Frequently asked questions

A personalised children's book is a custom storybook where your child appears as the main character, with their name, photo, and personality woven through the story and illustrations. Almia makes personalised hardcover and PDF books as keepsake gifts for birthdays, baby showers, christenings, and Christmas. Every book is unique to one child.

Almia books are designed for children aged 0 to 8. Most families order them for children aged 2 to 6, the age when seeing themselves as the main character lands hardest, but they are also popular as newborn keepsakes and first-birthday gifts. Books are hardcover and built to survive toddler handling.

Upload a clear photo of your child, enter their name and age, and tell Almia about their interests, quirks, and the lesson or feeling you want the story to leave them with. Almia then writes the story and draws every illustration. You preview every page and regenerate any scene before paying.

A clear, well-lit photo showing your child's face from the front works best. Natural daylight is ideal, and a plain background helps their features come through on the page. You can upload a different photo at any time before finalising the book.

Most stories are ready to preview within 10 to 15 minutes. You can stay on the page and watch each illustration appear in real time as it is ready, or close the tab and come back later. We email you as soon as the full book is ready to preview in your account.

Yes. Almia shows you every illustration and the full story before you check out, and you can regenerate any scene you want to change. Payment is only taken once you approve the final book. There is no charge to create and preview a story.

Yes. If a scene does not feel right, you can regenerate it as many times as you need from the preview page until you are happy with the result. Fair-use limits keep things running smoothly for everyone, and they are generous enough that most families never notice them.

Yes. Every illustration in an Almia book is drawn from the photo you upload, so your child's real hair, skin tone, and features appear on every page. Before you pay, you preview the full set of illustrations and can regenerate any scene you are not happy with. Almia is photo-led, not a template with swappable hair or skin sliders.

Yes. Because each illustration is drawn from the photo you upload, distinctive features your child carries in real life, like glasses, hearing aids, curly hair, or a wheelchair, show up on the page. If something important is not coming through in a specific scene, regenerate the scene or try a clearer photo.

Yes. Every Almia book opens with a personalised dedication page written for your child by name. The dedication is crafted from the details you share about your child, so the first page of the book already feels personal before the story begins.

Every Almia book is unique. The story, dedication, and illustrations are created fresh for your child from their name, photo, interests, and the details you share. There are no preset templates with swappable features. No two Almia books are the same.

Almia draws every illustration from a real photo of your child, so the character on the page matches the child in your home, not a preset hair and skin combination. Every story and dedication is written fresh for one child. You preview and approve every page before paying, so the book is only printed once you love it.

A printed hardcover Almia book arrives within 7 to 10 business days in Australia and 10 to 14 business days in New Zealand, measured from when you approve the preview. Every hardcover is printed by a local partner and shipped tracked. Digital PDF copies are available to download instantly after purchase.

Yes. Once your book has been dispatched, you will receive a tracking link, and the tracking number also appears on the order page inside your account. Most orders ship within a day of your preview approval.

Shipping addresses cannot be changed once an order is placed. Every Almia book is custom-made and sent to the printer shortly after you approve the preview, so we are not able to redirect or update delivery details after checkout. Please double-check your delivery address carefully before paying.

Printed hardcover Almia books currently ship to Australia and New Zealand only, with delivery included in the price. Digital PDF downloads are available worldwide for $14.95 AUD. International printed shipping is planned for future expansion.

A printed hardcover Almia book is $59.95 AUD with delivery included across Australia and New Zealand. A digital PDF version is $14.95 AUD, available to download immediately. Every order covers the personalised story, the illustrations, and the hardcover binding. No subscription is required.

No. The hardcover price of $59.95 AUD includes delivery across Australia and New Zealand, and the $14.95 AUD digital price includes the full PDF download. There are no surprise charges, currency-conversion fees, or subscription traps.

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. You can pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Your card details are handled directly by Stripe and never stored on Almia's servers.

Occasionally, yes. If you have a promo code, enter it at checkout to apply the discount. New offers are shared through the Almia newsletter and social channels from time to time.

No. Every Almia book is custom-made for one child and goes straight to the printer the moment you pay, so there is no cancellation window once an order is placed. That is why the preview and regenerate step matters. You can take as long as you need to create the story, regenerate any scene that does not feel right, and approve the final book before any payment is taken. If your printed book later arrives with a printing or shipping defect, tap the chat bubble in the corner with your order number and a photo.

Almia orders cannot be cancelled or refunded once you pay, because every book is custom-made for your child and goes straight to the printer at checkout. That is why previewing and approving the book before payment is the important step, and why there is no charge until you are happy with it. You can create the full story, regenerate any scene that does not feel right, and see exactly how the final book looks, all before being charged. If your printed book arrives with a printing or shipping defect, tap the chat bubble in the corner with your order number and a photo, and we will assess and arrange a replacement.

Yes. Almia books are popular gifts for birthdays, baby showers, christenings, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Christmas. Every book opens with a dedication page written for the child by name, so it arrives ready to give. Delivery is tracked and included across Australia and New Zealand.

Yes. Many Almia books are bought by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close family friends. You will need a clear, recent photo of the child and a few details about what they love so the story feels truly theirs. The book opens with a personalised dedication page, so it arrives ready to give.

Your child's photo is used only to create your book and stored securely. As parents ourselves, we built Almia to give our own daughter a safe way to see the things she loves inside her own story, and we treat every other family's photos the way we treat hers. We never sell or share photos, and every upload is covered by the Australian Privacy Principles and the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

Click "Forgot password" on the login page and enter the email address you signed up with. A reset link is sent to your inbox within a minute or two. If it does not arrive, check your spam folder or tap the chat bubble in the corner of the page.

Yes. Finished Almia books stay in your account library, and you can order another printed copy at any time from the book's page. The story and illustrations are preserved exactly as you approved them the first time.

Regenerate the scene from the preview page until you are happy with the result. A clearer, front-facing photo taken in good lighting usually helps, and you can upload a different photo before finalising the book. You only pay once the preview feels right, so there is no pressure to accept something that does not.

Occasionally a story does not complete on the first try. You can create it again from your dashboard, and your uploaded photo and details are preserved so you do not need to re-enter them. If the problem keeps happening, tap the chat bubble in the corner of the page and we will take a look.

Because we want you and your loved ones to feel 100% happy with the book, every story is yours to preview and refine before you pay anything. You can regenerate scenes that do not feel right, swap in a different photo, and approve the final book on your terms. Once you approve the preview, that exact file is sent to our printer with nothing added or changed in between, so the illustrations and story you signed off on are what arrives at your door. If your printed book arrives with a printing or shipping issue, like torn or missing pages, smudged ink, or the wrong cover, tap the chat bubble in the corner with your order number and a photo, and we will assess and arrange a replacement.