MemoryMixer 3 photo album software provides family historians, newlyweds, grandchildren, mothers, fathers and grandparents the perfect outlet for preserving memories for personal use or for gifts. MemoryMixer 3 has advanced features that create professional-grade pages as well as simple features so anyone can make one-of-a-kind creations.
Unlike online photo book services, this photo album software does not require an internet connection but can be accessed whenever and wherever a computer is available. For its ease of use and audience appeal, we have no qualms with awarding MemoryMixer 3 the TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award.
When first asked whether to create a photo album from a template or create one from scratch, we were hesitant when selecting "create from designer template" because it would just entail dragging and dropping photos in specified areas and adding a few things here and there, or so we thought. Surprised and somewhat relieved, our options were not limited but endless. We were very impressed with the custom features available on the template photo book.
This photo album software is overflowing with fabulous features, but we had several favorites:
Photo Effects – Creating a vintage-themed page for a wedding book? Photos can be changed to sepia, black and white or other artistic effects. We also loved the option to change the shape of the photo. Rounding the edges and adding a mat, although small changes, give the photos and overall page a more sophisticated look.
Embellishments – Ribbons, buttons, borders, flowers, the list goes on and on. The embellishment options are a fantastic way to take your page from ordinary to extraordinary. Creating a baby book? Add buttons and ribbons as well as cutout animals to create a truly adorable page.
Designer Additions – In the embellishment window, there are designer packs available for use. Within these packs are varying paper, cutouts, borders and add-ons all in the same theme, which is great for creating unified pages.
Free Downloads – If the hoard of embellishments and designer packs are not enough to satisfy your creative needs, the MemoryMixer website offers pages of free downloads that will be transferred to your photo album software.
Color Match/Color Picker – Trees, sunsets, flowers, oceans, wood, brick, buildings – no matter where you look, rich, vivid colors greet you and are captured within your photos. With this photo album software, you can release those colors and use them in text, mats or even the page background by using the color picker. With this tool, you can hover over your child's soccer field and choose the perfect green or purple from their uniforms, or match the color from your photo of the Caribbean Sea to get that unnaturally beautiful blue.
Text Fill – This feature is unique to MemoryMixer 3. Say you are creating a photo book to remember your vacation to Hawaii. Using the Word Art feature, you type "Hawaii 2011." But it looks a bit plain, so you can take the picture of your favorite Maui sunset with its gorgeous oranges and yellows and fill the "Hawaii 2011" text in with that photo. Now, your text has transformed from a place holder to a piece of artwork on the page.
Album Check – When laying out your photo book, every inch counts. Planning to order an 8x10 or 5x7 booklet? Under the "View" tab, the grid function can be used to block off sections of your page depending on which size you are ordering. Also, if you are creating a photo book from scratch (opting out of the designer template option), grid lines are helpful in aligning and spacing photos correctly. If you're adding text to your photo books, this photo album software has an option to check for spelling and other grammatical errors on individual pages or over your entire album.
There are several steps that must be completed in order to create the perfect photo album. We will take you through the ease of use of each step.
Setup: Before we could install this album software, we had to first update our QuickTime to a newer version. However, after two minutes the "setup wizard" window popped up and the rest of the software's files were installed within five minutes.
Design: When first opened, the photo album software presents an initial set of questions asking if you would like to begin your project with a designer template or create the album entirely from scratch. We tried both scenarios and were amazed at the simplicity in creating pages that looked professionally done.
For those who create photo book after photo book, preserving memories from family vacations, weddings or the birth of a grandchild, the media tray will be full of folders organizing your photos by year. While MemoryMixer 3 automatically organizes them according to date, you can also add tags to the albums or each individual photo, making photos easy to find.
Sharing and Ordering: Building layer upon layer: embellishment, text, color, borders, paper – soon your photo book is complete and ready to be shared with family and friends.
Navigate to the "Share Album" button located in the control panel. Here you have several options: print the pages at home, using your own color printer; save the photo album as a JPEG; or upload the photo book and order it online through the MemoryMixer 3 website. This is the only step where an internet connection is needed.
When the photo album option is selected within the software, consumers are taken to the website where a user account with MemoryMixer is required. After signing into your account, you are asked to choose the size and album material. (Note: when creating your photo album, we suggest using the guide option to block out the size of album you will be wanting. If you wait until the order step to choose your size, some of your photos, borders, text or embellishments may be cut off.) Each page is then downloaded on the MemoryMixer website individually from the photo album software file.
We found all of these processes to be extremely simple and did not have any problems with setup, design, sharing or ordering.
All of the help and support options you could need are offered by this photo album software manufacturer, including telephone and email support, FAQs, online tutorials and a user manual packed with information about every feature and process MemoryMixer provides.
MemoryMixer 3 photo album software provides consumers with the opportunity to relax and let their imaginations soar. We thoroughly enjoyed using this software to create several photo books, all of which were easy to share with friends and family. We recommend MemoryMixer 3 to everyone looking to preserve precious memories for years to come.
