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reproductions from colour scans very grainy and covered in blue spots
BookSmart
Hi Brett, Sorry for the loop. Not everyone at Blurb is completely around this issue, since it is a rare print problem that only occurs under specific circumstances at specific printers. It’s interesting that those were scans of negatives, as I recently looked at a TIF that was scanned from medium format negatives here in SF at Photoworks, and the image was incredibly "crunchy" when viewed at any kind of zoom. Upsampling (which in this case I’d define as scanning over 300dpi to allow for enlargement), even on some very well-regarded professional scanners are, in my opinion, a recipe for disaster in print. If you’re looking at your image through a loop, those color spots may also simply be the half-tone dots. Even black & white images are printed in 4-colors in our digital offset process. However, the problem with your books last time, if I recall properly, was that such dots were clearly visible to the naked eye. We have two print partners that seem to be experiencing this rare issue (it does not affect books produced with other workflows) and we’ve had one of them file a case with HP. When that case is solved, we’ll make sure our other print partner implements the same fix. Please submit a customer support incident and ask for me in the body of your message. I’ll then be able to make this right for you and give you the latest and greatest on our efforts to iron out this issue. Best regards,
Jeremy
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Enough is enough, Blurb
BookSmart
Howdy deanej, You have a point regarding our approach to the forums. I used to moderate with a much heavier hand, and jumped on questions within an hour… I eventually found this discouraged BookSmart verterans from participating and speaking up; and it also overly blurred the line between customer support and this discussion arena. If someone needs official support, we want there to be one clear place for him/her to go to get an answer straight from Blurb. That place is blurb.com/help. We want to cultivate this forum to be a place where people can share their experiences, ask each other for ideas/best practices, demand BookSmart for Linux, etc. Those kinds of posts are most prevalent when the current build of our software is smoothest. When there are some new bugs, the forum, understandably, sees more "help me!" posts. I’m optimistic things will soon smooth out for the folks having troubles (especially for those who contact customer support!). Cheers,
Jeremy
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Patch for new version of BookSmart
BookSmart
Hi BP2U,
Please stay in touch with Customer Support. If their first suggestion did not work, please let them know. They will keep working with you until you’re up and running (or are able to provide a good explanation why it’s not working.
Thanks for hanging in there,
Jeremy
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Patch for new version of BookSmart
BookSmart
Howdy,
The most current version should probably be called 1.9.7.1, as it really fixes only text "borders" (which I also feel should be named differently, as it refers to decorative designs in text containers rather than the outline around a container itself).
Sorry for any confusion; 1.9.8 is essentially 1.9.7, just with that one tiny change…
Cheers,
Jeremy
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Patch for new version of BookSmart
BookSmart
Hi Rickylyn1,
I’d recommend highlighting your text in Word and, from the Styles menu, choosing Clear Formatting. Then it should paste over without any indenting issues. If not, I recommend contacting Customer Support and telling them that I would like you to send over that Word document so I can test out a solution.
Cheers,
Jeremy
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Patch for new version of BookSmart
BookSmart
Hi all,
Okay, I’ve got a hot cup of coffee at my desk… So let’s help get some books made.
Backing up to angelab’s crash…If BookSmart ever falls down immediately after you hit "Get Photos," then the issue most likely pertains to BookSmart, via Java, calling up the Windows dialog box. To fix that crash, you can run a search for a file called "NativeSmart.dll" and delete that specific file. BookSmart will then fall back on its own dialog box, which should run normally without crashing.
Brian’s idea for some extra author acknowledgement/agreement text is right on. I agree that language should be bolstered somehow without creating a maze of warnings that an author will simply speed-click through. When Kathy is back from vacation, I think she’d be interested to read your suggestion.
Fluor, after loading your images the first time (and rebuilding the cache libraries), the program should run faster. It sounds like you’re still experiencing some lag, however… Guides would indeed be great (I design with a touchpad—no mouse—in InDesign, and would be lost without the "snap-to" feature. But is that coming to BookSmart? Probably not… not soon, anyway). But as for baseline guides, that goes hand-in hand with the possibility of allowing for adjustable image and text containers….Those are both fine ideas that I will pass along to the programmers.
Finally, SandyStaruk, ouch. I am sorry to read about that. Customer Support will do its best to get that working again for you. Feel free to ask them to escalate your case; they might need to ask you to send your files for examination/repair.
