Using the Template / Attract Screen editor

Templates and Attract Screens use the same online editor, which is described here.

Here's a video showing how to create a template from scratch:

But first, some quick tidbits if you're stuck:

Is a layer underneath / on top of something it shouldn't be? In the left pane, find which layer you want to move over top / underneath, and then click the up/down arrows on the right-side of the layer.

Don't use a mobile phone to edit. It's much easier on an iPad or a computer. We recommend Chrome as your browser if you're on the computer (but other browsers work too). 

On an iPad? Use the zoom buttons to zoom. If you're using a touchscreen device then pinching will scale & rotate the layer on top of the canvas if there is one, or zoom the canvas in/out if there is not. Once you have layers on the canvas, use the zoom +/- buttons to zoom in and out. If you're using a computer with a trackpad or mouse you can use the zoom gesture you're used to while hovering over the canvas. There are also zoom in/out buttons just above the canvas if you find them easier.

Can't find the canvas? Zoomed in/out too far and can't see anything? Once you see "All changes are saved" at the top, you can simply reload the page: this resets the zoom back to the default.

Having trouble dragging a layer that's behind another? Try dragging a part of the layer that's not obscured by any other layer. If the layer is entirely obscured, either manually adjust its x/y/width/height using the text boxes, or temporarily move it up to the top while you are changing its position.

The main canvas is in the middle. Layers you select in the left pane will appear selected in the canvas. When a layer is selected, you can move it by dragging it with your finger (touchscreens) or your mouse/trackpad (computer).

If a layer is higher up in the list, that means it is more on top; if a layer is lower down on the list, that means it is more on the bottom, so other layers will be overlapping/on top of it.

Let's break it down:

(1) The save indicator. Saving happens automatically when you stop making changes for a moment. If the save indicator says you have unsaved changes, do not leave the page.

(2) For templates this shows the layers/scenes switcher. For attract screens this shows the background/foreground switcher.

For templates: 

• Layers is where you add photo areas (where the iPad will insert a photo) and images (that you upload from your device).
• Scenes is where you add scenes that the iPad will use when this template is in use. Scenes are backgrounds for guest photos, which we call SceneSelect: if your iPad supports Face ID, then guests will see a choice of all of the scenes you have uploaded & can choose the background of their photo. The photo they create still gets inserted into the template in the usual way.

For attract screens (iPad screen savers):

• Background Layers is where you turn live-view on/off, add a video, and set the background color.  Videos must be in MP4 or MOV format and play on the iPad, with a size of at most 50MB. If your video is larger we recommend resizing it down to the screen size of the iPad (you can see iPad pixel sizes for your model when you create a new attract screen), which will cause its size to become much smaller.
• Foreground Layers is where you add images (that you upload from your device).

(3) The undo / redo buttons. If you make a mistake or something looks odd, you can undo to go back, or change your mind and redo.

(4) The zoom buttons

(5) The template preview button. Use this to download a proof of the template with the photo areas filled in, so you can see what it looks like or send it to your client.

(6) The left pane, currently showing layers. Select a layer to highlight it on the canvas. You can edit the properties of layers here directly, which is the easiest way to get things to line up perfectly. At the top you can see the Duplicate and Delete buttons: select a layer first then hit one of these. The fastest way to make multiple photo areas that are the same size is to duplicate a photo area.

(7) A Photo area. Photo areas are where the iPad will put the photos/videos that it takes.

If you prefer not to move layers by dragging, you can set their attributes directly by selecting the layer and changing the values in the boxes:

• x controls left/right, y controls up/down
• degrees (top-right box) controls rotation
• w controls width, h controls height
• alpha means how transparent the image is: 0 means invisible (fully transparent), 100 means opaque (no transparency)

Photo area layers have an order, which the iPad uses to determine which photo goes in which photo area. Lower-numbered orders are filled first.

In the diagram above you can see the photo area selected, exposing the order box. If you change the order to an existing number (for example: change it to 1 here), then the same photo will be used multiple times.

(8) The background color and printing options for this template.

You can turn printing off for this template, which means that the app won't let guests print this template. The second print option is for turning a 2x6 into a 2x2x6 - please see our separate help article on printing 2x6 strips for this.

(9) Buttons to create photo areas, add images, and add text. To add an image you'll be prompted to upload a JPG, PNG, or ZIP (of JPGs / PNGs).