Your guide to Personalised calendars

Calendars come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small enough to fit in your bag, big enough for the office wall or you can have one on the desktop of your computer now too. But if you're bored of looking at the same old calendar or don't want one of your favourite super model how about making a personalised one.

Many sites will print your kids, pets and other photographs you may want to look at every month onto a calendar of your choice. You simply select the calendar size you want and upload photographs to your website of choice. Some will ask you to download editing software similar to the ones you use to create photo books.

You can buy calendars online from many companies including well known printing firms, companies who specialise in personal gifts and even a diving website!

Knowledge of how to upload photographs and download software is a must and remember to add postage and packing into your costs. Many can be purchased for under a tenner so they make great little stocking fillers for family members and friends.

To help you decide who to buy a calendar from here at ePHOTOzine we have put together a guide to what calendars are available on the market.

MyCreation - Closed

There are five calendars for you to choose from at MyCreation:

• A4 Diary and Date Only Calendar (21x29.7cm)
• Slimline Calendar (21x29.7cm)
• A3 Diary Calendar (29.7x42cm)
• Square Calendar (32x29.7cm)
• A3 Poster Calendar (29.7x42cm)

Prices start at £11.99 for the A3 Poster Calendar and rise to £22.99 for an A3 Diary Calendar. All prices include Postage & Packaging and delivery will take five working days.

The calendars are created through MyCreation's calendar software which can be downloaded from their website. There are several pre designed page styles to choose from and a variety of extra features which include a choice of colours and backgrounds. You can start from scratch and make your own design or use one of the many designs the software offers. Your calendar can start from any month of the year too.

Visit MyCreation's website for more details.

Fotostation - Closed

Fotostation have one calendar design which is the Month to Page A4 calendar. The calendar is printed from any month and if you don't specify which month you want it to start from they will print it from the current or next month.

You upload photographs to the website in the order you want them to appear in the calendar and if you want to add any text or specific instructions such as "mum's birthday is on the 29^th February" or "please star the calendar from January 2009" you write this in the special instruction/text box at the bottom of the upload page. At this point you also choose either the standard service which costs £13.99 or the Express service for £21.99. If you do not want to upload your photographs to the site you can send them in the post on cd, as negatives or as actual photographs. Once you have done this you add your order to the basket, which sets the uploading process going.

Standard delivery is £2.49.

Visit Fotostation for more information.

Pixum

Pixum have nine calendars for you to choose from:

• Year Calendar (13, 10 or 20cm)
• Birthday- Do It Yourself Calendar (8x11.5in)
• Wall Calendar A3 (11x17in)
• Wall Year Planner (11x16.5in)
• Designer Calendar (5x5.5in)
• Wall Calendar A4 (8.25x11.7in)
• Desk Year Calendar (11.7x7.9in)
• Self-Standing Year Calendar (11.7x3.9in)
• Kitchen Calendar (5.1x11.7in)

The Year Calendar and the Birthday one are slightly different to the rest. The Year Calendar is on one sheet with all the months to the right-hand side and you choose one photograph to decorate it. The Birthday Calendar is a DIY job. You buy the calendar and slot all your own photographs into it - perfect if you're not so technically minded.

The rest of the calendars are created by uploading images to the Pixum site. You browse your computer, select the images you want to use and press upload. Pixum have recommended picture resolutions so pay attention to them when uploading. Once the images are in your "Pixum inbox" you click them in the order you would like them to appear in the calendar. Once clicked-on the frame around the image goes red so you wont add the image twice, unless you want to. Images that are in your calendar can be seen to the right of the screen. They can be rotated and if you want to move an image to a different month simply click the arrow icon. Once you have 13 images press the "Accept selection" icon that appears to proceed to the next section. Here you select your start date for the calendar (you can choose any month) and choose the number you would like to order then click the "add to shopping cart" button to proceed to the check-out.

Postage & Packaging is £2.99 and expected delivery is four days plus the shipment which changes depending on where you want the calendar sending to.

Visit Pixum for more details and Christmas offers for ePHOTOzine members.

