CLEAR TO USE Instructions on How to Attach Text to Shapes using My Memories Software

[DebraB]

EDITED April 27, 2025

After doing 15-20 of resizing and converting png files to svg MM Software was getting very slow to load the program (5 minutes?). So
I did some double checking with My Memories Suite as to if the instructions I gave you would cause problems in MM Suite. I will quote what he said below, and you can use your judgement as to if you want to use the instructions. I deleted all my new svg files and MM program went back to loading in about 10 seconds.

I will possibly still use it some, but Make sure the SVG files are 3kb or less.
DO NOTE that LARGE svg files may slow down MMSuite Software.
Read further down in comments and @Grace. and @Celestine will have further instructions that will help.

MM said. "I am slightly concerned about converting PNG files to SVG files because only a handful of programs can actually do that properly. A true SVG file is usually very small because it is a text file that mathematically describes how the program should dynamically create the shape. There are some programs that embed a PNG inside an SVG, this makes the SVG very large because a bitmapped graphic is saved instead of text describing the shape. My Memories Suite can technically load those kinds of SVG files as Shapes but they are really slow to load and putting more than just a couple in an album can cause significant slow downs and sometimes errors. A true text SVG file could be as small as a 500 bytes to just a few kilobytes 3KB. If the SVG is 1MB or more then it usually has embedded graphics in it and won’t be ideal."

I have some elements that are the shape of individual states from Dear Friends Design that will NOT work for adding text to in My Memories Software (MM).
The following is a work around that I found will work. If the Instructions are too long to get in the thread, I will continue you them in the comments.

The Basic concept is to resize and convert the Shape which is in .png format to an .svg. so you can attach text to shape in MM Software

Directions for Adding text to Shapes using My Memories Software

There are 3 steps in these directions.1. you need to resize 2. convert the png image to an svg file. 3. in MM attach the text to the shape.

1. There are many sites that will resize and convert and if you are already familiar with a favorite site you use, use that. I had never resized or converted a file before so used the site Grace recommended called imageresizer which is a free site. It MUST be resized or it will be huge.

a. Open Imageresizer
b. Click blue button that says SELECT IMAGE, (I did from the device, but you can drag and drop or choose from somewhere else)
c. Scroll to your kit that has the png file showing the shape of the state and OPEN.
d. On left hand side will be a place that says CHANGE WIDTH. Change it to 800.
e. Click the blue box that says RESIZE IMAGE
f. When it has resized The screen will say Download Image. click on download
g. Your download screen appears: options will be to open, save as, save , Choose SAVE AS
i. Next screen that appears You will be doing 2 things
1. CHANGE THE FILE NAME so you keep it straight from the original png image. I added onto the name 'resized800'
2. you select the folder you want to put it in (I choose to put it back in the original kit)
Click SAVE

You have now RESIZED the image (of the state.)
2nd you need to CONVERT from PNG to SVG so it can be used in My Memories.

2. Open imageresizer if it is not already open.
2a. Go to the top of the screen and CLICK on CONVERT. Then slide down to where it says PNG to SVG and select.
2b. SELECT IMAGE
2c. Scroll to your file you just resized Should be 'DFD......resized800' and select it.
2d. Screen appears CLICK the BLUE CONVERT Button. (There are advanced options that I don't mess with because I don't understand them)
2e. It will go through processing and come up with the Download Image button again. It should list the file name, input(png), output(svg) download.
Click on Download and again your computers download screen appears with open, Save As, Save.
2f. Choose SAVE AS
2g. CHANGE the filename again. I again add on to it 'converted' so it will look like 'DFD..resized800converted'
2h. Choose the folder you want it to go to.
2i. Click SAVE

When you go to your kit the image that you just converted to SVG it should have in the upper right corner an orange SVG
Woohoo you have completed the 2nd part.! The next is easy if you've worked with Shapes in My Memories Suite.
Part 3 attaching the text to shape will be in first comment

 

[DebraB]

Part 3
Directions in My Memories Suite Software to attach the text to the shape
(I have all my kits downloaded in general so they are on my C drive and not directly loaded into MM)

1. Choose your page
2. In the CONTROL PANEL on right side go to SHAPES & LINES
3. Go to CUSTOM (will be on the bottom left side of options that come up)
4. Scroll to your svg file you just created (It should be the shape of your state with SVG in the upper corner) and select it.
4a. Be patient it may take a minute for it to show up.
5. On your page do what you want with it as you normally would, I would select it>photo>scroll to photo I wanted etc)
6. Move it somewhat off your page, but so you can still see it, so you have room to work.
7. Return to SHAPES & LINES
8. Go CUSTOM
9. Select the exact same svg file again.
10. Turn the opacity down. (I turned it way down to 30 the first couple of times till I knew what I was doing, then went back and turned it to 0 when done)
11. Move part way off the page again so you can work
12. Go to TEXT>ADD Text
13. When your text box comes up type away with your font, size etc., knowing you can change later if you want.
14. Once you have typed what you want.
15. LEFT CLICK YOUR SHAPE (that you turned opacity down on) WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE SHIFT KEY CLICK ON THE TEXT BOX> RIGHT CLICK (both the shape and textbox should be selected>ATTACH TO SHAPE
16. You should now have your state image with a photo on, and your opacity shape with text on

Added tips and advice:
If you do not want to use them in the template place You can crop it down and move it.
If you want to turn the opacity to 0 you can do that,
If you don't want to attach the text to the low opacity image you Can just attach it to the first shape you downloaded,
but I found that a bit difficult if I wanted to change the picture.
If you have to change what you have written you right click on the shape/text >detach from shape.
then you have to double click somewhere off of the shape and you will have text box and the shape box seperate and then rewrite what you want.
I did play with my text some in that I highlighted part of it and changed it to white if the photo had a distinct dark and light half.

 

[Grace.]

@Celestine here are the instructions.
Thank you so much dear @DebraB for doing this.

 

[Celestine]

@DebraB These instructions worked like a charm! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Here is my layout, using these instructions.

Maine Relaxing.jpg

• Celestine
• Apr 22, 2025
• 5

I did this layout using @DebraB instructions for adapting text to shapes in My Memories...

 

[Celestine]

@Celestine here are the instructions.
Thank you so much dear @DebraB for doing this.

Thanks so much Grace for this tip as well. It will be useful. @DebraB and I have been going back and forth on attaching text to any PNG shape in My Memories, and we think we have it worked out. More to come.....