Online Proofing

[bcap]

Hello all,

I know that it has been discussed multiple times on here. But, I'd like to get a discussion going as to the pros and cons of each online proofing site.

Through my research, I have found the most popular sites to be:

- Photobiz.com
- Photoreflect.com
- Smugmug.com
- Pictage.com
- Printroom.com
- Labtricity.com
- Photoshelter.com

If the site you use is not in the above list, please state what site you use and how you like it. Let's see what the benefits are of each site for different type of businesses.

For example, if you want to fulfill your own orders, what are the pros and the cons of the sites? If you had high quantity orders, what are the pros and cons of the sites?

I'd also like to hear any comments on the customer service, the print quality (where applicable), the ease of use, prices, etc.

[tlc]

i have my own online proofing galleries within my site. each gallery is password protected for the client.

[tim]

i have my own online proofing galleries within my site. each gallery is password protected for the client.

x2. www.eostemplate.com

[picturecrazy]

I used to be on Pictage but just switched to doing my own order fulfillment with my own lab. The ordering software I bought is called Photocart. I've heard Pickpic is the king but I didn't want it's extra features and it was 4 times more expensive.

I can see how Pictage can be wonderful. They have lots of products and options, free album design service, and they take care of everything so you don't lift a finger except uploading the pics. Having said that, I have found that Canadians just don't want to pay in American dollars. So we have to pay extra shipping and wait a lot longer to get stuff. That was a fail. I ordered one of their hardcover proof books and in 2 months, the covers dried out and curled so much it's totally unacceptable. I guess stuff made down in humid areas don't do so well in such dry climates like Edmonton.

So I don't think Pictage is bad, it just totally did not work for me.

[bcap]

Interesting, thanks for the comments there Lloyd. I'm also in Canada so they are very relevant to me.

Tim - how easy is eostemplate to set up? I've downloaded it a whole bunch of times but haven't gotten around to playing with it or setting up a gallery. Any words from the wise?

[AMeyer]

I use photobiz for my website and proofing. I like how the proofing is built into the site; you don't have to go to an external site to view them. They only do proofing and accept payments, so it's self-fulfillment. I think the way the proofing is layed out on the screen and the various features look more professional than some of the other companies I've seen. I used exposure manager but it was very basic and I wasn't crazy about the layout - very bland.

[Toogy]

Has anybody tried Digilabs? They are in Toronto now, so it's easier for us Canadians. I need something to better present my online proofs as well.

[*Mike*]

We use pictology. Its free to upload images with less than 2 events at a time. So if you are just starting out its nice to be free. It also has paid plans for more than 2 events up at a time. It had nice features and is easy for clients to use. You can use your own lab.

[sblais]

php? I like to give myself some trouble I guess... My wife tells me I'm masochist :p! But I love to learn and php is something I haven't touched yet, programming-wise... So I'm learning! I'll be developing my own gallery making software (nothing too fancy, just for me :D) in php using MySQL for the database part... I know what I want, so I'll concentrate my learning efforts towards that goal.

If I run out of time (or patience), I'll probably look for some OSS solution and customize it a bit...

[Francis Farmer]

I use photopreviews. One flat rate per quarter, no matter how many weddings you have online.

[Banbert]

Were using photobox in the uk at the moment, its free and weve built up quite a bit of hosting there because everytime we buy something from them we get another 50mb of storage space.

Its not as feature packed as their Third Light image service or other paid services and you cant really customize the pages BUT they do all the fullfillment and money taking and the first thing we know about orders is when we see credit go into our account from them. We also do our own fullfillment via email, phone etc for items that we dont sell through photobox as your limited to 5 products. Longer term I would like to go to thirdlight and have it properly integrated into our site or start doing our own fullfilment if we went full time but atm we need something that doesnt take any more ofour time up! Thirdlight does all their printing via Photobox and so thats a good endorsement for photobox.

Weve sold plenty of photos through photobox so far anyway, over 1,000 in the 3 weddings worth of photos posted so far, but then again we dont charge a lot for them because thats not part of our business plan to make lots of money on those....... its very nice to see people buying them though and very interesting to see what sells !

[bcap]

Has anybody tried Digilabs? They are in Toronto now, so it's easier for us Canadians. I need something to better present my online proofs as well.

I'd also be interested in hearing about this. I'm from the area so having a lab in toronto is perfect.

[islandphoto]

I'm using pictage right now, and so far it hasn't been worth the money for me, But it's a really busy summer so I will see if I come out ahead. I just love how they do ALL the work! It makes my job so much easier. They're free color correcting service is phenomenal. I think if you can tap into all of the features of networking and marketing etc. that pictage has to offer, it is an awesome company.

[tim]

Tim - how easy is eostemplate to set up? I've downloaded it a whole bunch of times but haven't gotten around to playing with it or setting up a gallery. Any words from the wise?

It's not easy, but it's not too hard either. You have to edit configuration files to set up your pricing and details. If you're not pretty PC literate you shouldn't use EOS template.

[jessiper]

I don't use any of those, the guy who did my website and I created a site for my clients to log into and see their photos.

[arikajordan]

bcap,

haven't personally used digilab but they did send me some samples. Here's the website: http://www.digilabs.biz/index.shtml. They'll send it for free.

arika

[Mike Fulton]

www.Collages.net

Hands down the most powerful solution on the internet for a one stop shop.

