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Frames frames frames Imagekind!!
Ham1
Registered Users Posts: 303 Major grins
Hey everyone,
Another new partner we just launched is framing with Imagekind! :barb:barb
Feel free to go check it out right now by going to your "Buy" button on any of your galleries and click on the "mounting/framing" section. smugmug.imagekind.com
I am looking for any/all feedback, suggestions, complaints, etc. Imagekind is a great company and we look forward to a great relationship. I am sure I will get someone from Imagekind to come and monitor here as well.
Thanks,
Markham
Another new partner we just launched is framing with Imagekind! :barb:barb
Feel free to go check it out right now by going to your "Buy" button on any of your galleries and click on the "mounting/framing" section. smugmug.imagekind.com
I am looking for any/all feedback, suggestions, complaints, etc. Imagekind is a great company and we look forward to a great relationship. I am sure I will get someone from Imagekind to come and monitor here as well.
Thanks,
Markham
Markham Bennett
www.twitter.com/markhambennett
www.twitter.com/markhambennett
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This sounds great! However, when I go to the website above, I get this:
Authorize Imagekind to access your SmugMug account.
Authorizing will allow Imagekind to:
- Access photos from your public/unlisted/passworded galleries
There is no further info offered on what 'access' means. Can we get a bit more info there before clicking 'agree' to this nebulous statement?Thanks,
E
My site | Non-MHD Landscapes |Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Smugmug photos
Our new partners all use OAuth for authorization into your SmugMug account. (Details on OAuth: http://blogs.smugmug.com/don/2008/06/11/smugmug-loves-oauth/)
When you authorize Imagekind to access your account, it will place a simple token in your account that ties your account together with Imagekind and doesn't require you to login.
NOTE: much more secure as you don't have to enter your login details on various sites.
Make sense?
www.twitter.com/markhambennett
Thanks.
-- Lisa P.
http://www.pictureyourlifephotography.com
I'm curious how this works, can you explain a little further? It appears that they do the printing, but you say you don't have pro pricing yet. If I sign up and allow customers to order frames, will they pay my marked-up prices for the print and regular price for the frame? I'm fine with that for now, but don't want them paying my cost for prints and frames. I think it will be great to up-sell frames, especially if I can mark them up a little and make more profit on it
Thanks,
Sam
Become a friend or fan on facebook:
www.facebook.com/samellisphotography
www.facebook.com/samellisseniors
www.facebook.com/samellisweddings
Hey guys...saw the Imagekind frame option and had a test run. There are quite a few glitches in their application and a couple of user experience problems.
User Experience first:
You can't seem to see any real detail of the frames. There don't seem to be any enlarged photos of the grain detail and you don't seem to see the description of the frame before you've selected it and are ready to add it to your cart. Kind of strange picking a frame from a gallery of thumbnails.
You can't recrop your photo once you've selected it in the frame. You have to remove the frame, then crop your photo. It would be helpful to crop it in the frame so you can get an idea of how the crop will work with the particular frame.
I could be wrong about this one, but it seems there is no overlap on the frame. In other words, normally, a border of your photograph is hidden by the inner lip of the frame. The program doesn't seem to take this into account - which means, if I have a particularly tight crop, I might end up cutting off the image when I get the mounted product.
It's difficult to remove a frame. I figured it out after a long time trying (you have to re-click on the frame you originally chose a second time to remove the frame from the picture - or so it seems). Regardless, it's not a very friendly interface.
Bugs:
I was not allowed to select any size frame other than 4x6 (in the desk sized frameset). Since I hadn't selected the size of my picture yet, I'm surprised it was so restrictive.
The zooming feature doesn't hold when you select the frame. It reverts back to its original zoom. As I mentioned before, you don't have the option to zoom when the frame is shown around the photo, so you're really out of luck with this one.
I couldn't figure out how to get a second photo into the double matted frame. I had to select an image, then select the frame (which had places for two images). I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but it is awkward at best and maybe a bug.