Fotobook

Fotobook have five calendar designs for you to pick from:

• Desktop Calendar (10.3x30cm)
• Year Planner (31x22cm)
• Wall Calendar (31cmx22cm)
• Kitchen Calendar (42cmx14.8cm)
• Large Wall Calendar (29.7x42cm)

You create the calendar in Fotobook's editor which you download from their site. Once you have the editor open and have chosen the calendar you want to create you are given two options to start the project. You can create a new one from scratch or let the software autofill the calendar for you. Thee are plenty of design templates to keep you busy and if you choose to create your own design you can add as many photographs as you like by reducing the size of the picture boxes on the page. Images are dragged and dropped into place and they can also be edited. Text is placed in text boxes and this too can be altered for your own personal taste and be moved around the page. The possibilities are almost endless with this design package and you could easily spend an hour or two creating your perfect calendar.

Prices range from £9.99 for the Desktop Calendar to £19.99 for a Large Wall Calendar. Delivery charges for the UK are included in the price and your order will arrive in 10 working days.

Fotobook is now owned by Albelli, a company specialising in photo products. To view Albelli’s range of photo calendars click here.

Bonus Print

BonusPrint have four calendar options for you to pick from:

• A3 Wall Calendar (45x32cm)
• A4 Wall Calendar (23cmx32cm)
• Desktop Calendar (30.2x10.5)
• CD Calendar (30.2x10.5cm)

All of the calendars are created by uploading images onto Bonus Print's site. Once you have chosen the calendar you want you can upload as many photographs as you want and you add them to the calendar pages by clicking on the page you want it to go on and then select your image. If you don't do this it will appear on which ever page is highlighted. You can enter a title to appear on the front of your calendar, select the start month or change the product type if you want to. The Wall Calendars can have special dates added to them which you do by selecting the special dates tab. Here you can add bank holidays and dates such as birthdays and anniversaries. If you want to send the calendar to someone directly you can do this too.

Once complete click "save" or "add to order" and your calendar is complete. You can edit it at any time and choose the quantity you want to buy at the checkout.

Prices start at £5.99 for a CD calendar, Desktop Calendars are £9.99 and the Wall Calendars are £13.99 and £14.99.

Postage and Packaging is either £1.99 or £2.99 and your calendar will be delivered in 5-8 working days.

See BonusPrint for more details.

Photobox

Take your pick from nine calendars and two diaries from Photobox.

• A3 Poster Calendar (30x40cm)
• Deluxe Desk Calendar (21.7x17)
• A3 Double Page Calendar (28x43.6cm)
• A4 Double Page Calendar (28x21.8cm)
• A3 Wall Calendar (30x40cm)
• A4 Wall Calendar (21x28cm)
• Desk Calendar
• A3 Single Page Calendar (29.7x42cm)
• A4 Single Page Calendar (21x29.7cm)
• Deluxe Diary (14x21.3cm)
• Photo Diary (standard 9.8x15cm) (large 13x19.3cm)

All but the single calendar which has one photograph all the rest can feature multiple photographs and various templates can be chosen for the calendars. You can also select various images to feature in the diaries too. Prices start at £3.99 for a Single Page Calendar and rise to £18.99 for a A3 Poster Calendar.

When you are ready to build your calendar or diary you have to sign-in (create account if you don't have one) and wait for the creator to load. For all but the Single Page Calendar you choose when you want the calendar to start and if you have chosen a calendar that has multiple design options you choose them here too. Click next page and this will take you to the design template. Your various layouts are found to the right of the screen and your photographs to the left. You have to create an album on the Photobox site to take your photographs from. Photos are simply dropped into place and they can be rotated until you're happy with them. You can check your creation and save it at any time and when finished select order.

Standard delivery prices are between £1.50 and £4.99 (to the UK) and delivery is between 3 and 8 days depending on the product.

Visit Photobox for more information.

