dmully
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Apple photo book - How do I make the dust jacket background black?

I am using Aperture to make a photo book.  In the past I have made the background of the dust jackets for my books black but the book I am doing now I can't seem to find a way to make it black.  I have a white background.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Dec 5, 2015 12:37 PM

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dmully

Q: Apple photo book - How do I make the dust jacket background black?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 5, 2015 12:43 PM in response to dmully
    Level 10 (105,337 points)
    iLife
    Dec 5, 2015 12:43 PM in response to dmully

    which version of Aperture do you have? And which theme are you using?

    it will depend on the theme, if the option "Background Balck" is available for the cover.

     

    Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 21.41.44GMT.png

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 5, 2015 12:40 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2015 12:40 PM in response to léonie

    Aperture 3.5.1 and I am making a "Picture Book".

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 5, 2015 12:46 PM in response to dmully
    Level 10 (105,337 points)
    iLife
    Dec 5, 2015 12:46 PM in response to dmully

    The Picture Book Theme should also show the option "Background Black".

    Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 21.44.19GMT.png

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 5, 2015 2:18 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2015 2:18 PM in response to léonie

    I do not have the option to choose black.  I can only choose "no background".

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 5, 2015 2:24 PM in response to dmully
    Level 10 (105,337 points)
    iLife
    Dec 5, 2015 2:24 PM in response to dmully

    If options are missing in the graphical user interface restart he Mac. And if that does not fix it trash the preferences files.

     

     

    A common reason for buttons being unresponsive are corrupted preferences files.

     

     

    • Quit Aperture if it is running.
    • Then open your User Library and remove the complete folder ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Aperture/
    • and the file   ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Aperture.plist

    Your user library may still be hidden.To reveal the hidden User Library:

    • Bring the Finder forward by clicking on the Desktop or the Finder icon in the Dock.
    • Select your user/home folder (with the house icon in the Finder sidebar)
    • With that Finder window as the front window, press the key combination ⌘J to bring up the View options.
    • In the View options panel enable ’Show Library Folder’. That will make your user library folder visible in your Home folder.
    • Open your Home folder, then the Library folder, then Containers.
    • Move the complete folder ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Aperture to your desktop. Move the entire folder, not just the contents.
    • Remove   ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Aperture.plist as well.


    Now restart the Mac, launch Aperture  and try again to import.  If all is well, delete the folder from the Desktop.

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 5, 2015 3:16 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2015 3:16 PM in response to léonie

    Hi Leonie,

    I tried what you said but it did not work.  I still get the only choice "no background".

    Have any other ideas?

    David

  • by grizzly marmot,Helpful

    grizzly marmot grizzly marmot Dec 8, 2015 4:14 AM in response to dmully
    Level 2 (253 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 4:14 AM in response to dmully

    It is unpredictable what background options are available in the themes.  In version 3.6 Black should be available from the 'Picture Book' theme - but it is not available in the 'Stock Book' theme.  Maybe that is the theme you are working on.  Anyway you can drop a black image onto the page  (in any theme) and it will act like a background.  A solid black TIFF file sized about 5 by 8 inches at 300 DPI will not be that big and should upsize fine for any book page.  You'll need some kind of image creating program - Photoshop is the obvious choice.  In the old days you could do it with Apple supplied software like MacPaint.  But that program was abandoned a long time ago.

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 8, 2015 4:18 AM in response to grizzly marmot
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 4:18 AM in response to grizzly marmot

    Thanks that is helpful.  I don't have photo shop and it seems like a lot of work, so I just gave up and went with the white background on the dust jacket.  I have always made books with Aperture and always been able to have a black background.  I am pretty sure I did all my books in the "Picture Book Theme".

    Thanks again.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 8, 2015 4:42 AM in response to dmully
    Level 10 (105,337 points)
    iLife
    Dec 8, 2015 4:42 AM in response to dmully

    Hi Leonie,

    I tried what you said but it did not work.  I still get the only choice "no background".

    Have any other ideas?

    David

     

    David, it might be a question of the book size, not only of the theme.

     

    When I select the Picture Book theme, I can set  the background to black for all book sizes, but not for the "Small" book size. Then the background option is not available.

     

    Léonie

  • by grizzly marmot,

    grizzly marmot grizzly marmot Dec 8, 2015 5:15 AM in response to léonie
    Level 2 (253 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 5:15 AM in response to léonie

    An easier way to make an all black picture is to take a picture with your camera with the lens cap on!  In fact I think I have several of those in my library already.

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 8, 2015 9:27 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 9:27 AM in response to léonie

    I made the largest format hardcover you can make with Apple.

  • by dmully,

    dmully dmully Dec 8, 2015 9:30 AM in response to grizzly marmot
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 8, 2015 9:30 AM in response to grizzly marmot

    Good idea.