About GroupBook.ca

What are GroupBooks?

GroupBooks are Photobooks. A Photobook is a book you create using digital photographs. You can design your pages and place your photos and text creating a high quality book to show off all those digital photos you have.

Does Groupbook.ca only do Photobooks?

No. Photobooks are only one of many products we can produce. We do Greeting Cards, Posters, Calendars and more. Even business products are available. Check out our Other Products page for a full list of what we currently offer.

Do I need to make an account on GroupBook.ca to order?

Yes. In order to ship a job and provide an order number, we need to assign that to an account. While you can try out our system without creating an account, we strongly suggest you create one so you can save any work you've done.

How do I make an account?

To make an account, simply click any of the "Get Started Now" buttons that you'll find on several of the pages on this site. That will take you to the Photobook/Product creator. On that page, there will a button prompting you to register. Click it and fill out the information. This account is where your saved templates, images and confirmation emails will be sent and stored. You can create an account at any point of the design process.

If you want to just skip right to it, click here to get to the registration page.

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Orders and Payments

How long does it take to receive my order after I place it?

We generally take 3-5 business days to produce the Photobook and then shipping is generally 1-4 days. Shipping options can be selected and estimated in the shopping cart stage. Depending on work load or press issues, the production time may take slightly longer, but you should always expect to have them within 3 weeks maximum. We would rather take longer to produce your Photobook than ship you a lower quality item.

How much will shipping cost?

Shipping costs vary based on item type, weight, size and location. We use Canada Post for ou shipments and their rates are applied at the checkout. There is no accurate way to estimate this until the item is created. The best way to find shipping costs is to make a dummy item (choose the item you want and just add to cart without doing any designing) and do part of the checkout process. Once you enter your shipping address, the system will estimate the costs. If you just want a ballpark cost, most items will be about $10 - give or take a few loonies. Expect a bit more for Canvas and Mounted Posters.

If I am in Winnipeg, can I just pickup my order?

Of course you can! We love it when our customers stop by so we can say hi. To do a pickup, just be sure to choose the "in-store pickup" from the shipping options. The system will give you a map to our location: 488 Burnell St., Winnipeg, MB (one block west of Arlington).

How do I view and check my order before placing it?

Before you can actually add your Photobook to the cart you get a review and approve stage to go through first. This is where you need to look at your book and make sure everything is as you'd like it printed. Spelling, photo placement and quality, layout and page count is finalized here. By hitting confirm on your order, you are giving your stamp of approval and we will print exactly what shows up.

Can I return my GroupBook for a refund?

Due to the nature of this extremely personalized product, refunds cannot be done. If there is a problem with your book's quality, it's construction or any damage, please let us know and we will do our best to make it right. We may ask that you send a digital picture of the issues so we can determine the best course and fixes to apply. You do not usually need to send the book back, but we may request it if the actual thing is needed to determine the issues and fixes needed.

How do I know when it has shipped?

You will receive an email at the address you used to sign up for an account. That email means it has left our shop and is now with Canada Post. You may also check the order history section of your account. If the status is completed, that means your book has been shipped. If the book has not arrived by the estimated date, please let us know so we can get the tracking number and find out what is going on.

How do I know the order went through properly?

If you receive an order number and confirmation email, the order has been processed. You will also be given an order number on screen after confirming shipping and payment. If you do not get an order number but have been charged, please let us know as something may have gone wrong in the payment processing software.

If I order several items, do I get one shipment? Can I split the shipments? Can I do drop shipping?

When you place an order, all items are assigned to the address you entered. The order will only ship when all items are complete as one shipment. Split shipping cannot be done, but you can share your Photobook with others who want to order it and they can order one under their own address. You can also do several separate orders with different shipping addresses. We do not do drop shipping as an online option at this time. If you contact us, we may be able to work something out offline though.

Are there price breaks for larger quantites?

There are. If you check out the pricing on the actual product page, it will show you the breakdown. For Photobooks, you can see the breakdowns during the add to cart step. For example, we give 25% each Softcover book when you order 2, and 50% off each if you get 10 or more.

How do I cancel or change my order after it has been placed?

Once you confirm shipping and payment, the file has been sent directly to press. Please make sure your order is exactly what you want before confirming it.