YoPhoto

YoPhoto have two calendars for you to take your pick from:

• Wall Calendar (31x22cm)
• Desk Calendar (11x30cm)

The Wall Calendar comes with a clear cover, one photo can be added per page and it is bound with a metal spiral. The Desk Calendar also features one image per page and a metal spiral binding. The Desktop Calendar will cost you £11.99 and the Wall one £8.99

You create your YoPhoto calendar by downloading the YoPhoto editor. Once you have this on your desktop you select the product you want to create, choose the month and year you want to start the calendar from, enter a product name and choose if you want to create the calendar manually or if you want the software to do it for you. If you choose to do it manually you add photographs by dragging them from the "my images" box on the left onto the month you wish. You can add a greeting message, title and captions to the cover, choose from over 40 background colours, add boarders and insert important dates in the font and colour of your choice.

All prices include delivery to the UK and you should receive your calendar within three working days.

Visit YoPhoto for more information.

CeWe

Cewe have a choice of eight calendars which you can make in their free downloadable software and four you can produce in their online store :

• A3 Wall Calendar (42cmx29.7cm)
• A4 Wall Calendar (29.7x21cm)
• Desktop Appointment Calendar (29.7x13cm)
• Kitchen Calendar (13x29.7cm)
• Table Calendar (29.7x10cm)
• Wall Appointment Calendar (29.7x42cm)
• Year Planner (29.7x42cm)
• Desktop Calendar in Metal box (12.5x14.5cm)

Online

• A4 Wall Decoration Calendar (21x25.5cm)
• Photo Calendar with Display Box
• Horizontal Apointment Calendar
• Vertical Wall Appointment Calendar

CeWe's calendars are designed through their free software which you can download from their website or online in their store.

If you create a calendar online you don't have as much choice as you get if you download the software but it is simpler to create. You add your photographs in the order you want them to appear in the calendar and click upload. You get an overview of your calendar and the option to choose the month it starts from. Prices start at £9.99 and rise to £14.99.

If you choose to use the downloadable software you get more calendar options and it also supplies you with plenty of templates, colours and layouts to make your calendar unique. One or more images can be added (calendar choice depending) and the calendars can begin at any month. Once inside the editor you choose your product and add images from the images tab that can be found on the left. When you are happy with the placement of your photographs and any designs you may have added you simply click on the "to order" button to take you to the payment section of the site.

Prices start at £4.99 for a Year Planner and rise to £16.99 for a A3 Wall Calendar. Postage and packaging is £2.80. Delivery takes around five days.

Visit Cewe for more details.

SnapFish

SnapFish have 3 sizes to choose from:

• 11in x 8.5in Classic Calendar (27.94x21.59cm)
• 14in x 11.5in Premium Calendar (35.56x29.21cm)
• 12in x 12in Square Calendar (30.48x30.48cm)

The calendars (in size order) are priced at £14.99, £19.99 and £18.99. If you want an 18 month calendar then they are priced at £19.99, £23.99 and £24.99. Standard postage and packaging is £1.99 per calendar. All sizes are available in 11 styles with customisable dates and photo page layouts.

You create your calendar by choosing the style you want from the Snapfish Website. When you click on a particular style you will be taken to a page where you can choose the size, starting date and length of the calendar. Once you click "create calendar" the design page will load. You use photographs from your Snapfish albums so remember to create one of these first. You add photographs by dragging and dropping them into place, layouts and backgrounds are simply clicked on and reminders can be added by clicking on the appropriate dates. Up to three photos can be used on each page or if you prefer you can just have text. You can preview and save the calendar at any time and you purchase it by clicking on the order button.

Delivery time is estimated to be 4-8 working days.

See SnapFish for more details.

Dive-logs

Dive-logs have two designs for you to choose from:

• Single Sided A4
• Double Sided A4 (opens up to A3)

A dive site may not seem like the obvious place to buy a calendar from but as they offer them ePHOTOzine thought we would try them out. You create a calendar in the calendar design wizard which consists of 6 simple steps for you to follow. You choose your calendar type, select the month you want it to start from, choose a design template, add your photographs, add any special dates, choose your front cover image and select buy this calendar - it's as simple as that. Everything is on Dive-logs' website, so there's no downloading involved. When you're adding photographs remember to add them in the order you wish them to appear in the calendar. The wizard will even tell you if the quality of the image is ok for printing. Every calendar is manually checked by the team at Dive-logs and they even optimise the images if it's required.

