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Getting Started

Photogize Lab

General WebServices

Basic Print Order Channel

Greeting Card Channel

Purchasing Photogize


Q: What is Photogize?
A: Photogize is a distributed photo print order management system that lets photo labs:

The basic system consists of:

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Q: How easy is it to install and operate Photogize?
A: To install and configure Photogize, you need to know how to:

Daily use of Photogize requires that the operator know how to use Windows and a standard Windows application.

For more information on installing, configuring, and using Photogize, please see our Getting Started with Photogize guide.

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Q:What are the minimum system requirements for Photogize?
A: In general, you need:

You can run Photogize Lab and RasterPlus on one PC or on separate PCs. These PCs should meet the following minimum specifications:

  • Windows XP Operating System
  • Pentium 4 processor
  • 512 MB of internal memory
  • 80 GB hard disk space
  • CDRW drive
  • Ethernet network card
  • USB interface
  • 17" or larger display with 24-bit color
  • For more information, please see our Getting Started with Photogize guide.

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    Q: How does Photogize differ from its competitors?
    A: Three things make Photogize unique - the company, the architecture, and the business model.

    The Company
    Phtotogize was developed by Graphx, Inc., a market-leading developer of distributed photo printing software and services. In short, we are a software company with considerable expertise in the digital photo space - we are NOT a dot com.

    The Architecture
    Photogize is standards-based and highly scalable. This translates to rock-solid reliability, unmatched uptime, and superior QOS. The architecture is open - third party developers are busy creating extensions to Photogize with our XConnect API and Channel Developers Toolkit. This means more and more commercial opportunities for photo retailers. And Photogize is built on the award-winning RasterPlus print engine which features the widest range of minilab and photo printer compatiblity and the richest feature set in the industry.

    The Business Model
    We are a software company that sells software and services - that is how we make money. There are no click fees or transactions fees with the core Photogize system*

    * Please note that third party developers may use other commercial models with their add-on products and Channels.

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    Q: What is a Photogize Channel?
    A: A Photogize Channel is the combination of Web application or PC application and a Photogize WebServices account. A Channel lets clients upload digital photos and place print orders which are fulfilled by a photo retailer that subscribes to the Channel.

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    Q: Photogize looks good for my consumer business, but how do I support my commercial customers?
    A: You can provide a dedicated Basic Print Order Channel to a single commercial customer, with unique products and pricing just for that customer. Or you can provide a dedicated Basic Print Order Channel to a group of customers. Additional Basic Print Order Channels are only $195 per year plus actual upload capacity used by those customers.

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    Q: Can I use Photogize without RasterPlus?
    A: The minimum Photogize System configuration includes Photogize Lab software, RasterPlus software, a Photogize WebServices subscription, and a single Basic Print Order Channel account. However, you can purchase and install an additional copy of Photogize Lab, which is unconnected to RasterPlus, to improve your online print order workflow. For example, you can run Photogize Lab and RasterPlus in your production area to prejudge and print orders and a second copy of Photogize Lab in your office area to print invoices, process credit card orders, and export customer order information for archiving.

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    Q: Can I create local orders in Lab?
    A: Yes, photos that stored on local or networked drives, digital media cards, or CDs can be dragged and dropped into an order in Photogize Lab. You can then select Products and quantities, prejudge the photos, print order forms, and print the order to your digital minilab or photo printer. You can even upload the photos to WebServices and have an email automatically sent to a client that allows them to create a print order using these photos. Photogize Lab only uploads sampled versions of the photos; the high resolution photos stay in your system.

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    Q: How fast can customers send image data?
    A: The time it takes to send photos is principally dependent on the upload speed of the client's Internet connection and the size of the files. Most cable and DSL connections have high download speeds but slower upload speeds. The typical cable/DSL customer can upload at about 1MB per minute. This amounts to about one two megapixel digital photo per minute.

