Creating a Calendar

RapidStudio calendars are a beautiful way to enjoy your photos all year round - and they make fantastic personalised gifts. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to create one using our online editor at rapidstudio.co.za.

Log in first

Before you start designing, log in to your RapidStudio account (click the little person icon in the top right of the homepage). If you start a calendar without logging in, the editor won't know where to save your work. First-time visitors can register in under a minute.

Choose your calendar type

From the homepage, go to Calendars & Stationery in the navigation menu and pick the style that suits you. We offer three broad types:

Wall calendars - designed to hang on a wall, available in three layouts:

• A4 + A4 (double-page with wiro binding in the middle)  our most popular calendar. Allows you to add personalised dates and photos onto individual date squares.-
• A3 portrait — also allows personalised dates and photos on date squares.
• A3 landscape — dates run along the bottom in a single row, so there's no room for per-date personalisation. Best for showcasing one big, striking photo each month.

Desk calendars - sit neatly on a desk with a fold-out "tent" base. Available in A5, A6, and 30×13cm (a ruler-length landscape format with the photo on the left and the calendar on the right).

Birthday calendars - a perpetual calendar that doesn't age. Use it year after year to remember family birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

Each product page has a description with size, paper type, binding and page count - click through to see the full specifications before deciding.

Before you click "create now" - two things that save time

1. Shortlist your photos. Browse your photos on your computer or phone first and pick your favourites - roughly twelve images for the months, plus a cover and optional back page. You don't have to do this upfront, but it makes the design process much faster.
2. Add your personal dates (optional). If you'd like birthdays, anniversaries and other personal dates printed onto your calendar, set them up before you begin designing. Click your profile icon and go to My Calendars, then create a "family" folder (for example Smith Family) and add each event with a name, type and date. Once added, these dates are saved to your account and can be re-used in future years' calendars - you won't need to re-enter them.

Note: only the A4 wall calendar and the A3 portrait have room to add names and photos to individual date squares. The other formats still print public holidays and the standard date grid.

Starting options

When you click Create Now you'll be asked a few questions:

• Language — choose from English, Afrikaans, isiZulu or Setswana.
• Start month — most calendars start in January, but you can choose any month if you follow a different religious or financial calendar, or you're making a calendar as a mid-year gift.
• Public holidays — tick this to pre-load South African public holidays onto the correct dates.
• Personal dates — tick this to import the dates you saved under My Calendars.

Adding your photos

There are three ways to get photos into the editor:

1. Upload from your computer - click Upload Images and select the photos you shortlisted. For anything you'll re-use, save them into a Gallery so they're there next time you log in. Photos uploaded outside a gallery are only available for that session.
2. Upload from your phone via QR code - click the Upload button to display a QR code, scan it with your phone camera, and tap the link that appears. You can then select photos directly from your phone's library or Favourites album. This is the easiest way to use pictures stored on your phone without downloading them first.
3. Drag and drop - drag a photo from a folder on your computer straight onto a placeholder in the editor.

Designing each month

Click and drag your chosen photo into each month's layout. You can also use the Autofill button (the magic wand icon) to populate all twelve months in order and then tweak from there.

Adjust each picture by clicking on it - the Edit Image panel lets you:

• Reposition or zoom the photo inside its frame
• Switch to a different layout (single photo, multi-photo collages, full-bleed edge-to-edge, or bordered)
• Add curved corners, borders (with custom colour and width) or adjust opacity
• Rotate, or convert to black and white

Don't pull the corners of a photo inwards when using the full-bleed layout — that creates an uneven white border when printed. Use the Edit Image panel to resize instead.

Personalised date squares (A4 and A3 portrait only)

On these two formats each date square has three areas you can tap:

• Top section — drop in a photo (great for birthday portraits)
• Middle — a text line for the event name
• Bottom — a second text line (for two events on the same date)

Click a text box to edit the wording, font, alignment, size and colour. If text is hard to read over a photo, try white or black text and keep the photo contrast in mind.

Title page, back page and extras

• Edit the title page by clicking the default title text and typing your own.
• Don't forget the back page — go to the last page of the calendar and treat it just like a month. Add photos, a layout, a quote or a dedication.
• Use the Options menu to change the overall font across all pages.
• Use the Background button to apply a solid colour behind photos or date grids.
• Use the Text button to add a freestanding caption or message anywhere on a page.

Making multiple calendars as gifts

If you're making calendars for different family members and they share most photos, there's no need to start from scratch each time:

• Copy Project — duplicates your calendar in My Projects. Rename each copy (for example "Granny's Calendar 2026", "Sister's Calendar 2026") and swap out just the photos that need changing.
• Share — click the Share button to copy a link you can email to a family member. They can preview and comment, or save a copy to their own account and carry on editing. Note: once they edit their copy, it becomes a separate project — changes won't sync back to yours automatically.

Preview and order

When every month is complete, click the Preview button to page through your full calendar. Check each month has the right photo, all personal dates are correct, and all text reads cleanly.

Once you're happy, save and exit, add to cart, enter your delivery details, and pay securely.

Need help?

Our team is happy to assist:

• Email us at info@rapidstudio.co.za — this is the quickest way to hear back from us, especially over the Christmas rush.
• Call us on 011 225 0500