To create a 2-page spread for a Classic or Regency book:
Start with an image that will print well on a 2-page spread. Avoid using images with text or human faces in the middle. (Picaboo books are handcrafted, and the natural variability of this process can cause some discontinuity at the center of a 2-page spread.) For best results with large books, use an image that is at least 3424 pixels wide x 1378 pixels tall. For medium books, use an image that is at least 3395 x 1378. If your original image is less than 2500 pixels wide, the printed image may be grainy.
Next, edit your image with a graphics program to create the two halves. (You don’t need a very fancy program – Paint.NET or Microsoft Paint will work just fine.) The images you create will have a small overlap to account for cropping and loss of page area to the gutter during the production and binding process. Follow these instructions:
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Right-click on your original image file and choose "Copy". Right-click on your Desktop and choose "Paste" to make a copy there.
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Open the copy on your Desktop for editing.
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Resize the image so that it is 3424 pixels wide (3395 for medium books), keeping the proportions locked.
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Crop the image so that it is 1378 pixels tall.
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Save two copies of the cropped image in the .png format using "File -> Save As".
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Take one copy and crop it so that the image is 1752 pixels wide, keeping the left part of the image and cropping off the right. Save this image as a JPEG file at a quality setting of 100.
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Take the other copy and crop it so that the image is 1752 pixels wide, keeping the right part of the image and cropping off the left. Save this image as a JPEG file at a quality setting of 100.
You can then import these images into Picaboo and place them on the pages just like you would any other photo. (Choose the page layout where the image well takes up the full page.)
To create a 2-page spread for a Flush Mount, Modern, Victorian, Cape Cod or Ranch book:
Because of the lay-flat pages in these books, there’s no need to create an overlap. Start with an image that is 3504 x 1378, cut it in half, and you’re good to go.