That's my take on the first 5 minutes with the program - I hope their frames are of better quality than their coding!!!
- Gary.
I'm very excited about the option to offer frames to my customers! Is there a way that I can print or receive a catalog from them so I can show my customers the different types of frames and the options?
Thanks Gary, this feedback is like GOLD to us and Imagekind. Yes, they know there are some UI issues and bugs that need to worked out.
I am passing your entire feedback on to them.
I will respond to you with more details or even better I will try and get someone from their team to come and support our Dgrinners
Markham
www.twitter.com/markhambennett
Sorry I have been MIA for so long. I must say, we are all VERY excited (:ivar - is that right?) about this partnership and can't wait to work together!
I'll be getting to your individual questions and concerns in a bit, but just wanted to pop-in and say hello!
I work at Imagekind.com and will be happy to be your personal liaison between the two. If there is ever anything I can help with, just let me know! You can email me directly via nathan@imagekind.com. Otherwise, I will be jumping in and out of here to check in.
Can't wait to see all of your amazing photos (
Best,
Nate Jelovich
nathan@imagekind.com
Hi Lisa P.
Correct, the SmugMugShip is good for free US Ground shipping only.
Best,
Nate
Hi Gary!
Thanks for your feedback. Let me see if I can answer some of your concerns here.
I think it might be best to just give a brief overview of what you can now do as a member of SmugMug with Imagekind. With the partnership, you can easily frame your SmugMug photos, with a variety of frame options from Imagekind.
To do this, follow these basic steps:
1. When you arrive on Imagekind simply select from your Smugmug albums and choose the photos you want to frame. Once you click on the image, it will import it to Imagekind for framing.
2. Once the importing is done, you will see a variety of frame options including:
a. Multi-photo frames* – where you can add several of your SmugMug photos into one frame
b. Wall Frames – Standard size, matted frames
c. Custom Frames – We build the frame to match your photo’s size. You can select from 8 different high paper types and over 15 million frame and mat combos. With this option, your photos remain in the exact aspect ratio you uploaded them.
d. Tabletop Frames – Perfect for offices, desks, bookshelves, etc.
3. Once you select the type of frame you want, just follow the easy steps on the left hand size to:
a. Choose a layout
b. Pick a frame
c. Add a mat (if applicable)
*For Multi-Photo frames you will be asked to upload more images after you select the layout. All of the steps are shown clearly on the left hand side. So if you accidently skip a step you can always go backwards. I’ll cover this a little later.
You should definitely be able to see the detail of each frame available on Imagekind. Make sure you are on the correct step (“pick a frame” not “choose a layout”) and you should be able to select the little magnifying glass in the bottom left hand corner of the frame thumbnail. This will bring up a new window with several different close-up angles of the frame!
All cropping, resizing, positioning, etc is done in the “Choose a Layout” section. Our templates provide an accurate view of how the image will look, once the frame is added. Use the “Choose a Layout” screen to make all the proper adjustments. Once you move on to “Pick a Frame” you will see your image exactly as it was in the layout, but with a frame.
For the overlap issue, rest assured that we do leave plenty of room around your image for framing. Regardless of whether your frame has a mat or not (tabletops don’t have a mat).
To replace the current frame selection, simply click a new frame. Just make sure you are on the right section of the process under “pick a frame”
For your other concerns:
The frame choices are based on the pixel and resolution size of the image you are trying to frame. To ensure that your images turn out perfect, we don’t want to print something larger than what is available; otherwise, it will just bad and pixilated. Most likely, the reason why you were only able to select the 4x6” tabletop frame was because it did not meet the minimum pixel requirements for anything larger.
For the zoom feature, I don’t seem to be having the same problem. When I zoom on the “Choose a Layout” section, and then move on to “Select a Frame” my image shows just I had determined; whether I zoom or not. Are others experiencing this problem?
