Choose a hashtag and date range
Create an event in the dashboard and set the collection start and end. Choose a unique hashtag: a generic tag mixes other posts with yours and reaches search limits sooner.
Guide for organisers
Print VK photos by hashtag
Guests share photos in public posts using your event hashtag. PhotoBaker searches for matching posts within your chosen dates and adds approved photos to your layout. PrintStation on Windows sends finished jobs to your printer.
Guests do not need to connect to PhotoBaker separately. VK search must be available in your dashboard.
Before the event
Three checks for VK
The connection differs from Instagram: organisers select the available VK source without signing in through Meta.
Select VK
Select VK as a photo source and save the event with a PNG layout. Contact support if the source is unavailable: it is configured by PhotoBaker and you do not need to enter your VK password.
Publish a test photo
During the active period, publish a public post with a photo and the hashtag in its text. Start the search, check that the photo appears in the gallery, approve it and make a test print through PrintStation.
What appears in the gallery
Search finds posts with photos
Post requirements
- A public post returned by VK search.
- The exact hashtag in the post text, not only in a comment or picture.
- A publication date within your collection period.
- A photo attached to the post and available to download.
Current search limits
- Reposts are excluded; an original post is required.
- Videos and documents are not converted into photos.
- Private posts and album-only photos without a matching post are not included.
- The API may limit results or return only some of them. Immediate retrieval of every photo is not guaranteed.
If a photo is missing, check post visibility, hashtag spelling and publication time. Then check VK search status in the dashboard. A successful check with no new photos means the source response contained no new matching posts.
After collection
Approval and automatic printing are separate
Review your photos first
Approve photos manually or enable automatic approval of new photos. Only approved photos enter the queue. For a public hashtag, manual review helps filter unrelated posts.
Then prepare your printer
Connect PrintStation for Windows, select a physical printer and paper, and check a test print. When enabling automatic printing, choose separately whether to include waiting jobs or only new ones.
Free mode includes a watermark. Monthly access without it costs RUB 1,990 per month. Renew manually, with no automatic charges. Computer, printer and supplies are purchased separately.
Test the whole workflow before your event
One public post, one finished layout, one paper print. That is safer than your first test in front of guests.