Thanks to all. We’ll be chattin’ more this week…
Jeremy
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Patch for new version of BookSmart
BookSmart
Hi all,
Thanks for your prompt feedback.
First, to FubarEast, please note that 1.9.7 doesn’t fix absolutely everything. If there is a problem with your file, it’s not necessarily something that resulted from 1.9.6. This may be a typical file corruption problem, which Customer Support should be able to help you fix. Please contact them and tell them Jeremy recommended they solicit your files.
Danielflahif, unfortunately our developers were only able to fix 1 of the apparent 2 Typepad issues (the first issue being the complete breakage of BookSmart/Typepad communication). The problem now with it only slurping the first page of entries will be fixed in an upcoming edition of BookSmart. I am sorry about that and recommend you try out a blog migration (export/import) tool so you can port, temporarily, your entries to a blog platform that is currently working. I know that sounds like a pain—I’m only recommending it in case you want your blog book NOW.
Cheers,
Jeremy
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Enough is enough, Blurb
BookSmart
Howdy deanej, I’ll try to be as neutral as possible here. I obviously work for Blurb. But I care about authors’ experiences more than covering our behinds, so I’ll be frank, as well. We have obviously not ironed out every bug in the program. However, the vast majority of files containg these kinds of crashes CAN BE FIXED. There are simply too many varibles and too many potential solutions to simply post all the file repair processes (not to mention the coding expertise requred to implement the fixes). We read the forums, and take comments to heart. I’m especially concerned that you say you responded to Customer Support’s original recommendation; the ticket I see associated with your email address (at least the one you registered with Blurb) does not contain your follow-up note. If that message bounced for some reason, please do re-send it. Make sure to keep the subjectline the same, and, in your note, please be sure to paste first two paragraphs of the crash log___.txt file as requested. That will allow CS to see precisely what the issue with your file is, and they should then be able to respond with directions specific to your situation. Jeremy
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Lost book I was workinjg on.
BookSmart
Hi Guys & Gals, Please fear not; your books are not gone! I am sorry for whatever glitch is preventing BookSmart from recognizing or opening the files. However, in the vast majoirty of cases, Customer Support can find the issue and fix it. Please contact CS, and don’t give up! Best regards and thank you for being patient,
Jeremy
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New Version problems on Mac Tiger
BookSmart
Howdy GayeleneM, For these types of questions with multiple possible causes/solutions, it’s best to contact Customer Support so you can get the 1-on-1 assistance you need. After you write to them, they should be able to get this working for you promptly. Thanks for your patience,
Jeremy
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Cannot add more postings from Blog to my Book!!!
BookSmart
Hi vtbunny, We’d love to get to the bottom of that for you. So that we can do so, can you please contact customer support and include your blog URL, blog username and a temporary password? Customer support will then be able to troubleshoot this for you and respond with a specific answer (which I’d gladly post here if I knew what the answer was!) Thanks for your patience,
Jeremy
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text error with BookSmart 1.9.7
BookSmart
Hi mercman, This is très bizarro… Would it be possible for you to please contact customer support and tell them Jeremy asked that you send the Word document you’re copy/pasting from? If we can see the exact circumstances that are causing that unusual behavior, we should be able to iron out that problem. Thanks for being patient,
Jeremy
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Existing book comes up damaged and corrupt.
BookSmart
Hi Brian, Customer Support should be able to help you access a backup fie for your book. Please contact them and say that I recommended they solicit your files for repair. Thanks for hanging in there,
Jeremy
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Upload problems!
BookSmart
Hi all, Netgear, eh? Interesting… Steo, are you also using a Netgear router? Does bypassing the router and plugging directly into your modem resolve the issue? Don’t leave Blurb over this; we’ll help you get your books uploaded no matter what! Jeremy
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EnglischeSchTDemBol font not working after software up date?
BookSmart
Hi paulandrews, Good catch. This is indeed a bug we’ve logged for fixing… It can be worked around in the meantime, however. Please start a new Wedding book, which will call up the font. Then, you can re-open the book you’re working on, and that font will be available in the list of available typefaces. Sorry for any inconvenience. That workaround should suffice while we root out the problem. Cheers!