To preview the calendar you will need Adobe Reader and postage and packaging starts at £1.95 for standard delivery. The A4 Calendar is priced at £11.95 and the Double Sided Calendar is £14.95 and expected delivery for the UK is 1-2 working days.

Visit Dive Logs for more information. No longer offering calendars.

Lulu

Lulu have two calendars:

• Premium Calendar (34.29cmx48.26cm)
• Standard Calendar (27.94x43.18cm)

For a 12 month Standard Calendar it will cost you £8.25. The Premium Calendar comes on gloss or white linen paper and will cost you £12.71 or £12.74 for a 12 month calendar. Lulu let you create a a calendar that can start in any month and run for as many months as you wish. Calendars are completely customisable and you can add photos, highlight particular dates and designs with ease. You also have the added choice of creating a calendar which can be sold on the Lulu website. There are nine themes for you to choose from and you can either use your own images, which you upload onto the site or you can access photo sites and image libraries such as Flickr and gettyimages and select photos from there. There are several page layouts to choose from of which up to three images can be added to the pages. If you do not want to add all of the images you could use the auto fill option and once you are happy click the preview and publish button to purchase your calendar.

Postage and Packaging and delivery times alter depending on when, what product and how many you order.  Visit Lulu for more details.

Askcalendars

There are six calendar options at askcalendar:

• A3 Wall Calendar (29.7cmx42cm)
• A4 Wall Calendar
• A5 Wall Calendar
• Narrow Wall Calendar
• Desk Calendar
• Booklet Calendar

All apart from the Booklet Calendar are spiral bound and prices start at £1.99 for a Narrow Wall Calendar and rise to £4.50 for an A3 Wall Calendar (excluding VAT). Each Calendar comes with a set-up price of £40, so to me it seems like a site aimed at corporate businesses who are looking for a product to advertise their business on.

You can choose form a huge range of templates, add your own photos or choose some from the askcalendar photo library and you can also personalise it with your special dates. You can add a title, website address, telephone numbers and choose the start date for the calendar. There are three cover designs for you to choose from and a title and strap line can be added to them all. You upload your photographs to the askcalendar light box and from here you choose the ones you want to feature in the calendar. The month and corresponding image are selected from drop down menus and then you simply press add. Once this is done you are taken to a page where you can purchase your calendar.

Go to the Ask Calendar website for more information.

Special Moment

Special Moment have four calendars for you to create:

• Desk Calendar (12.5cmx14.1cm)
• A4 Wall Calendar (21x29.7cm)
• Slim Wall Calendar (10.5x29.7cm)
• A3 Folding Wall Calendar (29.7cmx42cm)

Depending on your choice of calendar you will be able to have up to 3 pictures per page and choose from several layouts and designs.

You choose the calendar you wish to create and this will take you to a page where you fill in details which include the start date and title. Depending on the type of calendar you have chosen you will also be able to select the layout, font, colour theme and grid style. You upload your photographs and add drag and drop them into place and you can change the font and style of any text by clicking on it. There are several layouts to choose from and once complete you can preview, order or download your calendar as a PDF.

Prices start at £6.95 for a Desk Calendar and go up to £15.95 for a A3 Folding Wall Calendar.

Delivery is between 3-5 working days and postage and packaging is free if you choose to have it sent by Royal Mail 1^st Class, Special delivery will cost you £5.99.

See Special Moment for more details.

Pixaroo

There are four calendar options with Pixaroo:

• A4 Wall Calendar (21x29.7cm)
• A3 Wall Calendar (29.7x42cm)
• Slimline Wall Calendar (14.8x42cm)
• Desk Tent Calendar (21x9.9cm)

All the calendars have a variety of layouts for you to choose from and all feature one image per page. You can add a title and any foot notes you may want to appear on the calendar. Start dates are varied and you can also add public holidays. Images are uploaded under each particular month and date captions can be added at this point too. If you prefer you can upload your images all at once and you can also preview the calendar or an individual page by selecting the appropriate button.

