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📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 – Photo Booth Mode! 🎄🎉

📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 – Photo Booth Mode! 🎄🎉
Hello, my festive photographers!

Candy here, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate.

We’ve arrived at the 12th Day of Christmas, and I’m thrilled to unwrap our biggest new feature of 2024—Photo Booth Mode in the Capture & Upload App!

The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December,... this very month!

Let’s get into the holiday spirit and explore everything this mode has to offer. 🎁

What Is Photo Booth Mode? 🤶

Photo Booth Mode is a brand-new option inside our Capture & Upload App—you’ll see a shiny new “Photo Booth” button once you log in to an Event and create a Folder (after the update of course).

Give that Photo Booth button a tap, and voilà: your iPad turns into a photo booth station where guests can snap fun pictures with minimal hassle!

  • Multiple Camera Options: Tether a Nikon, Sony, or Canon camera, or use your iPad’s front-facing camera, depending on your particular photo booth setup.
  • Solid Internet Connection Required: The app downloads any custom overlays or backgrounds you’ve set on the web dashboard, and live-uploading images of course requires an internet connection, so stable Wi-Fi or LTE is essential!

It’s perfect for holiday parties, corporate shindigs, weddings, or any event where a lighthearted photo booth can bring on the smiles!

The Photo Booth Flow ⏱️

Here’s how Photo Booth Mode keeps your guests engaged:

  1. Tap to Begin Screen: A dimmed live view awaits guests to tap and start. Once they do, the booth will let them know to get ready for three photos.
  2. Three Countdown Shots: Each shot has a 3-second countdown followed by a short preview of the taken pic after each shot. If your event uses a Bottom Banner Overlay or Full Frame Overlay, it shows up in the live view, so no one ends up hidden behind the graphics!
  3. Instant Delivery & Overlays: In Events using the QuicPics Program, each photo is sent via MMS with the overlay art included! And with every NowCandid Program, a gallery link is delivered where retail site users can download images and order photo products.

Guests can hop in, pose, and receive fun, branded photos—no fuss required! 🎉

On-Device Backgrounds & Filters 🎨

Before finalizing those memorable pics, guests can personalize them right on the device:

  • Background Selection: If you’ve uploaded custom backgrounds on the web dashboard, the app fetches them before the booth session. Guests can pick from these in addition to several default backgrounds, great for holiday vibes or brand-specific themes.
  • Filter Options: Classic filters like Noir, Sepia, Clarendon, and others let participants get creative.
  • Reshoot Button: Not happy with the shot? Guests can “Reshoot” and start the session over at any time.

This ensures a lively, interactive experience that encourages guests to come back for more snaps. ⛄

Positive ID vs. Face Matching 🧐

After styling, the next step depends on your event’s workflow:

  • For Face Matching Events: Guests are guided to tap the faces they see on-screen, and then can enter contact info for each face! If this is their first or only reference photo for the Event, it will also match them to shots taken outside the Photo Booth!
  • For Positive ID Events: A simpler approach: participants just type in their contact info and send off the images! Easy peasy.

Either way, photos head straight to their phones via QuicPics (if you’re using that Program) and will always land in their personal gallery. 🔔

Seamless Integration with NowCandid 💖

Photo Booth Mode plugs right into your existing NowCandid features:

  • Selfie Check-In & LiveLoop: Photo booth images appear in your LiveLoop feed if you’re displaying one at the event. Selfie Check-Ins can still match participants to their booth photos too if they don't self-identify during their photo booth session!
  • QuicPics & PartyPics: The images upload instantly, letting your guests receive them right away via MMS (with QuicPics), or find them in their personal gallery for easy purchase or free download (with every Program).

It’s the same NowCandid ecosystem you know—just dressed up in a festive booth format! 🎄

Requirements & Limitations 🎅

A few notes to keep in mind:

  • Camera Orientation:
    • Nikon supports horizontal and vertical live view.
    • Sony/Canon currently only support horizontal orientation for tethered cameras.
  • iPad-Only for Now:
    • Photo Booth Mode works on iPad in vertical orientation, not on iPhone or Windows.
  • No Built-In Printing:
    • If you need on-site prints, consider setting up your own print station with a computer and a printer! Use quic.pics/portal to access your Event images, and then download images with or without overlays to print them on-site.
  • We Value Feedback:
    • Missing something? Let us know! Your input shapes our next updates.

