Write editing instructions
Tell the editor what to change — for the whole project, a group or a single photo — refer to other photos with
Your instructions are read by a person, so plain sentences work better than keywords. In the workspace you can write at four levels — the whole project, a group, one photo, or one spot on a photo — and everything saves as you type. There is no Save or Submit button.
Before you start
Add at least one photo first. The right-hand column with Project instructions appears as soon as the first photo has uploaded — see Upload photos.
Write the project instructions
Find Project instructions
It is the box at the top of the right-hand column: “Applies to every photo. Use notes on a photo or a group for anything specific to it.” The placeholder shows the kind of detail that helps: Example: natural look, keep the warm tones, do not over-smooth skin.
Describe what should change
Write in your own words, up to 5,000 characters; the counter under the box shows how much you have used, for example 34 / 5000. Enter starts a new line. To add a sentence you use on every order with one click, use Common requests under the box.
Point at another photo if it helps
Type # and a list of the photos in this order opens. Keep typing the photo’s number or file name to narrow it down, then press Enter or click a photo. It is inserted as a tag such as #3576 — the last four digits of the photo’s ID, the same number you see in the corner of its card.
Let it save
The header shows Saving… and then Saved · just now. Saving happens about a second and a half after you stop typing, and at least every few seconds while you keep typing.
Continue to review
When everything is in, click Continue to review under the Order summary. Unsaved text is saved first, then the Review step opens — see Review and pay.
Where you can write
| Where | What it is for | Limit | # photo references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project instructions (right-hand column) | Everything that applies to every photo | 5,000 characters | Yes |
| Note for this group (optional) under Reference images | What to take from your reference images | 1,000 characters | No |
| Group instructions (business accounts) | Everything that applies to one group | 1,000 characters | No |
| Note for this photo (photo viewer, or the Note column in Table view) | Changes to one whole photo | 1,000 characters | Yes, in the photo viewer |
| Marked area (photo viewer) | A change to one spot on a photo | 3 to 300 characters | Yes |
Notes on a single photo and marked areas are written in the photo viewer — see Annotate a photo. Groups are covered in Organize photos.
Refer to another photo with
Wherever references work, typing # opens the list of photos in this order, split by section. Use ↑ ↓ to choose, Enter to insert, Esc to close; up to 50 photos are listed at a time, so keep typing to narrow a long list. The reference appears as a tag like #3576. Hover it to see a preview, click it to open that photo. If the photo is later removed from the order, the tag stays in your text but is shown as removed.
How saving works
Every text box saves on its own — project name, instructions, group notes, photo notes and marked areas. Each change is also kept in your browser first, so closing the tab or losing the connection does not lose what you typed; it is sent when you come back.
The header shows where things stand: Changes save automatically before your first edit, Saving…, then Saved · just now (later Saved · 2 min ago). If something goes wrong:
- Couldn’t save · Retry in the header, and a banner We couldn’t save your latest changes. with Retry saving. Everything you typed is still on the page.
- Offline · kept on this device — your changes save when you reconnect.
- This project changed in another window. — you edited the same project in two tabs. The banner shows the other version; choose Reload theirs or Keep mine.
When Continue to review is blocked
Continue to review needs instructions somewhere in the project. Any one of these is enough:
- Project instructions of at least 4 characters,
- a saved marked area on a photo,
- a note for a whole photo,
- a group’s instructions.
With all of them empty, you see Please add your instructions before continuing. and the cursor jumps to Project instructions.
The button also waits while something is still in progress. The reason is written under it:
| Message under the button | What to do |
|---|---|
| Add at least one photo for us to edit. | Upload a photo, or move one back from Reference images. |
| Waiting for 2 uploads to finish. | Wait for the Uploads panel to clear. |
| 1 upload failed. Retry or remove it first. | Click Retry or Remove on the failed row. |
| Saving your changes… | Wait a second. |
| Your latest changes aren’t saved yet. | Fix the saving problem shown at the top of the page. |
| Updating your photos… | Wait until a move or reorder finishes. |
If you change your photos after you have already been to the Review step, a note under the button reads Delivery settings need reconfirming. Your photos or settings changed after you confirmed. It does not block you — click Continue to review again to confirm the new version.
What happens next
Continue to review opens the Review step, where you check the price and delivery time before paying. Your instructions travel with the order and stay visible to the editor for the whole job; if you think of something after paying, send it as a message on the order.