have recently lost a pet, you might find this part of the process really therapeutic. The productive act of gathering images and sharing stories of your animal companion will keep you focused on the positive and joyful memories, and steer you away from dwelling on the death itself.
For best printing results, your photos should be 300 dpi high resolution jpeg files. You can send digital pictures on disc, USB flash drive, or upload them to me via ftp. Try to send approximately 25-50 pictures. (**If this all sounds like technical mumbo-jumbo, don't worry, I'll walk you through the process of getting your pictures to me.)
2. Your PET MEMORY BOOK IS DESIGNED
In this phase, your pet memory book will be layed out. Available book sizes are 10" x 8", 13" x 11", or 12" x 12". Using the information provided by you in step one, I will weave quotes, pictures and graphics together to reflect your pet's individual personality. Initially, I will show you a pdf sample page spread so you can get an idea of the design direction. If you have any revisions or comments, we will explore those at this time. Once the design direction is established, I will layout the rest of the book. A pdf version of the final pet memory book will be provided to you for review before the book goes to the printer.
The design phase will take about 3-4 weeks.
3. YOUR pet memory BOOK IS PRINTED
Once the design is complete, your pet memory book is off to the printer! It will be professionally printed and turned into a bookstore-quality hardcover book. Books have a durable library binding and an 8-pt. black linen hardcover with a laminated 4-color dust jacket. The inside pages are printed in full color on premium 100lb text paper with a matte or lustre finish.
The printing phase will take about 2-3 weeks.