Jeremy
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Saved book deleted when I made a new one
BookSmart
Hi Heather, Please don’t worry; BookSmart doesn’t delete books unless the author specifically chooses that option. The problem is much more likely to be BookSmart failing to recognize the book project. That’s something Customer Support can help you fix. Please contact them and they should be able to get you back on track. Best regards and thank you for hanging in there!
Jeremy
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Transposed Captions
BookSmart
Howdy antpitta, This can happen sometimes as pages are added or removed at an earlier part of the book. Pages then switch orientation, but the captions don’t correctly change places along with the photos. I thought we’d caught all of these and eliminated any such instances… If you’re using 1.9.6, would you mind terribly contacting Customer Support. If you tell them Jeremy requested that you send a screenshot of the problem layout, they’ll send you directions on how to do so (and maybe a nice promotion code for bringing this to their attention!) Thanks and cheers,
Jeremy
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Crash, Crash, Crash
BookSmart
Hi sbenard98, Clever author are you! Readers should be aware that sbenard98 experienced a very specific and relatively uncommon crash. Editing the book file is very rarely a good idea, as even a small change can corrupt an entire book project. Unless you’re able to determine you’re experiencing the same crash, and the l33t skillz to edit XML, I must strongly caution against delving into and altering your book file via the steps in this post. But, sbenard98, you can pat yourself on the back :-) Cheers everyone! Jeremy
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slurping blog
BookSmart
Hi all, We hear reports of this issue with Blogger accounts late last week, and believe we’ve got a fix. Please stay tuned for our announcement of a software patch, which should be coming soon. I am sorry for the trouble—all should be well shortly! Jeremy
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JAVE HELP PLEASE
BookSmart
Hi Meg, I removed your other post to keep the forus organized. Even if your G5 is newer, you still might be running Mac OS 10.3.9 and you’ll want to upgrade to Tiger (10.4.5 or higher). Tiger should come with the version of Java you need to run BookSmart, and you can always run Software Update to get the latest and greatest versions of other utilities, too. Hope that helps! Jeremy
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Booksmart hangs/freezes every 30 seconds
BookSmart
Hi all, Just to sum-up my comments in another post… Forums.blurb.com is the place for Blurbarians to connect. It isn’t the place to receive 1-on-1 technical support from a customer support representative. Please believe that I would be very happy if all crashes were the same and the solution was the same for everybody. Unfortunately, considering there are multiple versions of our software running on multiple operating systems with nearly infinite possible system configuration differences, there isn’t a magic bullet. If there were, we’d gladly give it to you and save you and us some time. So we’re on your side and want to help you out as effectively as possible. The way to get that help is by writing customer support through the help page. Okay, just like yesterday, it’s time to fuel up on coffee and start answering customer emails… Cheers to all—not only is there light at the end of the tunnel, but there will be books to read in that light! Jeremy
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security risk to download this software?
BookSmart
Howdy VickisNature, BookSmart runs of the Java platform, which is safe enough for multi-national corporations. Mr. Bill Gates might not know who Blurb is (hence that warning), but we assure you the program is secure. Happy Blurbing!
Jeremy
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Crash, Crash, Crash
BookSmart
Howdy sdxt, Thank you for your patience. Please understand that there are different causes for different crashes, and so there is nothing helpful we can say without working with you 1-on-1 through the help page. This could be a system-specific issue, a bad installation, a conflict in your main user account, a security setting in your operating system, etc. etc. We want to get you the best help possible as effectively as possible. To that end, it is necessary for me to communicate that these forums are the place for Blurb authors to connect regarding help they can give each other. This isn’t the place to ask for and receive one-on-one technical support from a Blurb representative. Please hang in there and work with Customer Support. That’s honestly and truly the best way to go. Jeremy
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MY WORK IS LOST WITH BOOKSMART CRASH!
BookSmart
Hi coreyweiner, Please hang in there; your work is not lost. I don’t see an email from the address associated with your Blurb.com account. Did you write Customer Support using a different email address? Please stay in touch with Customer Support and ask them to escalate the ticket if necessary. I am very optimistic that they can recover your work promptly. Best regards and thank you for your patience,
Jeremy
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Wordpress.com - Problem: "could not read blog"
BookSmart
Please don’t give up! Simply tell Customer Support that their first answer didn’t solve the issue, and they will send you alternate directions. Hang in there and you should have a blog book as a reward for your patience :-) Jeremy
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