A Simple Guide to Making an Autograph Book

[mcever4]

You guys have great ideas! I saved some of the pictures and tried to print them and they are fuzzy. I know someone else had this problem too. If I send them to my walgreens account to be printed, will they still be fuzzy or will they turn out clear? I was going to make all of my pages myself with the cricut machine, but think this would be much easier! Thanks for any help! We leave in 39 days for a mother/son trip and I am trying to finish up all of my stuff! These pictures really help!

Robin

 

[MusicMouse]

You guys have great ideas! I saved some of the pictures and tried to print them and they are fuzzy. I know someone else had this problem too. If I send them to my walgreens account to be printed, will they still be fuzzy or will they turn out clear? I was going to make all of my pages myself with the cricut machine, but think this would be much easier! Thanks for any help! We leave in 39 days for a mother/son trip and I am trying to finish up all of my stuff! These pictures really help!

Robin

Did you click on the image to make it full-sized before you saved it? Most people who have this problem inadvertently saved the thumbnail picture and not the full-sized picture. If your images are fuzzy, they will print that way at Walgreens. Try re-saving the full-sized images and see if that makes it better.

 

[bgsnmky]

I noticed people are using the term card stock to print on.

I figured you shouldn't print on photopaper. Will I easily be able to find cardstock? Is it in a certain sectin at a store etc.

I am sure this is one of those stupid questions.

 

[rrindler]

I downloaded the pictures from donatalie's photobucket site and I inserted them into word and when I click on the picture I noticed that there was box around picture that was sticking about an inch above the top and 1/4 on the sides. Do I need to crop the pictures before I resize them? When I resize them the picture is actually smaller than 4 x 6. Any help would be greatly appriceated. We are leaving next week for Disney and of course I waited to the last minute to work on this.

 

[MusicMouse]

I noticed people are using the term card stock to print on.

I figured you shouldn't print on photopaper. Will I easily be able to find cardstock? Is it in a certain sectin at a store etc.

I am sure this is one of those stupid questions.

Don't worry, card stock is very easy to find. You can find it in the office supply section of just about any store (Walmart, Target, etc.) or at any office supply store (Staples, Office Depot, Office Max). Card stock is usually sold by weight. 65 lb card stock is thick enough, although you can get heavier weights if you want something even thicker.

 

[MusicMouse]

I downloaded the pictures from donatalie's photobucket site and I inserted them into word and when I click on the picture I noticed that there was box around picture that was sticking about an inch above the top and 1/4 on the sides. Do I need to crop the pictures before I resize them? When I resize them the picture is actually smaller than 4 x 6. Any help would be greatly appriceated. We are leaving next week for Disney and of course I waited to the last minute to work on this.

to the Disboards! Natalie may have adjusted some her pictures to include the white borders that you need for binding. 1" on the top and 1/4" on the sides would be about right. When the pictures themselves are 4x6, you still need to add enough white border on the top and sides when you cut them out for binding. I think if you make your box 5x7 (with the white borders), you will find that the pictures themselves are 4x6. You will still be able to get two images per page in MS Word if you eliminate the top and bottom margins.

 

[bgsnmky]

Thanks..and I know there is a lot on the forum of printing at home or printing through someone like walmart etc. (shutterly etc) but if you use them can you use card stock.

Or if you want to use cardstock..basically you need to print at home.

Don't worry, card stock is very easy to find. You can find it in the office supply section of just about any store (Walmart, Target, etc.) or at any office supply store (Staples, Office Depot, Office Max). Card stock is usually sold by weight. 65 lb card stock is thick enough, although you can get heavier weights if you want something even thicker.

 

[MusicMouse]

Thanks..and I know there is a lot on the forum of printing at home or printing through someone like walmart etc. (shutterly etc) but if you use them can you use card stock.

Or if you want to use cardstock..basically you need to print at home.

If you want to use card stock, you will have to print them at home. When people talk about printing the image at Walmart or Shutterfly, they are talking about printing 4x6 photos. Either way works well for autographs, it's just a matter of personal preference.

 

[bgsnmky]

Oh I got it...so then on the photo paper..just get matte or make sure you are using a sharpie!!

If you want to use card stock, you will have to print them at home. When people talk about printing the image at Walmart or Shutterfly, they are talking about printing 4x6 photos. Either way works well for autographs, it's just a matter of personal preference.

 

[MusicMouse]

Oh I got it...so then on the photo paper..just get matte or make sure you are using a sharpie!!

Actually, you want both - matte finish and a Sharpie for autographs. I would recommend the retractable Sharpie for ease of use.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Ok I've made my own autograph book before with the cover and stuff but didn't customize pages. Done this a few times. This time we are taking my kids (first ON site trip for them and first full week) and I want to make them autograph books. How do you decide which charecters to put in your books? I follow Theme Park Attractions and Strategies & a few CM charecter info pages so pretty much know which charecters are out when but do you just put everybody in your book? and what if you put someone in there and don't find them?

I in the past have scrapbooked all my autographs from each trip but thats alot of time that I just don't have anymore, I am light years behind in scrappin, so I thought this might be easier. Do you all just leave the autographs in the books as a souvenier or what do you do with them when you get home?