For the multi-open frames, you are correct, you do need to upload one image, and then select the layout. This way, we know how many additional images you need to upload. Once you select the layout, a new screen will appear where you can import your additional photos.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions and gives a good overview of how to frame your photos! We've already seen some fantastic SmugMug member's photos running through the printers with great results and no problems.
All the best,
Nate
Sam, at this point *only* the owner can buy framed images through imagekind, your customers can't. We're just as curious how we're going to make that work... when we figure it out, we'll share it with everyone and let your customers add it to their shopping cart.
http://wall-art.smugmug.com/
Hi Karen,
Unfortunately, we don't have a catalog. If you find printing out the frame options to show your customers when you import a photo is helpful, can that work?
You can find very helpful descriptions of all of our custom frames on Imagekind here.
Nate
I'm not sure what you mean? Do you have a pdf or anything I could print?
Nate,
Thanks for the info...I didn't see the little magnifying glass - thanks for pointing that out.
As for my zooming problems...it seems to have gone away...which is a good thing
Also gone is the size selection problem...which is strange, I pulled the exact same image as last time when I could only choose 4x6...this time I had all frame sizes to choose from! (I upload all my files a large jpg resolution, so I wouldn't think any of my images would be too small for 8x10)...anyway, that problem is gone too.
Interestingly, all the problems I found before are gone now...maybe it was just too early in the AM for me!
I do have a suggestion though...
The zoom resets everytime you pick a new frame - this is a little annoying since they are all the same sized frames...so if I pick a frame, zoom the pic to fit then decide I don't like the color of the frame, pick a new one, the zoom is back to the original and I have to go and crop again...would be better if I didn't have to do that.
- Gary.
No problem Gary, glad to hear things got worked out! It is a bit troubling to hear that you are saying the zoom resets every time you select a new frame. I assume you mean the actual frame, not the layout ("Choose Your Layout")? The zoom should hold on the frame selection if you have already adjusted it on the layout screen. It is working fine for me, but I want to make sure it does for you too!
Maybe some additional info might be helpful. What browser are you using? If you feel more comfortable, you can feel free to email me directly, nathan@imagekind.com.
Hi Karen, Unfortunately we do not have a catalog or a pdf of the frames. All of our frames are listed on the site noted above though.
I don't mind talking here...it may help others.
I"m going to walk you through EXACTLY the steps I'm taking and then make comments along the way.
- I go into smugmug.imagekind.com
- From the import screen, I select a LARGE image (to make sure I have choices of frame sizes - and this works correctly)
- From the Choose what you want to create, I choose tabletop frames
- I choose a 4x6 frame
- I select the first frame from the list (Essential Black 4x6)
- I zoom and crop and click next
- I'm looking at the zoomed and cropped photo in the Essential black frame - all is good
- I decide I want to try a different frame - I click back
- I click the second frame (Essential Natural 4x6)
- Bingo: My photo is now unzoomed and uncropped
- To continue my testing:
- I rotated the image and pressed next
- I saw the rotated image in the Essential Natural frame - all is good
- I then clicked back and clicked on another frame
- The image reverts to its unrotated orientation - forcing me to re-crop, rotate and zoom
I've reproduced this behaviour in ie6.0, Firefox, and ie7.Compared to the other problems I initially had, this one is pretty small...but can be annoying during the normal usage of the tool...I would think.
Feature Request: If I want to frame a different picture, without adding this one to the cart, can I do that without clicking back several times? Maybe there should be return to import screen option? Especially since using the back button resets the import screen to the initial gallery...not the one I chose my last photo from!
Thanks!
- Gary.
I purchased a 16x20 enlargement with matting and framing about a week ago for a client. The order process in my opinion was very painless and I was in and out in a matter of minutes. I spent more time choosing through various options than anything else.
