While JD is constantly adding new products to our ROES catalog, we also update older products. Occasionally a client tells us that they still see old artwork when looking at updated products.

Sometimes the ROES program just behaves strangely, and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to fix it.

The solution in either case is to clear the ROES cache. Here’s how:

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In a recent article about differentiating yourself as a photographer, I mentioned panorama prints, and how JD can print panoramas up to 30×72″ on regular or metallic paper.  What I didn’t mention was the process for creating panorama prints. Actually, the process is pretty easy, and you can create them for free.

So why should you create a panorama if you aren’t going to print it?

Although panorama-sized portraits can be an incredibly profitable sale, printing and framing a large studio sample is an investment. Instead of printing one to start, use the instructions below to create a panorama, then layer it on a wall image (like on the right) and feature it on your website and in your marketing materials. If you can show potential clients what you’re capable of producing, you’re more likely to make the sale.

How to Create a Panorama:

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ImageQuix is offering an “Extreme Deal” promotion for PPA members. Any JD customers who are PPA members can get an entire year of unlimited image uploading for just $99. Offer expires September 9th.

Don’t know about ImageQuix? It is a complete online image sales system for professional photographers. Wedding photographers can use it to sell images to guests after an event or to preview albums. Portrait photographers can use it to offer family or senior photos to family members. And K-12 or sports photographers can use it to generate a password-protected proof area online for each student, as well as yearbook photo selection.

IQ Publisher is at the core of the ImageQuix online photo selling process. It is fully compatible with both Mac and PC, allowing you to easily upload and sell your images. ImageQuix also offers Vando, a cool online proofing tool your customers use to select and order images. Check out the online demos of both ImageQuix products to learn more.

Once your customers have ordered their images online, you review the orders and send them to JD for printing. We can return them to you, or drop ship for an additional $9.95.

After testing many different options, we believe ImageQuix is the most cost effective solution for adding on-line image sales to your studio. They offer a 2-week free trial, so you have nothing to lose.

We had a new client send us several questions in an email, and Heidi in customer service took the time to answer in writing. She did such a good job, we thought we would share her answers here:

Dear JD,

I’m just starting out and am new to this, so I have a few questions. How do I know if I need Color Correction service or not? I’m using Photoshop to edit my photos. Will that bother printing in anyway? Also, can I change the tones myself like B&W/Sepia instead of color, or do I need to use your system?

And lastly – pricing on wallets – how exactly does it work?

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ImageQuix has announced an update to the IQ Publisher software.

IQ Publisher is at the core of the ImageQuix online photo selling process. Available for download, it is fully compatible with both Mac and PC, allowing you to easily upload and sell your images when you purchase credits or a monthly plan.

New features include;

• Advanced order reporting features
• Generate Invoices with image thumbnails
• Faster image processing
• Enhanced color profile support
• Additional school importing features
• Automatically deduct monthly payment from proceeds option

Why use ImageQuix?

After testing many different options, we believe ImageQuix is the most cost effective solution for adding on-line image sales to your studio. They offer a 2-week free trial, so you have nothing to lose.

Your next PC or Mac should be a 64-bit model. If your computer is more than a few years old, it is probably a 32-bit model, and it is probably time to upgrade.

Why?

32 bit and 64 bit refer to the size of the packets of data a modern computer communicates with. Think of it like a language with only 5 letters in the alphabet compared to a language with 26 different letters. 64 bit computers aren’t just twice as powerful – they are exponentially more powerful than their 32 bit counterparts.

Most modern software programs like Photoshop CS5 are capable of running in native 64-bit on both Mac and Windows. This means Photoshop can address all the RAM you can afford (instead of just 4 GB). The results are speedier operations – in some cases, up to 10 times as fast. The bigger the file you’re working on, the bigger the difference.

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The right mouse button is the most overlooked tool on your computer, but computer programmers know all about it. In every software program written for the PC, the right mouse button displays the most commonly used menu options for the object selected. It is much faster to right click than to select something on the screen, then click on the top menu.

Most folks don’t right-click because they aren’t sure what the difference between a left-click and a right-click is. Then mention “double-click” and their eyes gloss over. However, knowing the difference can save you lots of time on your computer.

Here are the rules:

• Left-click to highlight something
• Left-double-click to select something
• Right click to see more options

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I hate upgrading computers and software. It is expensive, time consuming, and it is never as easy as you expect it to be. So typically I’ll wait until something goes wrong. Once my computer isn’t working, the pain of upgrading becomes less than the pain of spending the time and money to fix it.

However, I’m ready to upgrade Photoshop. Content-Aware Fill will be worth it.

For those of you not familiar with this feature in CS5, Content-Aware fill lets Photoshop analyze an image, and try to figure out how to remove the damaged or unwanted area you’ve selected from the background.

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If you aren’t using 2 monitors, you don’t know what you are missing. Ask anyone who has two monitors, and they will tell you that they didn’t know how they ever got along with one.

Virtually every program is easier to use with two monitors. Imagine working in ROES on one full screen and thumbnails of all the images in a job on the other screen. You’ll almost never have to maximize, minimize or move a window again. The second monitor acts as an extended desktop – you can drag a window from one monitor to the other with your mouse as if you just had one very long horizontal monitor.

No matter what kind of PC or laptop you use, as long as you have Windows XP or greater, you can hook up two monitors. Here are 3 examples of products, one of which should work for you.

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Have you ever submitted a ROES order to JD, and the images didn’t come back cropped or rotated correctly?

We see this problem once or twice a month, so we know how frustrating it can be. Fortunately, we can recreate the problem at the lab, so we can tell you how to avoid it. Here’s what happens:

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