Creating the Album DS DVD

Album DS is a large application, once installed it’s more than 4Gb of data and 8.000 files. Therefore you MUST create a backup of the application in order to be able to reinstall it if needed, also the application download is a one time download and in case you need to redownload the files you have to be up to date with your support contract and a fee may be charged. It’s your responsability to make the installation backup.

This is a very easy process and SHOULD be made just after installing the application and having downloaded all complements.

First of all you have downloaded the installer file, this file is called AlbumDS_setup.exe for Pc and AlbumDS.dmg for Mac.

Setup file for Album DS Pc

Setup file for Album DS Pc

Depending on where you save downloaded files it may be in the Downloads folder, in your desktop or any other place. Please locate this file.

Now take a look at the Album DS folder, you will find a subfolder called Downloads. This folder contains all complement ( Backgrounds, templates, etc) files in compressed ( zip) format.

Album DS Downloads folder

Album DS Downloads folder

This are the 2 files / folders you have to burn into a DVD.

Start your preferred burning software ( Nero, Deepburn, Imgburn, the OS DVD burning tools, etc) and select this 2 files / folders to be included in the DVD. Usually you may be able to drag them into the software.

For the Pc version you may also include the license file, or you may save it elsewhere. Remember that it’s attached to an email and you can get it also from there if needed.

Burning Album DS DVD

Burning Album DS DVD

Make sure the Downloads folder includes all subfolders like Backgrounds, Masks, etc. and just burn the DVD. Full size will be around 2Gb. We recommend using a slow speed to burn the DVD as this type of DVD last more time.

In case of having to reinstall the application you only need to insert the DVD, execute the installer in Windows  or mount the volumen and drag the files for Mac and finally use the internal update feature of Album DS to install the complements.

New videos available in our website

We have just uploaded some new videos for learning how to use Album DS, please select Support and Faq’s and Learn how to use it from the top menu at the website.

We will had more videos very soon !!

Album DS ready for CS5

Last version of Album DS 6.4 is compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Album DS review in Professional Photographer Magazine

The Professinal Photographer Magazine has published a review of Album DS in the March issue, please follow the link:

http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2010/03/review-albumds.html

The review has been written by Bettsy Finn, Betsy is a Michigan-based portrait photographer, and a contributing writer for Professional Photographer.

Personalized template like the website sample

Today I’ll show you how to create a template like the one shown in Album DS website for the “squared bride”.

This effect can not be achieved directly by a premade template because it’s impossible to know which picture you will fit, and therefore must be made to fit the picture. Please follow this steps:

1.- Create a new document or open a template
2.- Create a shape layer or select one from the template
3.- Place a picture with Album DS

Special template for Album DS
4.- Select the rectangle tool in Photoshop
5.- Draw a shape layer with this tool over the picture
6.- Change Fill property to 0% for this layer
7.- Apply a white stroke effect to this layer

Special template for Album DS
8.- Copy this layer as many times as desired and place it over the picture
9.- Rotate them if desired with the Move tool

Special template for Album DS
10- Press CTRL and click at the first layer of this “squares”
11.- While pressing CTRL, press Shift and click at the other squares, this will create a selection of the sum of all squares
12.- Use Album DS- Extras – Selection to Shape button in order to get a new Shape with this contour.

Special template for Album DS
13.- Drag this shape layer just between the first shape layer and the picture

Special template for Album DS
14.- Press CTRL + ALT + G , this will ungroup the shape
15.- Select the picture and press CTRL + ALT + G  , this will group the picture to the new layer
16.- Delete ( or turn invisible) the inital shape layer where the picture was groupped
17.- If needed add a background or a solid color fill layer

Special template for Album DS

I hope you like it ;)

Album DS Italian version

Many thanks to our friend Maurizio Caringi from Italy ;) , he did corrections to the italian language file for Album DS and we are pleased now to be able to offer you a way better Album DS italian version.

Just download the file ( right click and select Save link As)  http://www.albumds.org/updates/Languages/italian.txt and copy it into your Languages folder of Album DS.

Languages folder of Album DS

Molte grazie al nostro amico Maurizio Caringi da Italia;), ha fatto le correzioni al file di lingua italiana per Album DS e ora siamo lieti di poter offrire una versione migliore dell’Album DS.