Once ordered I received an order confirmation and then shortly there after a tracking number. I received the framed piece yesterday and was super impressed how well packed it was. It was packed in a large box, in a suspended type of carboard thingy. Very nice. Wrapped in thin bubble wrap material with mounting hardware included. My only issue is, for the money, I really feel the hanging hardware should be installed already on the frame. Now I have to give this to my client and they have to attach the hardware to hang it. Kinda lame. ImageKind : Please attach the hardware before you send these to us so they are ready to hang. I'm shuttering at the thought of my client hammering the hardware into the frame. Yikes. That really should be done at the factory.
It arrived with a generic packing slip with NO prices onit. Nice! So in the future I will likely drop ship these to my customers. But the frames photo was packed so well that I decided to leave it as is, and will unpack it and unveil it this weekend to my client. I'm looking forward to seeing it. But so far, I am very pleased with the overall process.
http://www.fernandogonzalez.net
Thanks Gary that helps a lot, now I understand. I will make sure to note this. It is something that only happens on the tabletop frames. I would suggest selecting your desired frame, before changing the layout (zoom, rotate, etc.)
Thanks Lou! We love hearing feedback about our products and what is most important to you. By the "hanging hardware" are you referring to the plastic coated wire (or sawtooth bracket, depending on the size) not being attached to the back of the frame? If so, those should definitely be attached to the frame before shipping out. That was an oversight on our end and I am VERY sorry for any trouble it may have caused. I have already brought it up with our production team to discuss with our framers. If you'd like, please feel free to send it back to us and we can install the hanging hardware correctly for you.
Please???
That seems to be the achille's heal of most companies I deal with. They never provide a catalog of products for resellers. If I owned a business like ImageKind, that would be on the top of my list of things to do.
I know we can't yet offer these for sale via our shopping cart, but when that day comes, a catalog of frames and options would be super helpful. At this point I can't resell these because my clients would undoubtedly want to see what there options are and at this point I have nothing to show them without revealing my pricing. I did not consult the customer on the purchase I made recently so it wasn't an issue.
I hope ImageKind is listening!
http://www.fernandogonzalez.net
From what I saw, the hanging hardware was taped to the outside of the photo, on the bubble wrap. So you're saying it should have already been installed on the frame??? If so, yeah mine is not. Let me see how the customer responds before I return it. Maybe it won't be a big deal.
http://www.fernandogonzalez.net
Nate,
This was my first chance to post some feedback here. Sorry I didn't reply sooner. One day 1 or 2, I ordered two framed prints: a 5x7 color image in an 8x10 frame, and a custom B+W around 16x20.
They arrived separately, and both were extremely well packaged (looked something some Christies auction house!). And, needless to say, the pricing is very attractive.
Any plans to continue the free shipping on larger orders, maybe?
The B+W look very close to what I see on my screen (as noted on 3 different computers, two of which are calibrated), and we're happy with that one.
However, there were two problems on the color shot: (1) the crop lost about 5/8 of an inch on both the bottom and right side, and (2) it looks like a warming filter was applied. It *is* a sunset shot, but hey... (Note: this was *not* a custom framing. Would that make a difference? I'd be happy to order custom if it were.)
Is it possible to have bordered (white border) prints done, such that the image visible inside the matte is exactly what I see on my screen? (I don't remember now, but I think the Imagekind software did show the whole image.)
Admittedly, I tend to crop my picture very tight, sometimes on 3 of 4 sides. Should I just learn to pad an extra 1/4" all the way around? I guess it gets worse since mattes tend to subtract a bit visually from the very edge of a print anyway, so maybe I should be adding 3/4" all the way around? And this could increase for larger prints, I suppose. Note: I'm open to suggestions here, since I'm new to matting & framing...
I really like the way that Imagekind handles everything: printing, matting, framing. I just need a little more confidence on the cropping and color balance. If I were to order a regular Smugmug test print first, is there reasonable confidence that the Imagekind print would look very close to that (for color balance)? BTW, I always select True for prints, not Auto.