Where do I enter myPromo Code?

You can enter you code at the final stage of the checkout process. The field for Promo Codes is right under the cost breakdown and above the credit card info fields.

I forgot to use a Promo Code. Can I add it after the fact?

Unfortunately we can't apply a code after it has been ordered. Save it for another project though!

Can I use several Promo Codes on one order? Can I use my code on several orders?

Our system only allows for one promo code to be used per order. Each code is usually a one time use only as well, though there are some that can apply to more. If it has an expiry date it is likely a multi-use coupon.

My Promo Code says it is invalid. I haven't used it yet.

If your code isn't working, please check the expiry date. If that is still valid, let us know the code and we will look into it for you. Remember that if it is a one time code, not to share it. If someone else uses it first, it is no longer valid.

Can I see my previous orders anywhere?

If you go to your account page, you can view your order history. It will show items that were completed, in production and canceled.

What payment options do you offer?

Currently, you can pay by Visa or Mastercard. We do not accept purchase orders, cash on delivery or any other payment method at this time.

What currency are the prices listed in?

We list all items in Canadian dollars on our site.

How are taxes charged?

Taxes are charged based on your shipping location. Whatever that location's tax rates are will show up on the payment screen. Shipments to the USA will not be changed taxes but duty charges may be applied.

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Printing and Specs

What kind of paper and ink do you use?

The paper varies depending on what type of book and item your are ordering. We typically print the inside pages on 100lb Pacesetter Gloss Text, in full colour toner on a digital press. The hardcovers are not printed on. The softcovers will usually be on 100lb Pacesetter Gloss Cover stock.

How are GroupBooks bound?

The hardcover books are first side stitched and then clamp bound within the cover. The softcover books are perfect bound.

Can I write on the pages?

You can. We would suggest leaving white spaces or faded images where you'd like to be able to write though. All types of pens and pencils will work on white areas, and most work on printed images. Our press adds a special layer to the areas with colour to make them pop and to protect the toner. It is tougher to write on these areas and we would suggest using a permanent marker like a Sharpie.

How many pages can I put in my book?

For Hardcovers, you can put a minimum of 20 pages and a maximum of 70 pages. For Softcovers, the minimum is 20 pages and maximum is 360 pages.

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GroupBook Creator and Social Media Sharing

How do I use this software?

There are so many things you can do with this software it would be hard to put them all here. What we suggest is trying it while watching our videos on the Video Tutorial page.

Does this software have any hardware of software requirements?

You do need to have Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader installed in your browser, preferably the latest version. You can download Flash and Reader for free from Adobe. The software works in any browser, though you should be updated to your latest versions. There may be some issues if you use Internet Explorer 6.0 or earlier. You should also have a broadband connection, though it isn't a requirement. The time it takes to upload quality photos though can be a long wait if you are on dialup.

Can I change the size or type of book once I've started?

Once you start a book you are locked into that template. If you would like to change sizes you need to start over. The images you've uploaded will still be usable though.

The preview image for my softcover looks like a hardcover. What's up?

The preview image is actually a softcover. When softcovers are put on our Photobook, they are scored at the spine and that almost gives them a hardcover look when seeing them straight on like the preview. The only hardcovers we offer are the classic cover options.

I see an option for a dust jacket but I can only select "none". Why?

Our software has been build to expand on our offerings as we go, so the dust jacket option appears, but we do not offer it yet. As we develop our services and production equipment, that option may become available.

How do I upload my pictures?

Once you choose your template, just above the design area there are some buttons saying to upload images from either your computer or Facebook. Choose whichever option and browse to the images you want to use. For the Facebook photos, you browse based on albums. You can choose any photo from your account and the public photos of your fiends. Images that are pulled form websites may be low resolution. Web images are often smaller and lower quality than those used in print. If possible, look for images that have a DPI of 300 or so. you can view the DPI by checking the image info in your browser and view the image properties of images on your computer. You will be able to upload images in the "My Images" tab soon. We are currently adding this feature.

How do I manage my photos? Can I create folders for each project?

