pixart pocket photo book
Dominic from Pixart sent me an email, offering me a chance to review their new product, the Pixart PhotoStylist Pocket Book Edition. Free stuff + blog content = take!!!
Basically it works like this:
1) You want to create a photobook using Pixart’s services
2) You download and install the software
3) You add images, create pages, basically creating your photobook
4) You upload your photobook project to Pixart’s server and send them money
5) Pixart mails you your photobook.
So simple, kan? Like a piece of cream cheese cake.
Installation
Dominic called to asked if I was using a PC or a Mac, as they have different versions for both platforms. I use a PC, so he sent me a link to download the Pocket Book software which is 2.11MB (different from the big ass coffee table PhotoBook software which is 5.5MB).
Then when I run the programme to install, I found out that I had to have the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 for the Pixart software to work. Okay… a link was provided so off I went…
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MY GOODNESS THAT IS A DARN LARGE SOFTWARE TO DOWNLOAD!!! 23.1MB arghhharahhhhhhhhhhahhh *#$)@#()@$*(#%& … WHY IS EVERYTHING FROM MICROSOFT SO BLOODY BIG?!?!?!
If you plan to get your own Pixart album, I highly recommend that you download and install this massive .NET Framework thing prior to installing the Pixart software, that is if you do not have it already. In any case, it wouldn’t kill the anticipation of running Pixart.
And for some reason, I initially downloaded .NET Framework 2.0 (because it’s the latest) but it didn’t seem to work — you need the .NET Framework 1.1. Why? I don’t know, I didn’t develop the software, heh 
Creating your Pixart Pocket Book
4 Easy Steps greet you when you run the programme
The steps at first glance are pretty straightforward — add your photos, select a theme, create the pages, create the book cover and then purchase your photobook. The promotional brochure from Pixart says that you could “create a 12 page pocket book (double side printing) in 15 minutes or less with simple to manage layouts designed for quick & easy compilation.” I suppose you could, but I’d really recommend fiddling around the software for a bit before ordering your photo book — see what you could or could not do, prior to ordering your photo book.
Select your pocket book theme
There are 5 layouts (called themes) to choose from — two photos on one page, one photo on one page, two photos on one page with a caption, one photo on one page with a caption, and no photos on one page with a caption. If you fiddle around some more, you can have different layouts for each page. Unfortunately I found this out too late
Create your pocket book pages
Then you drag-and-drop your photos to the pages, where you can crop the photo, enlarge or reduce the size of the photo, add frames and shadows, and do a host of other stuff like sharpen/blur/adjust lighting and so on to your photo. Note: if you plan to use the ‘Edge 2 Edge - Single’ layout, make sure that your photo is of high resolution, the width being at least 1600px for better effect. And take note that it is a bound book, so do not choose a photo where your face is at the extreme right or left, else it would be kinda gone?
A picture says a thousand words, so here’s one to illustrate my point.
Poor Kerol.
So, learn from my mistakes, mmkay?
After all that is done, you create your book cover.
It’s fairly easy — just choose 5 of your existing photos for the cover, add your title and caption, and you’re done. Remember that the middle photo is ‘bengkok’ so you may not want to place your most important photo in the middle box.
When you are done creating your photo book, there’s a form for you to enter your details (name, mailing address etc) and a nice friendly button for you to click to upload your photo book to Pixart’s server. Which was what I tried to do, 6 times in 3 days but for some reason it didn’t work for me. Halfway through the upload, it would tell me ‘Temporary disruption encounter on the network‘. So I sent an e-mail to Dominic relating my problem. He quickly replied with an alternative solution to uploading the photo book. Happily it worked. Apparently…
We have detected that sometimes the TM Network is unstable and your PC can’t get a lock on the Pixart server. Hence the FTP method is a backup of getting the file transferred. Some other customers do face this but in the minority.
Damn you TM Net…
And it arrived… hallelujah!
… not without some problems, though it wasn’t the fault of Pixart but PosLaju. On the day I was expecting the package to arrive, I received a card instead left by PosLaju saying that there wasn’t anyone at home (lies, all lies!) and could I pick up my package at the SHAH ALAM OFFICE WTFBBQ!!!! No way am I going to Shah Alam, so I called them up and asked them to deliver it again the next day. Lucky for them, they did.
So here’s my Pocket Book, ta-dahhhh!!!
Yes, I know I’m not terribly imaginative, fueled with a massive dose of narcissism too. But it’s MY pocket book, so bleh.
I ordered and paid for another pocket book, but that one contains all my nekkid photos so I can’t possibly share that with you. Y’all still want to eat, doncha?
I love the personalised hard cover — stains could be easily wiped off. The photos are printed on thick semi-gloss paper — there’s only digital imaging option for the pocket book (similar to colored pictures in a magazine or close to those of offset print presses) whereas the coffee book edition has a photo imaging option (exactly the same print quality as photos produced from photo labs). TBH I suppose if you own a super duper printer, you could recreate the same stuff yourself using photoshop or something, though you won’t get the nice book cover.
