Your photos, safe with us

Why this matters to us

Your trust comes first

Your child’s smile. A much-loved pet. A family moment you want to hold onto. We know how personal these photos are, and how much it matters to feel confident about where they go.

That is why photo safety shapes how we build My Colouring Pad: how we store your images, which services help us make your book, and how long we keep our working copies.

You deserve clear answers about all of it. Here is what happens to your photos, from your first upload to the finished book.

The essentials

How do you protect my photos?

Your uploads are held in non-public storage and transferred over HTTPS. We use them to make your requested preview and book, support you and fulfil your order. We do not sell your photos or use them in advertising.

• Private access. Your complete proof is accessed through a private link. Treat that link like a password and share it only with people you want to see the book.
• Limited sharing. Image-processing, file-production and printing partners receive the material needed for their part of your order.
• Separate from marketing. Uploaded photos, personalised titles and private proof links are excluded from our analytics and advertising events.

AI and your images

Are my photos used to train AI models?

My Colouring Pad does not train its own AI models on your photos. For the services that turn photos into line art, training rules depend on the provider and the service used.

OpenAI’s API does not use submitted images or generated results for model training unless the account explicitly opts into data sharing. Google’s paid Gemini API terms say submitted content and responses are not used to improve its products. These are the API service terms, separate from consumer chatbot settings.

A no-training policy does not mean that a provider keeps no records. Safety monitoring and legal obligations can involve separate retention.

• OpenAI’s published terms. Default abuse-monitoring retention is up to 30 days, with safety and legal exceptions. OpenAI API data controls.
• Google’s published terms. Where the approved paid Gemini route is enabled, Google describes 55-day abuse-monitoring retention. Its terms and safety policy explain the scope. Gemini API terms. Gemini abuse monitoring.

Working photo files

How long do you keep my photos?

Our retention timetable sets when working files become eligible for scheduled deletion. It is not a promise that every copy disappears at that exact moment.

• Unused uploads: 24 hours. An upload with no saved-library or project link becomes eligible after 24 hours.
• Saved photo library: 30 days. The reusable library expires after 30 days without authenticated activity. A photo still needed by a saved project or order follows that use’s timetable.
• Unpaid or inactive projects: 30 days. Working media becomes eligible after 30 days of qualifying inactivity.
• Printed orders: 90 days after dispatch. This covers source photos, generated pages, proofs and production files.
• Digital orders: 90 days after release. This covers the working photos, artwork, proofs and digital files.

Exceptions explained

Does deleting my photos remove every record?

No. A support case, dispute, safety concern or legal obligation may require us to hold relevant files for longer. Shared photos stay while another qualifying project still needs them. Required payment and order records are kept separately.

Our working-file schedule does not override hosting backups, provider safety records or print-provider retention. The photo retention policy explains those boundaries and the scheduled cleanup process.

People and partners

Who can see the images used to make my book?

The service is private, but making a book involves processing by our providers. Authorised staff may need access for support, revisions or production problems. Our printing partner receives the final print files, including the original photos printed inside your book. Provider safety reviews may also involve authorised reviewers under their own policies.

Photo permission

Can I use photos of children, family and friends?

Upload only photos you have permission to use, including the appropriate parent or guardian’s permission for children. Choose everyday, fully clothed photos suitable for a family keepsake. Do not upload intimate, exploitative, unlawful or otherwise inappropriate imagery. Safety checks can refuse an image; a refusal does not necessarily mean you have done anything wrong.

Questions and requests

How can I ask about access or deletion?

Email data@mycolouringpad.com. We may need to verify your identity and authority to act for someone shown in a photo. Tell us what you need without sending extra copies of sensitive images.