Full complete lab with products no other offers:
Lab has been in business for over 50 years with 3 US Locations
AMAZING print quality - not muddy small prints as many other places produce
Large prints up to 30x40 - mounted if you want (others can't do this)
Textures for all your prints and finish sprays (again unique to them)
Gallery Wraps in any size you want
Complete Album Making Company (both hard cover and soft covers)
Greeting Cards, Thank you Cards, Save the Date Cards - all customized to suit your needs
Customize your emails sent out to your clients (only 3 by default OR NO EMAILS AT ALL) YEAH no freaking spam
Logo and branding right there on your events
You are in complete control of your orders, either you can use another lab such as Miller's or pick Collages Color for certain products and Miller's for others.
For the same monthly price you can do everything yourself or Collages.net will COMPLETE YOUR ORDERS FOR YOU. You simply either upload the files through their software or you mail in a disk and they will do EVERYTHING for you - yeah thats right, get the event online, take the orders, print the orders, mail it to your clients and you get PAID EVERY FRIDAY!

Truly the best and most complete one stop shop for you and your clients. Their front end material looks amazing and their back end material just for you the photographer is simply the best. Cheaper than many others out there including Pictage also!

Used them for quite sometime, yes now they sponsor me but I used Collages.net way before that so honestly they are the BEST for me and my business. I am not a person who says I use them and do not cause I am a national speaker, I talk about Collages.net cause they truly doubled my wedding prints by using them. Collages.net make me money, they are the best marketing tool I have in my business so much I do not care if I sell another print with them their marketing tools are worth the money feel alone if used correctly.

Whatever you go with choose wisely it is your business and what works for me might not work for you, there is no right or wrong choice just the one that works best for you.

Good luck!

[islandphoto]

Mike, you are really selling me on colleges.net! What is the monthly fee and how are their prints priced? When clients order from the site, do you use their prints or do you have them printed elsewhere? Thanks!!!

[Philco]

Digilabs has a pretty good reputation among the many photographers I know who use them. I know an equal # of people who left Pictage for Digilabs for good reason. I for one wish Pictage would quit spamming me to death because I host my own PickPic cart and I'll never sign up with a third party service. I think PickPic is the way to go and it pays for itself, unlike pictage that never stops taking a cut or a fee.

[islandphoto]

Yeah, pickpic sounds great - but the thing I like about pictage is that they fulfill the orders for you. I want to be done with the wedding after I upload the photos. With PIckPic, don't you have to fulfill your own orders?

[Mike Fulton]

Mike, you are really selling me on colleges.net!
Thanks, but honestly I am just giving you my honest feedback I get nothing out of it, I just know Collages.net works and works WELL and is far better than so many other options including the more popular ones. Its not a newbie online solution, it is a company which will GROW with you and HELP YOU GROW as a professional not a rookie photographer.

What is the monthly fee and how are their prints priced?
Hey their monthly fees can be found HERE (http://www.collages.net/site/SignUpOptions/tabid/61/Default.aspx)
And remember NO SIGN UP FEE, try them for FREE before you sign up as well as get some 8x10 prints for FREE.

Also check out this FLASH VIDEO (http://www.collages.net/site/Default.aspx?tabid=112) which should help explain alot about the options and the way things work at Collages.net

When clients order from the site, do you use their prints or do you have them printed elsewhere?
I use Collages.net for my online orders completely. I use Miller's for my inhouse sales such as Seniors and other work. (As a general rule) I LOVE LOVE LOVE Collages.net Gallery Wraps so most of the time if I need one I get it from Collages.net, but other items come from Miller's. Both ROCK and both truly complete TriCoast as a company.

[adblink]

I heard http://www.zenfolio.com/ was suppose to be one of the better ones? surprised no one has mentioned it yet

[islandphoto]

yes, ive heard that too but they can't fulfill orders yet right?

[Philco]

Joanna,
Pickpic is installed on your own website, so when an order is placed, it comes directly to you. The customers credit card payment goes directly into my bank account when they place an order. I use ProDPI for all my prints, so I just take five minutes to place my order with them, and they can drop ship it directly to my client. They have an executive drop ship option where they'll even brand your stuff if you send them your stickers, etc.to put on the boxes. If it's a critical print, I'll have them send it to me so I can see it before sending it out. My cart,including credit card processing fees, cost about the same as a years worth of pictage - or less after you factor the cut Pictage takes from each order. After the first year, I come out ahead. Pictage has a rep. for spamming your clients after they sign up to view galleries, and I don't want to subject anyone to that.:)

[islandphoto]

Pickpick sounds pretty good then...

Mike - one more question about colleges.net? Do they color correct and exposure correct? THat's one thing that pictage does that I just love - they really take some of the work load off in that sense.

Thanks,

[Mike Fulton]

Mike - one more question about colleges.net? Do they color correct and exposure correct? THat's one thing that pictage does that I just love - they really take some of the work load off in that sense.

Thanks,
If you think Pictage's prints are nice wait till you see Collage Color. Honestly the people over at Pictage are wonderful people but their prints do not hold a candle to Collages. I place Collages Color up there with the best of the best labs in the country in color correction and exposure correction and everything else. The lab at Pictage simply does not have the full lab options that labs like Collages Color, Miller's, WHCC, ACI and others.

Try them out for the free 8x10 prints and see for yourself! Its free and no strings attached.

[Jmm7]

Maybe a silly question from a beginner. What about if some client just order one single picture from the gallery?
Do these labs print and send just one picture?
If they only print minum quantities, do you print it yourself and send by mail?

I am building a website and i need to decide between making my on gallery or use a complete service from a lab

thanks a lot

[jargaguy]

What about Lustre Color (http://http://lustrecolor.com/index.htm)? I just got some info from them and they seem very good. I'm gonna get some from them and see how they come out.


JA

[Francis Farmer]

Who do I need to talk to , if I think the photos are coming back too yellow. When I correct there is no problem. But when using Millers to color correct, the blacks have yellow in them.