Prices start at £13.00 and rise to £24.00 for a Desk Tent Calendar.

Remember there is VAT to be added to the products and this differs from product to product. Postage and packaging also changes depending on the weight of your order.

Pixaroo also offer a corporate service for larger orders or people who require bespoke design such as added logos changing fonts and colours etc. With createAcalendar you send all the images and logos you want to appear on the calendar to the company and they build it for you. You can even use images from their own library to create this type of calendar. The Corporate Wall Calendars are B3 in size (485mm x 340mm) and each calendar is supplied in a white card posting envelope. Prices are calculated according to the quantity required and you have to contact Pixaroo for more information.

See Pixaroo for more information.

TicTac Photo

TicTac Photo have three calendar options:

• Luxury Wall Calendar (49cmx32.5cm)
• Standard Wall Calendar (33x25cm)
• Office Calendar (11x30cm)

You need to download the creator software and once you have this you simply follow the instruction given on screen. Once you have chosen your style and size of calendar you require ( wall calendars come in standard, deluxe or XL) you are taken to the design page where you can choose from a very large selection of layouts, colours and styles. Images are simply dragged and dropped into place and text is added by clicking on the text boxes. You can add photographs to particular dates on the calendar too, which is a nice touch. You add photos from the my photo button which gives you access to your computer and if you don't feel like creating the calendar manually you can select the auto fill option which does it for you. There are plenty of tools to keep you occupied and you can save, preview and order the product at any time.

The standard sized Wall Calendar and Office calendar start at £13.78 and the Luxury one will cost you £16.21. Prices rise as you increase the size and postage and packaging will cost you £1.63 per calendar you buy.

Expected delivery is 5 working days.

Visit TicTac Photo for more details.

DS Colour Labs (DSCL)

DSCL have four calendars for you to pick from:

• Desk Calendar
• 10x8 Calendar
• 10x15 Calendar
• 12x16 Calendar

To create a calendar you click on the link as instructed on their site and this will take you to an ordering system. Choose photo gifts, then the size and type of calendar you wish to create it will also where you want to take photographs from. You will be asked what theme you would like your calendar to have, the year you want it for , when you want it to start and if you want the system to upload your images automatically. If you choose to create your own you simply click on the image you want to appear on a particular month and you scroll to the following months by pressing the arrow key at the bottom of the page. You can add text and there are also a selection of editing tools for you to use.

Once you have finished creating the calendar you photographs will be uploaded and the order is sent to the company where they print it out onto glossy photo paper. You can chose to send the files via cd if you wish.

The Desktop calendar is priced at £9.99, 10x8 is £8.99, 15x10 is £12.99 and the 16x12 is £15.99. Delivery is £2.50 and a next day delivery service is available.

Turn around times are currently at 48 hours and delivery will be between 1-10 days.

Visit DSCL for more details.

File Print

If you use File Print's templates you have three calendar sizes to choose from:

• Calendar 2009 A3
• Calendar 2009 A4
• Calendar 2009 A6

Once you are on their website click add now and this will take you to the page where you can build a calendar online. You can upload photos or PDF files to the site by clicking on the appropriate buttons. Once you have selected a calendar to create you will be taken to a page where details such as company names and address can be added. You also choose the colour template and font style here. To select the images you want to appear on the calendar you need to go to the month images tab. Here you can select your images from your library or upload new images if you wish.

The calendar is previewed as a low resolution PDF and you need Adobe Reader for this. Once you have all of your images in and your text complete click save to library.

Next you will be asked if you are happy with the document and you will also be able to view details such as the paper it is printed on. Documents are saved for three days unless you pay a pound then it will be saved for 365 days.

Prices start at £0.91 for a 14 page A6 calendar printed on heavy silk and rise to £4.30 for an A3 calendar printed the same way. This price is for four calendars and the price gets lower if you order more. Delivery can change depending on weight and size but the standard delivery charge with Royal Mail is £2.00 and if you order before 12 o'clock orders are dispatched the same day.

See File Print for more details.

Other companies who you can create calendars with are:

• Jessops
• Fotoinsight