On my 5x7 color shot, can I take the frame apart and nudge the print over a bit it? (Or is it glued down?) I can live with the warmer shot for this one, if I could adjust it a bit. I.e. I'd prefer to improve the existing one, than have it redone, since it's for me and not for a client.
One thing I did on my 24" iMac, by the way, was to zoom in my screen, so the Imagekind image of the framed picture got really big on my screen. I went with a navy matte on the color shot, which I might not have otherwise done, and I have to say I like it! Screen zooming helps amplify the software's abilities. I did notice some little glitches on the frame details, too, but managed to get around that. Maybe it was a Safari or a Mac thing. I think it looked better on Firefox. Don't remember. I always have both browsers open, just in case.
Again, the quality of Imagekind's work is top notch! The matting is very well done, as are the framing, and the packaging. Here in the SF Bay Area, I could easily expect to pay twice as much at 100% retail!
Hi Waldo, thanks for the feedback. Glad you like Imagekind!
It sounds like custom frames are your best bet for what you are describing you are looking for. Because the other frames are standard sizes, you might have to crop your image. The custom frames give you ultimate control. We build all of our custom frames around the image, not the other way around. That way, your framed picture comes out just how you upload it.
Besides, there are 8 different paper types to choose from for the custom frames to make sure your print turns out amazing.
I would advise against trying to take apart the frame to adjust the image. We don't overlap the image with the mat. If you are not fully satisfied with the product, we are always happy to replace it for you. It sounds like what might have happened is you set the crop of your photo, and so we printed the image just as it was cropped.
As I said, to avoid cropping, stick with the custom frames, they really are quite amazing looking as a finished product.
I don't have any specifics on when we might be running our next shipping promotion, but keep your eye out. I will try and post something here too if we do.
Best!
Nate
Just an update to the above post. I was WRONG. The hanging hardware WAS on the frame. My apologies. It was an excellent sturdy metal wire and my customer and I were SUPER pleased with the outcome. They LOVED it! And they had a spot all ready for the framed print. It was great to able to hang it for them right out of the box. It was awesome!
Thanks ImageKind! I can't wait to sell more of these! Now if us Pros could only sell these via the shopping cart to our customers....
http://www.fernandogonzalez.net
Isn't that packaging amazing? We have all been so impressed at how protected each finished product is.
www.twitter.com/markhambennett
Following up, I was able to nudge the print to the left and up, which was enough to see the important right & bottom edges of the print for me. Losing some off the left and top was no big deal. It actually is a bordered print, and the image size is very close to the 5x7 matte opening.
Per your advice, I may stick to the custom matting & framing in the future. Our larger B+W print really turned out nicely.
This has been a good learning exercise, and amplifying on what Ham1 said, the packaging *is* really amazing!
We'll be back!
- Chris (aka waldo647)
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
I have been flipping back and forth between Imagekind and SmugMug trying to decide which to host my gallery in.
The big draw towards Imagekind was the option for the customer being able to select a frame to go with the print... now that SmugMug and Imagekind are partners it looks like we might get the best of both worlds.
Here's my question and possible suggestion for a feature to make this an even better collaboration between the artist, Imagekind and SmugMug:
Would it be possible for the photographer to put together a package (image, matt, frame, glass) and have that available for sale in their online gallery?
Personally, I would prefer having the ability to customize the final product in certain cases. Is this something that could be accomplished or even considered?
I feel your presence...
I remember
SLAMA Photography
Hi AfterImage, glad you like it! Thanks for your feedback and suggestions, we love hearing what people think.
When you say, are you talking about your Imagekind Gallery? Or your SmugMug gallery?
Perhaps Cabbey's response above about being able to let your customers order from your SmugMug account is helpful.
"at this point *only* the owner can buy framed images through imagekind, your customers can't. We're just as curious how we're going to make that work... when we figure it out, we'll share it with everyone and let your customers add it to their shopping cart."
best,
Nate