Frequently Asked Questions

In XpressPrints, pressing on the ALT key (Windows) or OPTION key (Mac) changes the base functions of the buttons in the IMAGE EDITING AREA and CONTROL PANEL.

Normal Button Function	With ALT or OPTION Pressed
Rotate image counter-clockwise	Rotate image clockwise
Rotate layout counter-clockwise	Rotate layout clockwise
Add product to order	Add product with empty node to order

The main thing is that images you upload should have a sufficient number of pixels and color depth. The number of pixels in a digital image is the primary factor that determines the final quality once it is printed.

Number of pixels: this is generally called resolution. The first generation of digital cameras, which are no longer on the market, had a resolution of 320 x 200. Photos taken with such cameras are great for WEB usage and other on screen viewing, but they are not adequate for printing on real photographic paper.

In order to produce a satisfactory photographic print, your digital photo should have a resolution of at least 600 x 400 in its original size (the size captured by the camera). You should also remember that standard 35mm photographic film format has a specific aspect ratio of 24 x 36, which corresponds to a width of 3 for an height of 2. In the PC world, the aspect ratio of the rectangle is slightly different. This is due to the fact the computer monitors and digital cameras have a different aspect ratio than prints.

A 600 x 400 image has just enough resolution to print a 4" x 6" photo. Prints larger than that will show some deterioration in quality, usually apparant as a softening of the detail or pixelization. When in doubt, you should set your camera's image size to at least a medium size setting. If it's an image you know you will want to print large, then set it to the highest size/quality setting. Check our Resolution Guide for more information.

 

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Sometimes a computer's power save (or sleep mode) settings can interfere with sending orders in XpressPrints. When power save kicks in, the hard drive stops, and the transmission fails. To solve this, turn off power save on your computer.

To turn off power save on a PC:

1. Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel
2. Open Power Options
3. Change the settings under the Power Schemes tab to the following:
4. Turn off hard disks: Never
   System standby: Never
   System hibernates: Never

To turn off power save on a Mac:

1. Go to Apple Menu (upper left-hand corner of screen) -> System Preferences
2. Click on the Energy Saver icon in the Hardware section
3. Under "Put the computer to sleep when it is inactive for:" move the slider to Never
4. Uncheck the box that says "Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible"
5. Press Apple + Q to quite System Preferences
   

On rare occasions, PC users will continue to experience problems launching XpressPrints even after emptying the caches as described above. A complete uninstall and relaunch of Java is necessary to restore your Java settings.

To uninstall and relaunch Java on your PC:

1. Go to the Java Download page and download the Windows Offline Installation to your desktop
   
2. Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel
   
3. Double-click on Add or Remove Programs
   
4. Delete any program that says "Java, J2SE" in the description
   
5. If you have previously had a successful XpressPrints launch, find the .BayPhoto and the .XpressPrintscache folders in C:\Documents and Settings\, in the directory with the name you use to log in, and delete them both
   
6. Restart your computer
   
7. Install Java by double-clicking the file you downloaded from the Windows Offline Installation page. When prompted, choose the Typical installation.
   
8. After installation is complete, restart your computer
   
9. Go to the XpressPrints Launch page and Launch XpressPrints

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The main folder that Bay XpressPrints uses is called .BayPhotoRemote. This folder contains the caches and the roeslog.log file. Deleting the contents of the .BayPhotoRemote folder will often cure Bay XpressPrints problems.

To access the .BayPhotoRemote folder:

For Windows, the folder is typically in:
C:\Documents and Settings\Username\.BayPhotoRemote or Start>Search>.BayPhotoRemote

For Mac:
/Users/Username/.BayPhotoRemote. This file can also be found by performing a search on your home folder. On Macs, folders beginning with a dot are invisible by default. Use one of the following procedures to find the .BayPhotoRemote folder:

Finder>Go>Go To Folder...type:~/.BayPhotoRemote or simultaneously press Command-Shift-G & type the path in the text field. e.g.:
~/.roescache
~/.BayPhotoRemote

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Some XpressPrints users will experience a drop in performance or other problems while running the application on Mac OSX. The first thing to do if this occurs, is to check for software updates from Apple. Often, a system software update will include a new version of Java--the software that is necessary for running XpressPrints.

To check for software updates on Mac OSX:

1. Open the Apple Menu by clicking on the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
2. Click on Software Update.
3. The Software Update window will open, and your computer will begin checking for updates. NOTE: You must be connected to the internet to successfully check for and install updates.
4. If your computer has found any new software, it will be displayed in the window.

To install software updates on Mac OSX:

1. Follow steps 1-4 above.
2. Check the Install box next to the software update you want to install. Note: You do not need to install Airport or iPod software updates if you do not have these items.
3. Click the Install button. You will most likely be asked to provide your password, and to agree to licensing terms. Follow the instructions to proceed with the installation.
4. Restart your computer.

Some problems can also be solved by running First Aid from the Disk Utility in the Applications folder. Apple recommends running First Aid every 15 days.

Visit http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n7565 for instructions on using the Apple Disk Utility.

If these steps do not solve problems with XpressPrints, please follow the instructions for sending your XpressPrints Log to Bay for troubleshooting.

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To copy and paste files into a new folder:

1. Use the right mouse button (Windows) or hold down the Control key and click the mouse button (Mac) on an area of your computer desktop that is clear from other files.
   
2. A pop-up menu will appear. Select New Folder to create a new folder on your desktop.
   
3. To rename the folder, right-click on the folder and select Rename, or click ONCE on the folder's name. After a short delay, the name of the folder will be highlighted and you can type in the desired name of your folder.
   
   Tip: It is always a good idea to avoid using the following Special Characters in folder and file names: & < > ' "
   
4. Once you have the folder named the way you want it, locate a folder of images on a CD, DVD, flash card, hard drive, or other media.
   
5. Double-click on the folder of images so that the list of image files is displayed in front of you.
   
6. Press the Cntrl and A keys (Windows) or Apple and A keys (Mac) at the same time to select all of the files in the folder.
   
   Tip: To select specific files from a folder only (instead of all), press Cntrl (Windows) or Apple (Mac) while clicking on the desired file icons.
   
7. Press Cntrl and C (Windows) or Apple and C (Mac) to copy the files.
   
8. Go to the new folder you created on your Desktop.
   
9. Open the new folder by double-clicking on the folder icon, then press Cntrl and V (Windows) or Apple and V (Mac) to paste the files. The files may take a bit of time to paste depending on the size of the files.

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