When you initially upload photos they go into the main image area. To create folders, you first need to setup an account or login. Once logged in, there will be a tab that says "My Images" at the top of the screen. Click there to access Photo Management. Here you can create new folders and rag your images into the folders you want them in. After a folder is setup, you can then select it when designing items and upload new images into them. We are currently working on adding more photo management tools. You will soon be able to upload directly into a new folder, move and delte multiple images and upload images without being in a project.

How do I get pictures from Facebook?

Right beside the upload images in the My Facebook Photos button. Click that and login to your account. You will now be able to upload your images and any publicly viewable images of your friends. Please note that images pulled from Facebook may be lower quality and look for any red triangles on placed images. That will let you know it is sized to large and will not print well. Facebook recently started letting people upload higher resolution images so some might be ok. Any images that were uploaded to Facebook a few years ago might not be so great. Resolution wise that is. Your photos are all great.

What is this red triangle on my photos?

That red triangle means the image you have placed is too low in resolution to print well. To fix it, either shrink the photo until it goes away or find a higher quality picture.

Can I use a photo as a background image?

You can and we encourage it. Photos as background not only look great but the make the book even more unique. You can do some cool layouts that way. When editing your book, make sure you are in the customize mode. Get there by clicking the customize button in the bottom right corner of the design window. Now, when you click on an image in your template, there will be an option that says "Set as background". Click it and that image is now in the background. Make sure you only do this to large, high quality images since low quality ones won't look very good so large. See our tutorial videos to learn more.

Can I move entire pages around? Can I add a new one to any part of the book?

You bet! When in customize mode, click the little double arrows to expand your page navigation panel (You don't have to do this, but it makes it easier). Now you can click and drag each spread to a new location. You also have the add and remove page buttons. Select any section and click one of them to add a new one or remove the one you have selected. The buttons will grey out when you reach the minimum or maximum pages counts. You must always have an even number of pages too.

Can I upload pre-made pages?

Yep. Save your pages as a high quality .jpg and then upload them as images. Start a customer template and remove any "foreground" images on the page. Now, place your image as a background image and voila, your premade page is in place.

How do I share my GroupBook?

To share your GroupBook, just save one you have already started. Now, in the "My Designs" tab, you have the option to "Share Design". Click that and choose how you want to share it:

  • View Only - Your invites can flip through the digital copy of your Photobook and leave comments.

  • View and Order - Your invites can view what you've made and order a copy.

  • View and Copy - Your invites can view the book and make a copy for themselves to edit and order.

  • Full Collaboration - Your invites can edit and save the Photobook, upload new images and order a copy.

Now, with the link that generates, post it to your favorite social media site to share with your friends, or email/message them the custom link directly. You GroupBook is now shared.

Can I limit who can access my book when I share it?

Sort of. If you post the share link on your Facebook wall for example, anyone who has access to your feed can view the link. If you post it on Twitter, anyone who views your tweets can use it. To limit the sharing to only specific individuals, copy the link that is generated by the sharing tool and email it, use the Social Networks built privacy features (Facebook allows you to allow and block specific people from viewing a post) or send private messages to those you want to have it.

Can I change the "share" status or level of my book afterward?

If you have shared a GroupBook it will always be shared. You can generate several different links for the same book and send it to different people however. If you really want to remove all sharing from a book, just click the "Save Design As..." button in the My Designs tab. This will create a new copy of that design without all the sharing. You can then delete the original one and those links you sent out there will now point to nothing.

How do I save my book?

Once you have created an account, you can click the "save" button in the design window. It will prompt you for a save name the first time and then overwrite that one each time you save after that.

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Customer Service and Technical Support

How can I contact GroupBook?

You can contact GroupBook by:

 •  Emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for general inquiries or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for help issues.
 •  Chatting with us using the chat tool in the bottom right corner of the website.
 •  Writing to us at:

    GroupBook
    488 Burnell St.
    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
    R3G 2B4

Where is GroupBook.ca located?

We are based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada.

Our Address is:   

488 Burnell Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
R3G 2B4

How do I subscribe/un-subscribe from the newsletter?

To subscribe to our newsletter by selecting the check box at the account creation page. To unsubscribe click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any newsletter we send.

Are you on any Social Media sites?

Right now, we are on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is the real community and Twitter is more for updates and support.

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If you have any questions that this FAQs doesn't answer, please get a hold of us by using the chat/contact tool in the bottom right of the screen or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .