Do you struggle with buying gifts during the holiday seasons? What about during special occasions? If you answered ‘yes’ (or reluctantly nodded your head in agreement) just know that you’re not the only one. When it comes to purchasing gifts – especially for someone you care about, it’s impossible to NOT want to pull out all the stops.

From diamond earrings to the latest game consoles, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that the more expensive the gift, the more it will be cherished and appreciated. That’s not often the case, as we’ve explained in our previous blog post, 5 Gifting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: A guide by Pixajoy.

Instead, people would much rather receive gifts that are more personalised and thoughtful – something that speaks of their interests or that can trigger a happy memory. When you keep these facts in mind, you’ll realise that you’re actually already sitting on a goldmine of potential gifts.

Hint: It’s in your camera gallery! 

From birthday parties and reunion photos to travel trips and crazy photos from your best friend’s bachelor(ette) party, give them a gift that’ll take them back to the moments that REALLY meant SOMETHING! 

So to help you guys out, we’ve compiled a list of gift-giving FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) – from how to choose a gift, to how to make it, and everything in between and sharing the answers right here! 

(Be sure to share this post if you know someone who could use some help!)

Question 1: What gift should I get?

What can I give with the time that I have? 

In the time it takes to do the laundry…

Gift Photo Tiles

In the time it takes to cook rice…

Gift Story Tag Cards

In the time it takes to watch a movie…

Gift a Photo Book

Pro-Tip: With the help of your camera gallery, there are a number of cool photo gift projects that you can create and customise in an hour or less.  See what strikes your fancy with these 5 Photo Project Ideas You Should Try Over The Weekend.

Question 2: What gift would you suggest I get?

When you’re browsing through gift stores or looking through catalogues, it might seem impossible to find a gift that really says it all. But with your photos, you can create gifts that are worth more than a thousand words – ones that are creative by nature! 

 Find a little extra inspiration with these unique gift ideas from the #lovepixajoy community:

A wedding album for your partner

Flush Mount Photo Book |Photo by: @n.syz

A prints gallery for yourself

12R Photo Prints | Photo by: @mierayshraa

A collection of baby books for your (grand)parents

Imagewrap Hardcover Photo Book | Photo by: @saudagargeneralstore 

A set of magic mugs for your family

Magic Mugs | Photo by: @spheren

For more meaningful and personalised gift ideas, check out our last blog on the 7 Creative Keepsakes Your Family Will Love.

Question 3: What’s new this year?

To keep up with the latest trends, our team here at Pixajoy have been hard at work to introduce a variety of new design templates, product improvements and gifting options that will surely make purchasing a gift a fun and easy process. Here’s a peek at some of our favourites!

Photo Tiles

Create a fabulous wall gallery in less than 10 minutes with our new re-stickable photo tiles. Available in front or back mount, these 8”x8” sized tiles come with a light pine wood frame and a special adhesive that will allow for them to stick on any flat surface.

Miracle Baby Poster

No photos, no worries. The Miracle Baby Poster is a special illustration poster that can be customised to your baby’s actual length at birth. Available in lineart and chalkboard styles, the Miracle Baby Poster is one of those ‘make you cry happy tears’ kind of gifts.

Flush Mount Photo Books

Our premium photo book line just got an upgrade. With luxuriously thick pages measuring at 1.5mm and the ability to lay completely flat at 180°, the Flush Mount Photo Books are a treat to behold! To make matters more interesting, now you can personalise a Flush Mount Photo Book with either an Imagerap, Debossed or Window Die-cut cover. 

Hanging Canvas Print

Turn your timeless memories into simple and elegant looking décor with hanging canvas prints. Made up of premium quality canvas and unique wooden hangers that come in a modern rustic style, they bring a clean and natural touch to your home.

Question 4: Where do I even start?

We know that when it comes to making a personalised gift, the hardest part is getting started. Not to worry! Once you know which photos you want to use, the process becomes much easier. In fact, take a look at our blog post on the 7 Steps To Take Your Photo Book From ‘Amateur’ To ‘Professional’. 

It’ll teach you all about everything you need to consider before starting a project – from making a plan, organising your photos, narrowing down your favourite shots and finally, putting together a wow-worthy photo gift!

Question 5: What if I mess up?

Making a customised gift is oftentimes an enjoyable and personal experience. Sure it takes some work to get everything just right; but the moment your loved ones get their hands on it, all that time spent painstakingly crafting your gift would be entirely worth it! 

So to ensure that your personalised gift lives up to the hype, do be sure to check out our blog post on the 8 Things To Avoid When Designing A Photo Book. While the post in question is photo book specific, the tips given there can be applied if you’d like to make other types of photo gifts too!

Question 6: Will my photos look okay in print?

At Pixajoy, we pride ourselves on the quality of our printing and want you to feel just as confident printing your images with us. In order for you to get the best results, here are a few tips to keep in mind for when you transform your digital images into tangible gifts:

Photo Resolution

When creating a photo project on our editor, a warning triangle will appear when you decide to upload and use a low-resolution image. While you can still print out the images, do take note that images with these warning prompts may turn out blurry when printed. 

So in order to prevent that from happening, always ensure that you’re uploading the full-resolution image when creating a project. If you decide to Whatsapp the photos to yourself, do take note that image files will be compressed – giving them a lower resolution.

Instead, you can either transfer the files to your computer device or upload them directly from your phone gallery onto our website editor. These methods will ensure that your photos keep every bit of detail possible for print.

For the highest quality printed product, we recommend the following when uploading images:

• File type: .jpg or .png
• DPI (dots per inch): 300 DPI
• Colour Profile: sRGB

Pro-Tip: Our editor is designed to give low-resolution warnings if the images that you’ve uploaded aren’t quite big enough to print at the size you’ve chosen. Not to worry – if you’d still like to use a particular set of images, we do have several size/layout options available to ensure that you’ll be able to find one that works for your photos. 

Question 7: How do I edit my photos to look nicer?

To bring out the best in your photos, we’ve created a guide on how to edit your phone photos (with tips to brighten, crop, create contrast, and more) using Snapseed, a complete and professional photo editor app developed by Google – Free to download on both Android and iOS.

Question 8: What other details should I add?

Whether you are sending your gift via the mail or are just looking for a few extra, thoughtful details, here are a few ways to add a touch more personalisation to your chosen gift:

•  Start (or end) your photo book with a dedication page.
•  Add in captions, funny anecdotes and key dates.
• Pair a matching personalised card with your chosen gift.
• When making copies of a similar gift for different people, utilise a different cover image. 
• Include the name of the person you would like to give the gift to into the design. 

We hope this post on the 8 Gifting FAQ has answered all your questions when it comes to getting through the gifting season. Just know that with proper planning, a little creativity and a whole lotta photos, you’ll be able to whip up a whole treasure trove of meaningful gifts in no time. If you’d like to see what’s on sale, do visit our website and check out our latest promotions today.