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    Q: How do I get paid for my orders?
    A: Photogize does not process any order transactions. It simply delivers the transaction information to you to process as you see fit. You can define business rules governing credit card transactions so that you either 1) never require credit cards, 2) always require credit cards, or 3) only require credit cards for ship orders. If a credit card is required for a transaction, the credit card information is downloaded by Lab along with the rest of the order information. It is your responsibility to process the credit card transaction.

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    Q: Are credit card transactions secure?
    A: All order information, including credit card data, is transferred from any Photogize client to WebServices via a highly-secure SLL connection. And all order data is harvested with Photogize Lab over an SSL connection.

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    Q: What is the Basic Print Order Channel?
    A: A simple web site that allows your customers to upload photos and place print orders. The web site is dynamically created with content that you specify in Lab; you link your store's web site to the Basic Print Order Channel web site. You can try it here.

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    Q: Can customers share order albums?
    A:Yes, once a customer uploads his or her photos, he or she can send up to five emails to friends and family. The thumbnails of the uploaded photos are included in this email - if the recipient clicks on them, he or she is sent to the page from which they may place print orders.

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    Q: How does a customer know if their images have adequate resolution?
    A: If a photo is to be printed on a Product smaller than an 8x10, Photogize checks to make sure that the photo will print at at least 150dpi. If a photo is to be printed on a Product that is equal to or larger than 8x10, Photogize checks to make sure that the photo will print at at least 128dpi.

    If a photo meets the minimum requirements, a happy face is placed next to the target Product on the print order page. If a photo does not meet the minimum requirements, a sad face is placed next to the target Product on the print order page.

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    Q: I don't have a website yet, what do I do?
    A:Contact us and we'll put you in contact with web designers/hosting services that have experience with creating photo retailer sites and connecting them to Photogize.

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    Q: How long are photos stored on our servers?
    A: Once you've harvested an order, the order and photos stay on your local PC until you delete them. The order and photos stay on our system for thirty days.

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    Q: If I delete a customer order in Lab, can I retrieve it again or is it lost?
    A: Order and photos stay on our system for thirty days. You can reharvest orders and photos anytime during this time period.

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    Q: What is the Greeting Card Channel?
    A: The Greeting Card Channel is an online photo greeting card compositing system. The Channel features "Online Compositing" that delivers benefits to both you and your customer.

    Your customer benefits from the the enjoyment and satisfaction of creating a customized, and personalized greeting card. The customer also assumes responsibility for the the design and content of the card including responsibility for any typos.

    You benefit from the increased workflow in your store because your staff is freed from the time required to capture customer greeting card information--- you simply print the result.

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    Q: How do I get started?
    A: Make sure that you meet the minimum system requirements. Then all you need to do is purchase the Photogize Starter System.

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    Q: I already own RasterPlus, do I still need to buy the Photogize Starter System or a separate copy of RasterPlus?
    A:Photogize ONLY works with RasterPlus v 5.0 and above. Furthermore, RasterPlus is licensed for specific devices - you must own a RasterPlus license for the device to which you wish to print in order to use it with Photogize. For example, if you have RasterPlus for a Polaroid color film recorder, and you wish to print to a Noritsu minilab, you will need to purchase the Photogize Starter System or a separate copy of RasterPlus for Noritus minilabs.

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    Q: What is a GBM?
    A: The standard starter webservice plan includes 1GBM of upload capacity. This means that your customers can upload up to 1 Gigabyte of data per month of photos.

    Graphx offers webservice plans starting at 1GB per month and ranging to 1000 GB per month.

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    Q: What happens when customers send me more than 1GBM of photos in a month?
    A: You will ALWAYS get your orders and photos. We will bill you for any overage at the end of each quarter.

    Overage fees are prorated down to 1/10 of a Gigabyte. (For example: if you are in a 1 GB plan and January your customers upload 1.2 GB of data, the overage fee for January would be would be $8.00)

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    Q: Is there a lease option?
    A: Yes, click here for more information.

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