Login to the SDS

The first time you access SDS, you will need to create a new account. Once you have registered, you can use your username and password to log in whenever you want to access the application.

First, create your account.

Enter your Full Name, Email Address, Username, and Password. Then confirm your password by entering it a second time. Finally, click the Sign Up button. You will then be redirected to the Login page.

The application remembers your login details, so you will not need to enter them every time you use SDS.
However, make sure you remember your username and password, as you will need them if you log in from another computer or device. If necessary, write them down and keep them in a safe place.

If you forget your password, simply click the Forgot Password link on the Login page.
Enter your email address and click Get Password.

An email containing instructions to reset your password will be sent to you.

Now that you have successfully logged in, the next step is to create a new product. In the next video, we will show you how to set up your product and start designing.

Create a New Product

After you have successfully logged in and you open the SDS, the first screen you see is the Products screen.

From here, you can create a new album or any other available product by selecting it from the appropriate button. You also have access to all the products you have created previously. From this list, you can open or delete any product. For albums, you can also create a copy, design the cover, or design the slipcase, when available.

To create a new product, the first step is to define its orientation, size, and other basic settings.
Let's go through the process.

• First, enter a name for your product in the Studio Reference field.
• The units of measurement are always in inches, so there is no need to change this setting.
• Next, select the product type.

When creating an album, you need to choose its orientation, size, and the number of spreads it will contain. If you prefer a page background color other than the default white, you can select it here.

Keep in mind that the number of spreads and the background color can also be changed later while designing your album, so these settings simply provide a starting point.

When creating any other product, the available options will appear in the fields below. For example, when creating a Wall Art product, you only need to select its orientation and size. Unlike albums, Wall Art products are created one at a time, and the background color cannot be changed.

For Prints, Hipster Packs, and Frame Mounts, you can also specify the quantity you want to create. As with Wall Art, the background color cannot be changed.

Once all the settings have been selected, click Create Product.

The App will open the design workspace, where you can begin creating your product.

For Prints, Hipster Packs, and Frame Mounts, the quantity you selected during product creation will already be available, and the layouts will be populated with slots automatically. All you have to do is drag your images into the layouts to complete your design.

Now that your product has been created, the next step is to import your images. In the next video, we will show you how to add your images to the App and prepare them for designing.

Import Images

After creating and saving a new album, you will be directed to the Spread Creation screen. This is where you import your images and begin designing your layouts.

Importing Your Images

To import your images, click the Import Images button located in the upper-right corner of the screen. Once the upload is complete, a confirmation message will appear, informing you that all images have been successfully imported.

Image Filters

After importing your images, you can use the Image Filters located at the bottom of the image panel. These filters allow you to quickly display specific types of images by selecting the corresponding buttons:

• Horizontal images
• Vertical images
• Images already used in a spread
• Images not yet used

You can clear all filters at any time to display the complete image list.

You can also use the Sorting option to organize your images according to Filename, Date Taken, or Size.

The Sort by Date Taken option is especially useful when two or more photographers have captured images from the same event. It arranges all images according to the time they were taken, allowing photos from different photographers to appear in the correct chronological order.

You can use the other sorting options according to your workflow and preferences.

Rotate and Delete Images

To rotate an image, hover your mouse over it and click the rotate left or rotate right button. To remove an image from the album, click the Delete button that appears when hovering over the image.

To delete multiple images at once:

• Hold down the Shift key
• Select the desired images
• Press the Delete key on your keyboard

Viewer Mode

To preview an image in full size, simply double-click on it. This activates Viewer Mode, allowing you to examine the image in greater detail before placing it into your layout.

Now that your images are imported, the next step is creating your layouts. In the next videos, we will show you how to create layouts automatically and manually.

Create your Layouts Automatically

Now let's see how easy it is to create your album layouts using the automatic layout functionality of SDS.

The Automatic Layout option is the fastest way to create your album. It provides a complete starting point, while still allowing you to make further adjustments later using the Free Edit Layout option.

When I drag an image onto the page, it is automatically placed into a layout position. At the same time, several alternative layouts are generated, allowing me to quickly choose a different option if the first one does not suit my design.