 

[MusicMouse]

Ok I've made my own autograph book before with the cover and stuff but didn't customize pages. Done this a few times. This time we are taking my kids (first ON site trip for them and first full week) and I want to make them autograph books. How do you decide which charecters to put in your books? I follow Theme Park Attractions and Strategies & a few CM charecter info pages so pretty much know which charecters are out when but do you just put everybody in your book? and what if you put someone in there and don't find them?

I in the past have scrapbooked all my autographs from each trip but thats alot of time that I just don't have anymore, I am light years behind in scrappin, so I thought this might be easier. Do you all just leave the autographs in the books as a souvenier or what do you do with them when you get home?

If you are looking for a list of characters, check post #13. It's a list of who is currently in the parks and their likelyhood of being seen. I just updated it this week. There are really two options for choosing characters for your books. 1) Put them all in (with a few generic pages for anyone you may have forgotten) and then take out the ones you didn't see when you get home. 2) Put the major characters in (say, the top 25 or the characters on the "Abundant" and "Common Characters" in post 13), and then add several generic pages at the end for everyone else. Be sure to include characters from any character meals you are planning to attend.
Some people just keep their autograph pages in the book as a souvenir. Some take the books apart and use them for scrapbooking or adding into their photo albums (Minnie's autograph next to a picture of you and Minnie). Some have even scanned them into their computers for including in digital photobooks or digital scrapbooking. I left mine as a book, and the boys and I like to look at them every once in a while.

ETA: I just saw that you are going to be at WDW during Star Wars Weekends (so jealous!!). Be sure to include the Star Wars characters in your book. http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/donatalie/Autograph Books/Volume 2/Star Wars/

 

[woodsluvdis]

Thank you...for all your hard work...this is great!!!!!

 

[gonzalesphd]

Ok guys...we are going to WDW in the summer...any rumors about new characters. The only movie i can think of that will be released is TS3. Hopefully someone will let us know if new characters are at the parks!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

If you are looking for a list of characters, check post #13. It's a list of who is currently in the parks and their likelyhood of being seen. I just updated it this week. There are really two options for choosing characters for your books. 1) Put them all in (with a few generic pages for anyone you may have forgotten) and then take out the ones you didn't see when you get home. 2) Put the major characters in (say, the top 25 or the characters on the "Abundant" and "Common Characters" in post 13), and then add several generic pages at the end for everyone else. Be sure to include characters from any character meals you are planning to attend.
Some people just keep their autograph pages in the book as a souvenir. Some take the books apart and use them for scrapbooking or adding into their photo albums (Minnie's autograph next to a picture of you and Minnie). Some have even scanned them into their computers for including in digital photobooks or digital scrapbooking. I left mine as a book, and the boys and I like to look at them every once in a while.

ETA: I just saw that you are going to be at WDW during Star Wars Weekends (so jealous!!). Be sure to include the Star Wars characters in your book. http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/donatalie/Autograph Books/Volume 2/Star Wars/

Thanks, you know it never occured to me that I could take the books back apart, . This will be our 1st SWW and I am super excited its the only part of the trip I have managed to keep a suprised from the kids and thats what got me on this part of the Dis in the first place, I plan on making a book for SWW only to put in their suitcase for them to find. Now you all are going to be responsible for matching t shirts nearly daily (no worries, I'm sealing your identity from my husband, ) and no less than 1 passport and 3 autograph books for each child. They are going to just have a cow, they love Star Wars and my 4 yr old just told me a few weeks ago that it was his dream to meet the 'red vader' (Darth Sith) and he wished he was at Disney like the black one is, it took everything I had to zip it and not spill the beans.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Ok guys...we are going to WDW in the summer...any rumors about new characters. The only movie i can think of that will be released is TS3. Hopefully someone will let us know if new characters are at the parks!

I can answer that one, the new charecter for TS3 will be Lotso and he will be taking up residence in the Animation Studio where the UP! charecters currently are. There is a pretty strong rumor (mostly confirmed) that the UP! guys will be moved to AK for greetings b/c of thier popularity, the location is still up in the air but is leaning toward the front gate area of AK for them.

I'm a theme parks and strategies gal and we have a few charecter CM's over there that keep us up to date and have some great charecter finder sites, the current changes will be taking place on May 9th.

 

[MusicMouse]

Ok guys...we are going to WDW in the summer...any rumors about new characters. The only movie i can think of that will be released is TS3. Hopefully someone will let us know if new characters are at the parks!

Don't worry, I'm watching all of the character sites and trip reports coming back from WDW. Personally, I'm hoping Phineas, Ferb and Perry the Platypus will show up!!

 

[momom]

This thread has been so helpful in making autograph books for my niece and daughter. I downloaded autograph cards to walgreens today for home delivery, but I started to wonder if I am going to have any copyright issues. I know I am always asked when I go to print out Photopass pictures after vacation. Does anyone have any experience with this, and Walgreens in particular?

 

[cshelzy]

This thread has been so helpful in making autograph books for my niece and daughter. I downloaded autograph cards to walgreens today for home delivery, but I started to wonder if I am going to have any copyright issues. I know I am always asked when I go to print out Photopass pictures after vacation. Does anyone have any experience with this, and Walgreens in particular?

i ordered mine from cvs no problems at all and they came very fast
have a great trip

 

[bgsnmky]

i ordered mine from cvs no problems at all and they came very fast
have a great trip

Just curouis what kind of paper did you have them printed out on so you can autograph them??