Gallery Design Customization
Your gallery is the final touchpoint of the client experience. It should look and feel like an extension of your brand, not a generic file-sharing tool. creavio gives you full control over gallery presentation.
Gallery Layout Options
When creating or editing a Collection, choose your layout under the Design tab:
- Masonry: Images arranged in a Pinterest-style grid that respects each image's aspect ratio. Best for mixed-orientation galleries (weddings, events). Creates visual variety.
- Grid: Uniform squares or rectangles. Clean and structured. Best for product photography, headshots, or curated portfolio galleries.
- Slideshow: Full-screen sequential viewing. Best for small, curated collections where you want to control the viewing order.
Most photographers default to masonry for client galleries. It handles mixed orientations gracefully and looks good at any gallery size.
Cover Image
The cover image is the first thing a client sees when they open the gallery link. Choose your strongest image from the collection. It appears as a full-width hero at the top of the gallery page.
Tips for cover images:
- Use a horizontal image for consistent display across devices
- Choose an emotionally impactful shot, not a technically perfect but boring one
- For weddings: the couple's best portrait or a dramatic venue shot
- For events: a wide establishing shot that captures the scale and energy
Color and Branding
Under Design > Branding, customize:
- Background color: White (clean, modern), dark gray/black (dramatic, makes images pop), or a custom color
- Accent color: Applied to buttons, links, and selection indicators. Match it to your brand.
- Logo: Upload your logo to appear in the gallery header
- Typography: Choose from available fonts for the gallery title and description text
Dark backgrounds work beautifully for wedding and fine art photography. Light backgrounds are better for commercial, product, and family portraits.
Gallery Sections
Organize large galleries into named sections. In the collection editor, click Add Section and drag images between sections. Sections appear as tabs or scrollable blocks depending on the layout.
Examples:
- Wedding: Getting Ready | Ceremony | Portraits | Reception
- Corporate event: Keynote | Networking | Awards | After-Party
- Product: Flat Lay | Lifestyle | Detail Shots
Lightbox Behavior
When a client clicks an image, it opens in a lightbox (full-screen viewer). Configure lightbox behavior:
- Show image info: Display filename, EXIF data, or nothing
- Show action buttons: Download, favorite, share, comment (per your permission settings)
- Background: Typically dark/black for best image viewing
- Navigation: Arrow keys and swipe gestures are always enabled
Watermark Settings
Under Design > Watermark, configure whether images display a watermark in the gallery view. Options:
- No watermark: Images appear clean. Best for final delivery galleries.
- Preview watermark: Visible in the gallery but removed on download. Useful for proofing galleries where you want to protect the work before final purchase.
- Persistent watermark: Applied to both gallery view and downloads. Used when you want brand visibility on shared images.
Mobile Experience
Over 60% of gallery views happen on mobile. creavio galleries are fully responsive, but check these details:
- Your cover image looks good on a phone screen (not cropped awkwardly)
- Buttons are large enough to tap
- Download prompts work on iOS and Android
- The gallery loads quickly on cellular data
Preview Before Sharing
Always preview your gallery design before sending it to the client. Click Preview to see exactly what the client will see. Check it on your phone too. This 30-second check prevents embarrassing issues.