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Frequently Asked Questions!

Below are a compilation of questions sent to us over the years!
Do you have a question not answered below? Please contact us and we will get back to you shortly!
Can I have a catalog?
We endeavor to maintain a Green Company and thus we have no catalogs! Our website is our catalog just press print if you want a page or pages of our products.
"In 2005, 5.8 million tons of catalogs and junk mail ended up in the solid waste system. That's enough to fill more than 450,000 garbage trucks." Savannah Morning News
Do your products come in boxes?
All our products, except individual mats, inserts and covers, come in a gift box.
What is a cover?
A cover looks like this and has a front and a back. It comes in a variety of colors and is crafted in bonded leather, imitation leather and cowhide. They can be  personalize with an oval, design, monogram, plaque, name, date or any other important information. There are generally two type of album covers, bound and hinge style.
Bound Library Style-looks and feels like a book and the number of pages generally can not be increased. Hinge Style-has an open binding in which the number of pages can be increased, to expand as the number of pictures increases.
What is a page?  
Our albums are like a book. Page one faces you when you open your album. Page two is on the back of page one. For each page you have one mat. Therefore a 22 page album has 22 mats and 11 inserts. All albums must have an equal number of mats 2, 4, 6 etc.
 What is an insert?
An insert  looks like this!
It is sometimes called a base-page. It is the foundation of the album and is attached to the binding of the cover by pins, hinges, clips and stitching.
What is a mat?
A mat looks like this!
It holds your picture to the inserts.
Mats surround the picture and enhances its charm. There are two forms of mats, peel and stick and insertion. They are explained below.
Can a mat be rotated both horizontally and vertically?
Most  mats are square and thus can be rotated 90 degrees. You can put any picture in either horizontally or vertically.
How are mats and inserts combined?
The combination of a mat and an insert looks like this!
It holds two mats; the first mat attaches to the front of the insert while the other attaches to the reverse side. The mats therefore attach to the insert and the insert attaches to the cover.
What are the two principle forms of mats?
Peel and stick
A peel and stick mat uses two sided tape to hold the mat to the insert. Some mats come with the tape already attached and you just peel the tape covering and use the sticky remains to mount it to the insert. Some mats come with the tape separate from the mat and you must attach it to the mat, pull the cover off the tape and then mount it to the insert.
Insertion
This form of mat is inserted into a base page from one of the sides, bottom or top. Some mats are held in place by two sided tapes, a secondary border, or the acetate, protective polypropylene sleeve.  
Where can I find the Prices?
Each page of The Album Shop has the prices for that product. Prices do not include personalization, taxes, shipping or handling.
Do you do Custom Logos?
Yes we can! You will need to email your logo for a price. All logos or custom tooling must be in jpg or tiff format and must be photo ready. For best quality engraving all lines must be crisp with no colors or shading. Price will vary according to the complexity of the work. If you know which product interests you please let us know.
Can I put a General Products mat or insert in a Renaissance or Milano Album?
No all albums are not created equally! Each manufacturer has different sizes, colors and designs for their mats, inserts and covers.
Can I buy extra or replacement mats, covers or inserts from The Album Shop?
Of course, that is one of the primary reasons we established The Album Shop! We can supply you with the mats, inserts and covers for many different varieties of albums.
How will my album arrive?
All products are shipped via UPS. They arrive in three parts; a cover, inserts and mats.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Sorry because of high tariffs, fees and taxes we do not ship outside the United States!
How long will it take to get my album?
General Products are created individually from your specifications and thus take 2-3 weeks to create and ship. All remaining albums are usually shipped within 48 hours.
How do I assemble my album?
Luckily they are simple to assemble. All the supplies you will need come with the album this includes, two sided tape and pins. You can see how the Renaissance and General Products albums are assembled by clicking here. If you run into a problem just send us an email and we will respond within 24 hours.
What is your return policy?
OrderYour satisfaction is our utmost concern. Use care when selecting your album, inserts and mats before submitting your order. Please inspect your shipment upon arrival. Contact us in the event of damaged or defective merchandise. All returns are to be made within ten (10) days of its arrival. No products  will be accepted without prior authorization. Merchandise must be in saleable conditions. Our fine albums are custom made and orders can not be changed once verified. We can not exchange or refund personalized albums,  individual mats,  inserts or discontinued/closeout items. Sales in any of these categories are considered final. Refunds for non damaged, non personalized products will be subject to a 10% restocking fee. All packages returned to us refused or non-deliverable will be subject to a reshipping fee. You can see the exact terms and conditions by clicking here!
Are your products archival?
Acids, pH and sunlight can damage your precious images so be careful when buying an album. Many inexpensive store bought albums have an acid or pH level that will, over time, turn your pictures yellow, green and red. Eventually the picture will fade away. You can never retake those pictures and restoration can be costly.  All albums in The Album Shop are archival!
What are your albums made from?
We have many different materials such as imitation leather, bonded leather and cowhide.
Eurobond, Venetian Brocatelle, Durappelle, Shantung, Exotic, Fun & Funky, Terra Material, SofTouch, Bookcloth and Foliage are a special high quality brand of imitation leather that provide a great alternative to bonded leather or cowhide.
Bonded leather is a material made from two thin sheets of leather bonded to a third material.
Cowhide is a thicker sheet of leather with no third material, its cost a great deal more than bonded or imitation leather. Imitation leather is a sheet of oil based man made materials created to look and feel like leather.
Are your albums guaranteed?
All albums except for the Dash Series (guaranteed from factory defects) are Guaranteed for life!
Do you have a question not answered above? Please contact us and we will get back to you shortly!

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