When I drag a second image onto the page, the layout automatically changes again. New alternative layouts are generated based on the images currently placed on the page. In this example, we have one horizontal and one vertical image.

The same process happens every time I add a new image. Every image that I place on a page becomes slightly faded in the image library. This helps me easily identify which images have already been used in my layouts.

When I double-click on an image, I enter Zoom Mode. You can see that the image is selected because the blue selection indicator starts rotating around it. While in Zoom Mode, you can use the + and – buttons on the image to zoom in or out. You can also drag the image with your mouse to position it exactly where you want.

When you are satisfied with the result, simply click outside the image or press Enter to exit Zoom Mode.

Now let’s move to the second spread.

I will drag these images onto the page and select a different layout template. Next, I will select these two images and use the Swap option to exchange their positions.
As you can see, there are many tools available in the top toolbar of the application. For example, if I click Fill Color, I can change the background color of the spread. Let’s set it to black.
Then I will select these images, open the Effects panel, and add a small white stroke around them.

You can learn what each of these tools does by exploring the Help section of the application. This is how the Auto Layout functionality of SDS helps you create professional album layouts quickly and efficiently.

Auto Fill Spreads

Now let’s see the Auto Fill Spreads feature, which can populate all the spreads of your album with images in just a few seconds.. First, we will clear the current spread using the Clear Spreads button.

Next, we open the Auto Fill Spreads panel. As you can see, there are several available options. For this example, we will choose to place a specific number of images on each spread.

Let’s select 4 images per spread, and then click the Create Album button. As you can see, all 20 spreads of the album are created automatically in just a few seconds.
Of course, you can still add or remove images from any spread at any time.

Now that you know how to create layouts automatically, the next video will show you how to use Free Edit Layout to take full control of your design.

Create Your Layouts Manually

In addition to Automatic Layout, SDS also offers a fully Free Edit Layout mode, giving you complete creative control over your album design. Free Edit Layout gives you full control over your spreads. Once selected, you can freely move, resize, and adjust images to create a completely customized design.

Let's see how it works.
In this video, we will create a layout completely from scratch using an empty spread.
To switch to Free Edit Layout, click the Automatic Layout button. This changes the album from Automatic Layout mode to Free Edit Layout mode.

Now we will add a slot from the top menu. Slots act as placeholders for your images. In addition to slots, you can also add shapes, which are used for decorative purposes and cannot contain images.

We will resize the slot and position it where we want on the spread. At the bottom of the application, you will find a toolbar with several useful tools.

From left to right, you can see the position and dimensions of the selected slot. Next is the Divide-Merge button. Click it to open the Divide-Merge panel.

First, we will divide this slot into three equal sections by selecting 3 Pieces and clicking Divide Vertical. The Divide-Merge panel is extremely useful when creating custom templates. You can quickly divide slots into as many equal sections as you need, all with consistent size and spacing. Using the Merge options in the Divide-Merge panel, you can also combine slots to create more advanced layouts in just a few clicks.

For example, we can merge these two slots into one. Then we can divide it again into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections, creating a completely new layout. Now we can close the panel, as we no longer need it. Next, we will select all the slots and align them as a group to the center of the spread.
The Smart Alignment Guides make this process quick and precise. We will then resize all the slots together by holding Shift + Alt while dragging. This keeps the entire layout perfectly centered on the spread.

Now it is time to place our images into the slots. And that's it.

Using the Free Edit Layout option, we have created a completely custom layout with ten images, exactly the way we wanted.

Now that you know how to create your own layouts, the next video will show you how to adjust the gap between images and fine-tune the appearance of your spreads.

Change Gap Between Images

The Change Gap option allows you to change the default spacing between images used by the default templates.

For example, if you create an album using the default templates and want to use different spacing between the images, you can use this option. You can change the gap for all the spreads in your album, or only for individual spreads, if you wish.

Let’s see how this option works.

Click the “Change Gap” button, located on the right side of the bottom toolbar.
A popup will appear. If you want to adjust the spacing on all the spreads of your album, check the “All” box and use the slider to adjust the gap for all your spreads — from 0, for no spacing at all, up to 20, which is the maximum.

You can apply this option to all your spreads without selecting individual images.

