Ability to Change Images in an order to suit Crop sizes

vdotmatrix

I encountered a headache during this photo sales event .

People find their images and asemble packages. I cropped everything in LR for 5x7 but offered 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 products.

Only thing is once they place an order, the SMUGMUG hero told me I would only have the image they ordered in which to crop and that would be the best I could do.....and of course I can replace the image before sending it to the lab and I always build a 3-day proof window for unexpected SNAFUs that arise.

So case in point, a few famdamilys wanted 4x6, 5x7s and 8x10s of the same image. Happy to comply but limited by the SMUGMUG machine.

I should have the option as the photographer to re-crop and replace any image a customer orders like in this situation.

SMUGMUG also suggested that I cancel the order after part of the images are processed and have the client RE_ORDER another set of the right aspect.

PROBLEM:
-This is very AWKWARD as a professional workflow-clunky at best.
-90% of any order I have cancelled for the client NEVER ever RE-ORDER.

So, I had to send out some beautiful 8x10s and 5x7s and ill-cropped 4x6s of the same image.

I would like to discuss why this option is problematic for SMUGMUG?

=============================helpful hero help below !

The aspect ratio of the original photo and print sizes can and in many cases in fact, differ. I would suggest you to read more about it here: http://www.digicamguides.com/print/aspect-ratio.html If the aspect ratio of the photo does not match the aspect ratio of a certain print size you select, you will need to crop the image to make it fit. The aspect ratio for the common print sizes are:

4x6 is 3:2
5x7 is 7:5
8x10 is 5:4

We have a useful table where we included the minimum requirements for printing through SmugMug:
http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93359-are-there-resolution-requirements-for-printing-through-smugmug-

We also have a great help page that explains more about cropping:
http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93268-can-i-crop-the-photo-i-want-to-print-

You could also restrict the available print sizes in the shopping cart by allowing only those which fit the photo you'd upload perfectly. You can edit your pricelists in the Account Settings > Business > Making Money > Pricelists . We explain in great details how to add products and mangage pricelists on our help page: http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93345-how-do-i-price-photos-in-order-to-sell-them-

I hope this is helpful to you, if you would have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask, we're always happy to help!

Wendee

When you replace an image on the order, it replaces the original image in the gallery as well. We don't have a way to replace one image with multiple versions or sizes of that single image. The photo you use as the replacement needs to accommodate all of the sizes purchased of that image.

Some Pros do this by adding a border that can be extended for certain sizes. A white border will let you set the cropping to None, so on print sizes that don't fit the image the border would be bigger on two sides but none of the image would be cropped.

Some Pros keep the print sizes in mind when shooting, and try to step back and provide more background space that can be cropped at different print sizes.

If there just isn't a way for one image to work as a 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 print size, we do suggest that the order be canceled so that a new one can be placed with better images. You can upload images that fit the print sizes and let the customer choose from the different versions. We see this often with sports photos, Pros will upload a 5x7 team photo and an 8x10 team photo. And with the Business account you can create a pricelist that offers only sizes that fit that image.

If you need anything else, please let us know.

Take care,
Wendee
SmugMug Support Hero
http://help.smugmug.com/

vdotmatrix

Wendee wrote: »

When you replace an image on the order, it replaces the original image in the gallery as well. We don't have a way to replace one image with multiple versions or sizes of that single image. The photo you use as the replacement needs to accommodate all of the sizes purchased of that image.

http://help.smugmug.com/

Yes thank you for your help.

I am aware of the academics you listed below that include all the pre-sales stuff.

There should be a mechanism to be able to do what I am talking about without cnacelling any orders.

After all I am the souce of the images and I should be able to have control over this process. It would be nice to say to the client just select your image and what sizes you'd like and I will handle the rest.

My question is more about the why we can't change the aspect of ANY image in the order of the same image, more than what we should have done to arrive in this situation. This leads us down a limited and complicated path I think....that unless we include borders, or multiple versions of the same image or mechanically zoom out so far to include every possible aspect, we still lack the on the fly printing flexibility.

Not hard to remedy on the photographer's end of course, but perhaps something other pro members might want to see. I appreciate the support from SMUGMUG......:ivar


Some Pros do this by adding a border that can be extended for certain sizes. A white border will let you set the cropping to None, so on print sizes that don't fit the image the border would be bigger on two sides but none of the image would be cropped.