Update 6.2.1. only for Pc

This update is only for Pc users and only if your meassurement units are in inches, the update will correct the saving of your preferences at the Start window and retrieve the selected for each new start of Album DS.

Please close Album DS and start the AlbumDSInstaller application from inside the Installer folder of Album DS, then click at Check for updates, select the option Main – Version_620 and click at Install.

Updating Album DS to version 6.2.1

IMPORTANT: If you have still not installed version 6.2.0 you may directly install this version but please remember to install also the languages folder as requested in the 6.2.0 install, more info at http://albumds.org/blog/?p=77

Is masking not working properly ?

After applying a mask, are you getting the inverse area masked ? ( Like in this sample)

Masking the inverse area

This has an easy solution ;) Just open any document or create a new one in Photoshop

Changing Photoshop's Quick mask options

And double click at the Quick Mask tool in the Tools bar ( where the red arrow points above).  You will get the Quick mask options window, make sure to select Color indicates = Masked areas and accept.

Changing Photoshop's Quick mask options

Now you can apply the mask correctly ( sometimes you will need to delete the incorrect mask first in the layers palette).

Correctly applied mask with Album DS

Is my Album DS correctly installed ?

In this post I will try to explain how to know if Album DS is correctly installed in order to run it properly. Being a tool for Photoshop, the Album DS installation is in some ways more delicate than other programs because all files are single standard graphic files located in specific folders.

A common structure of an installed Album DS will look similar to this image:

Album DS folders structure

As you can see there is one main Album DS folder which contains the application, help files and some preferences and setting files. Also you can see the subfolders Action, Backgrounds, Cliparts, Frames, Installer, Languages, Main, Masks, Predefined, Sample, Styles and Templates.

Many of this folders have subfolder for organizing the different add ons, this folders are the ones you can see at the folders controls in Album DS templates tab or backgrounds tab ( for sample), like in this image:

Album DS subfolders for organizing add ons

One of the most important folders in the Album DS structure is the Installer subfolder, this subfolder contains the application AlbumDSInstaller which is used to install and update the application. This tool MUST be located in this subfolder of Album DS because it needs to read the specific location of the other folders in order to know what is installed and what not.

Album DS Installer applicationThe Temp folder you can see at the above image stores the files downloaded from our server in zip format, DO NOT DELETE this folder as it will be used for reinstalling the components without having to download all the files again.

Once you have the application installed it is VERY IMPORTANT to make a backup into a DVD from the following

- For PC, the executable setup file you have downloaded

- For PC and Mac, the whole Album DS folder. Regarding that this folder is larger than 1 DVD you may split it in 2 parts, one with all files except the Installer folder and another with only the Installer folder ( which includes the Temp subfolder with all zips).

If you have any questions please contact support.

Updating to version 6.2

Here you will find details for updating Album DS to version 6.2. Please remember that you need a current support contract in order to update Album DS, you may renew this contract at our website www.albumds.com if needed.

Improvements and changes in this version are:

- Multilingual version, the application is now available in english, spanish, german, french, italian, portuguese and dutch for Pc and Macintosh. Please select your language at the start screen ( Pc) or at Preferences ( Mac)

- Better and stronger error handling

- Live help for Album DS options in a separate window. Please select Help – Live help.


    Please check first your current version at start of Album DS or in the About window, to update to this version you need to be running version 6.0 or better, if this is not the case please do so first with the instructions in previous emails or contact support in order to get new instructions.

    If your version is 6.0 or better ( except if you already have version 6.2.0 ), follow this steps:

    • Save the file http://www.albumds.org/updates/Languages.zip into your Album DS folder and uncompress it, you will get a new subfolder called Languages in the Album DS folder. This Languages folder contains a series of text files for each language.
      Save languages file to Album DS folderNew Languages folder after extracting the zip file
    • Start AlbumDSInstaller in the Installer folder, click at “Check for updates” and select the option Main – Version_620 ( Pc or Mac), then click at Install. Start Album DS and check your preferences.
      Using AlbumDSInstaller to download the new executable


    If you need more help please contact support.