If you want to change the gap on only one specific spread, navigate to that spread and make sure the layout is selected — you’ll see the blue outline indicating this. Then check the “Current” option to change the gap only on the selected spread.

Please note that this option is available only for album layouts, and not for Montage Frames, Canvas, or other products.

Now that your spreads are fully designed, the next video will show you how to use the Spread Manager to organize and manage your album spreads.

Spread Manager

When working on larger albums, managing many spreads can become difficult. The Spread Manager provides a complete overview of your album, allowing you to easily organize and manage your spreads.

Let's see how to use it.

To open the Spread Manager, simply click on the Spread Manager button. When the Manager opens, you can see all the spreads of your album in the order they have been created.

At the bottom of the panel, there is a zoom slider that allows you to zoom in up to two times on your spreads.

At the top, there are three buttons.

• The Delete button allows you to remove any spread you no longer need.
• The Close button closes the Page Manager.
• The Apply button becomes enabled after you change the order of your spreads or delete any of them.

The process is very straightforward. Select any spread and drag it to the position where you want it to appear in the final album. When you are finished, simply click the Apply button, and all changes will be updated in your album.

Now that your album is complete, the next step is to export your design. In the next video, we will show you how to create a proof for your client.

Export Proof

After completing your layouts, the next step is to send them to your client for approval.
SDS offers two options for this process.

Option 1: Export as PDF

You can export your album as a PDF file and send it directly to your client.
This is a simple and straightforward solution that works well for photographers who prefer a traditional review process.

Option 2: Export Online Proof:

The Online Proof feature makes album approval easier by creating a direct communication channel between the photographer and the client. Instead of exchanging messages and screenshots, clients can review the album online and leave comments exactly where changes are needed.

To do this:

• Open the Export menu
• Select Export Online Proof

A form will appear where you can enter your client's details and send an email invitation to review the album.
After filling in the client information, the Online Proof will be created and your client will receive an email containing a link to open the proof.

Your client simply clicks the link in the email and opens the Online Proof page, where they can view the complete album and navigate through the spreads using the left and right arrows.

While reviewing the album, the client can add comments below any spread where changes are required. All comments are saved together, making it easy to keep track of the requested updates.

If no changes are required, the client can simply click Approve Album to complete the review process.

If changes are needed, the client can add their comments and click Submit Feedback. You will then receive an email notification informing you that feedback has been submitted.
If revisions are required, the email will also tell you which spreads need changes and exactly what changes have been requested on each spread. This allows you to know what needs to be updated before you even open the app again.

By clicking the link in the email, you will be taken directly back to the application. Spreads with client feedback are clearly marked with a red warning icon, allowing you to immediately identify which spreads of the album require updates.

By clicking the warning icon, you can review the client's comments and also add a reply or update for the client.

After completing the requested changes, you can create a new Online Proof. The previous comments and your replies remain available to the client, providing a clear history of the review process and making communication easier throughout the approval workflow.

After your client approves the design, the final step is exporting your album for production. In the next video, we will show you how to export for print and create a slideshow.

Export for Print and Slideshow

Once your client has approved the album and you are ready to send it for printing and binding, select Export for Print from the Export menu.

In the form that appears, enter your SELDEX Order ID. You will receive this after placing your order and completing your payment. This is required before the export can proceed. Your album will be exported as high-resolution files, including all details, and sent directly to our binding workshop.

Important: The export for print can only be performed once per album, so make sure this is the final version with all client corrections before sending it for print.

Export Slideshow MP4

After sending the album for print, the Export Slideshow MP4 option becomes available.
This feature allows you to create a slideshow with music that can be saved on your computer and shared with your clients. The slideshow can be viewed on any device, including TV, computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

To use this option:

1. Select Export Slideshow MP4 from the Export menu
2. A dialog window will appear
3. Enter the names of the couple (optional). If entered, the names appear in white text on a black background on the first slide
4. Select the music file for the slideshow (required)

Once you have made your selections, the slideshow will be created automatically.

Notes

• The music file determines the duration of the slideshow
• The slideshow will automatically fit the timing of the music to the number of spreads
• After creation, a notification will appear, allowing you to download the MP4 file for sharing

Congratulations! You have completed the full album design workflow. Your product is now ready for production.