Some Pros keep the print sizes in mind when shooting, and try to step back and provide more background space that can be cropped at different print sizes.

If there just isn't a way for one image to work as a 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 print size, we do suggest that the order be canceled so that a new one can be placed with better images. You can upload images that fit the print sizes and let the customer choose from the different versions. We see this often with sports photos, Pros will upload a 5x7 team photo and an 8x10 team photo. And with the Business account you can create a pricelist that offers only sizes that fit that image.

If you need anything else, please let us know.

Take care,
Wendee
SmugMug Support Hero

rainforest1155

This is not possible with the way our system works for the reason that we only allow for one version of a photo. So if you can't seem to replace the photo with a common version that fits all items ordered of the photo (with the help of adjusting the crop for each item), we could only cancel the order so the customer could place a new one where you instruct them to order different versions of the photo that you prepared for the different print sizes they'd like to order.

pilotdave

rainforest1155 wrote: »

This is not possible with the way our system works for the reason that we only allow for one version of a photo. So if you can't seem to replace the photo with a common version that fits all items ordered of the photo (with the help of adjusting the crop for each item), we could only cancel the order so the customer could place a new one where you instruct them to order different versions of the photo that you prepared for the different print sizes they'd like to order.

This is something I sure hope is fixed in the new system. We should be able to replace a photo for the purpose of one particular order without replacing it in the gallery. There are endless reasons why we might want to do this, including cropping and adding signatures. As long as you guys are overhauling the back end, make this happen. It's an obvious feature that just got left out. The number of dgrin posts on this is proof.

Dave

mbellot

pilotdave wrote: »

We should be able to replace a photo for the purpose of one particular order without replacing it in the gallery.

Agreed.

Once a photo is placed in an order a copy should be placed in a segregated for delivery to the lab and replacing that should NOT replace the original on my site. Each copy of the photo should also be individually replaceable so that cropping for different aspect ratios can be handled properly by the photographer.

I have always managed to work around this glaring short coming, but it's a lot more work and very time consuming.

vdotmatrix

mbellot wrote: »

Agreed.

Once a photo is placed in an order a copy should be placed in a segregated for delivery to the lab and replacing that should NOT replace the original on my site. Each copy of the photo should also be individually replaceable so that cropping for different aspect ratios can be handled properly by the photographer.

I have always managed to work around this glaring short coming, but it's a lot more work and very time consuming.

YES YES YES

With the thousands of dollars I have spent on Adobe products and plugins. camera equipment photoshoots and preparation, training and yearly fee for my beloved website-I fall WAY short some times to deliver a professional product because of the limitations of the website with the least of my control in the end.

I don't want to be at a local color lab going back and forth and saving 15% nor do I want to be the guy printing my work-but I do want to be the guy that produces EVERY facet of my work and not fall short for something as mundane as making a lousy print (which are beautifully done through SM ) which can be done anywhere.

You guys have to fix this.

please

gbear

I sympathize - but it is not the Web site - it is that the United States " Customary Sizes " are not all the same ratio height to width. There is really NO way to make this one size fits all - or can be made to fit - there just isn't. It is NOT SmugMug did or didn't do. An easy check: divide one side by the other - 8/10 = .80, 11/14 = .785 (close enough), 16/20 = .8, 20/24 = 0.83, BUT 5/7 = .714. Blame it on the fact that the sizes Kodak originally made paper in - the cut sizes - did not all have the same proportions. And if you wanted to print x number of images on a given size paper, you wanted to fill the paper so you did not waste money. It is just a size problem we inherited and there is no simple solution. Gbear.

vdotmatrix

gbear wrote: »

I sympathize - but it is not the Web site - it is that the United States " Customary Sizes " are not all the same ratio height to width. There is really NO way to make this one size fits all - or can be made to fit - there just isn't. It is NOT SmugMug did or didn't do. An easy check: divide one side by the other - 8/10 = .80, 11/14 = .785 (close enough), 16/20 = .8, 20/24 = 0.83, BUT 5/7 = .714. Blame it on the fact that the sizes Kodak originally made paper in - the cut sizes - did not all have the same proportions. And if you wanted to print x number of images on a given size paper, you wanted to fill the paper so you did not waste money. It is just a size problem we inherited and there is no simple solution. Gbear.

I don't think that is the issue .