The pocket book measurements are 5.5 inches height and 7.7 inches width. It’s pretty handy to take around anywhere; I brought it to the mamak for my friends to have a look, doesn’t take up much space in the big bags that I usually lug around.
I like the possibilities of the pocket book, I think it’s great to have it if you want to document your travels or special events. So I thought of some titles which you may want to consider:
I went to Bangkok - and all I got was a photobook (phew)
The Ex Tales - Images from the past
Glorious Me - in my birthday suit
Hitched! - but the bride is not me
A Model’s Portfolio - my boobies are like, better than yours
The pocket book is priced at RM50 for 12 pages (24 printed pages) and you can add extra pages at RM1.50 per double side printed page. Shipping to anywhere in Malaysia costs RM6. So it’s not really all that cheap to print all your life’s frivolous details, hence it’s a good thing that Pixart is offering a 20% discount to all users who purchase the pocket book from 1st - 30th September 2006. Go wild.
Much thanks to Pixart for the pocket book, and extra thanks to Dominic for the very friendly and efficient customer service.
Tags: pixart, pixart_photobook, pocket_photobook
Where can i sign up for free stuff? Why don’t anybody offer to give me free things? Am I not good enough? It’s because I’m a troll isn’t it? godDAMNIT.
[…] Oh fucks, because of the long weekend, my Pixart book got delayed, and Suanie beat me to it. But check out the discounts they’re offering there. See the Suan’s site for details please. […]
i wanttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
You get all the free good stuff because you are the femes, yo.
“You Don’t Deserve It”
8-) 
alamak, must pay ah? cheh, how kam nobody ask me to review stuff for them.
poor me -.-
FA: you should definitely give Estee Lauder a call.
kim: nah, ambik
GS: hohoho NOW I regret asking you to help me find the cheats
(just kidding heh :P)
Ari: I also paid what
for my second pocket book 
sotong: kesian tak terhingga
why never use this for your sister’s wedding photos? would have saved thousands!!!!
btw, the guy with black t-shirt & white collar damn leng jai.
Nice. Might give it a try. Read about it at Lilian: 5Xmom’s site too.
KY: but you need to TAKE the photos first, prior to making a photobook out of them, kan?
Adam: do it
waderfak…
Wow, nice book, but that is a LOT OF WORK.
Why like credit card only pula
I thought can get one for my recent holiday.
maybe i should succumb and get a credit card.
v0ices: didcha likey your facey?
:D 
mad: hehe not really once you get to know how to use the software
julianME: hahhaha can get, you can email their customer service for alternative payment options. i paid for my second book via maybank
before u posted this i look all over @ pixart.com.my for the photobook installer (but only found coffee table book installer = more expensive outcome)
so in the end i settle for the RM100 coffee table book. my package arriving next week. muhahahahar.
maybe u shld tell Dominic to put it more visible.
LMF: mwahahaha the pocketbook is a new product mah… launched 1st sept, so if you had gone looking for it before then, sure cannot find la…
and that’s why everyone should read my blog.. ahem
[…] For reviews on the new Pixart pocket photobook, please go see Suanie’s site or Lilian’s site. And while you’re at it, here’s a gentle reminder that their 20% introductory discount will only last till the end of the month (30th September), so you might just want decide ASAP on whether you’d like to buy the pocket photo book. […]
I downloaded the coffeetable version before they launch the photobook…
havent finish editing my wedding dinner pics…so…
I think the pocket is nicer!! er…must upgrade or re-download the whole thing to convert the coffeetable to pocket??!
okay…i know this is not a Q&A session…sowwiee..incase u know…lemme know can?
Fashionasia, you will have to download the pocket book software, as it’s different from the coffee book one.
Anyway if you have more questions, Dominic says he is most happy to help — just shoot him an email at wdominic (at) pixart (dot) com (dot) my
i’m looking for some software to publish my whole blog…i must be crazy
[…] Pixart Pocket Photobooks are all around the M’sian web now and you would have seen bloggers like Jolene, Suanie and Lilian showcasing their reviews. We were lucky enough to get free books for ourselves, I know, but hey, this time around, you get to share in the fun too. Because, I’ve got THREE PIXART POCKET PHOTOBOOKS TO GIVE AWAY!! *** […]
[…] Btw, only 12 more days before the Pixart’s 20% discount ends. Go read my review on the Pixart pocket book here, and make good use of the discount offer if you want an album of your own. […]
Hi Suanie,
How’s the quality of the book? OK? Haven’t been seeing you guys around. Catch up with you guys soon ya? Take carez!
Feld
Yo Feldie, the quality’s not bad. Where u been? heh
[…] Suanie Minishorts Lillian Start.com.my tags: malaysia, personalised book, photobook, photography, pocket book, pocket photo book, pocketbook, printing, shaolintiger, pixart […]
Just to ask, if my pic is less than 1Mb, will the printing quality in full size of pocket book nice or shrink 2 pics per page? wanna create a surprise to my hubby in this Christmas.