The recommended method for adding your cards to the App is to use the Import from Gallery option. This option works better than the Photograph a Card option, as it will properly size your card within the display window on the screen. However, you should have a clean image of your card in your Photo Gallery before importing it.
Here are some tips for creating the best possible image for your card:
- When photographing the card, be sure to hold the camera directly above the card so as to maintain the rectangular shape of the card. Adjust the light source so as to avoid reflections from the card surface. Generally, you will obtain best results using ambient light rather than flash.
- If you have a good scanner, you may obtain better results by scanning the cards. After scanning, you can import the images into your Photo Gallery by connecting your computer to your iPhone or by emailing them to yourself.
- For best possible results, use an editing tool to correct any defects in the image before importing it into the App. One of the best of these is an App called Snapseed, which is available in the App Store for free. With this app you can make tiny rotations of the image, correct for lozenge effect (where the top is narrower than the bottom or vice versa), and even adjust brightness, contrast, hue, color saturation and more. And, you can trim the edges so that any background which is showing around the card is removed. (Thank you to SoulCollage® Trainer and professional photographer Catherine Anderson for this information.)
- If you are not satisfied with the image of a card in your deck, you can easily replace the image, using the Replace Image function in the Notes View of the card. You do not have to delete the card and start over. If you do delete the card and start over, you will lose all notes associated with the card and you will lose the card image in all Past Readings. For this reason, it is not recommended that you delete a card which has been in your deck for any length of time.
NOTE: When Adding a Card, depending upon the device, not all of the suits may appear in the window. Please note however that it is possible to scroll within this window to access the suits at the bottom. (See Version 1.3 Issues for an exception to this.) There are other places where this option of scrolling within a smaller window may be useful as well.