Why Photo Booth Mode Is a Holiday Treat 🎁

  • Interactive & Fun: Guests love choosing backgrounds, filters, and overlays, making the booth a memorable attraction.
  • Fully Integrated: Works seamlessly with QuicPics, PartyPics, LiveLoop, Face Matching, and more.
  • Revenue & Engagement Boost: Branded overlays, holiday backgrounds, or sponsor tie-ins can lead to higher sales and delighted clients.

This mode is a surefire way to add a dash of cheer to any event—holiday-themed or otherwise! ✨

That’s all for now, folks.

We hope Photo Booth Mode adds a dash of magic to your season and beyond.

And thank you for following along with our 12 Days of Christmas!

Enjoy this new feature, and as always, keep capturing the moments that matter most.

Reminder: The new NowCandid Capture & Upload App Version that includes Photo Booth Mode will be going live at the end of December, this month!

Candy 🍬

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Big News: Explore the New NowCandid Retail Site Features! 🌟
Feature Updates
August 21, 2024

Big News: Explore the New NowCandid Retail Site Features! 🌟

8
 minutes read
Hey there, awesome photographers!

Candy here, and I’m so excited to share some incredible updates that are live on the NowCandid retail site.

We’ve been hard at work making your clients' shopping experience smoother, faster, and more enjoyable. Let’s dive into the fantastic new features that are sure to elevate client satisfaction and boost your sales! 📸✨

Seamless Third-Party Logins 🔐

We know how important it is for your customers to have quick and easy access to their galleries and order history. That’s why we’ve introduced third-party login options!

Now, your clients can save their galleries and order history by logging in with their preferred platform—X/Twitter, Google, Apple, or Facebook. It’s all about convenience and keeping their memories just a click away!

(retail theme: liquorice)

Sleek and Modern UI 🎨

The NowCandid retail site has undergone a major facelift! Our new interface is clean, modern, and minimalist, with a step-by-step ordering process that makes purchasing photos easier than ever.

The site was built mobile-first to ensure the ideal mobile phone experience, recognizing that mobile traffic has become a huge chunk of retail web traffic in recent years, especially with the effectiveness of SMS marketing that NowCandid provides.

Whether your customers are browsing on a computer or mobile device, the improved look ensures a seamless and enjoyable experience.

(retail theme: liquorice - watermarks: off)

Instant Product Rendering 🖼️

Curious about how your clients' photos will look on different products? We’ve got you covered! As soon as they select a photo, it instantly renders on most products in our gallery. Plus, when adding certain products to their cart, customers can choose different colors and art styles, and input text fields—all of which will render as they make their choices.

This means your clients can see exactly how their image will appear on prints, canvases, and more as they peruse the product list and customize their orders. This visual preview is sure to enhance their shopping experience!

(retail theme: marshmallow - watermarks: off)

AI Background Generator for BGR Images 🤖🎨

Get creative with your background-removed (BGR) images using our new AI Background Generator! Now, your end customers can type in text prompts to generate fun and unique backgrounds for their photos.

Whether they want a beach scene, a starry night, or something entirely imaginative, the AI will bring their vision to life. The possibilities are endless and sure to delight your clients!

(retail theme: starburst - watermarks: off)

Retouch All Switch ✨

We know your clients want their photos to look their best, so we’ve added a “Retouch All” switch during checkout. With just a flip, they can apply light retouching to everything in their cart.

This retouching includes slight blemish reduction, smoothing of complexion, red-eye removal, teeth whitening, and eye brightening. It’s the perfect way to ensure their prints are picture-perfect! While also generating you additional revenue.

(retail theme: starburst - watermarks: off)

Diamond Gloss Upsell 💎

Looking to add a little extra shine to your clients' prints? Our new Diamond Gloss upsell option lets them do just that!

For a few extra dollars, they can add a glossy coating to their prints, giving them a luxurious, high-quality finish that they’ll love.

In the future, we will be adding more unique print upsells, stay tuned!

(retail theme: cookie dough - watermarks: off)

Improved Express Checkout 🚀

Time is precious, and we want to make checking out as fast as possible for your photo subjects! With our improved express checkout UI, they can now breeze through their purchase with Apple Pay.

And we’re not stopping there—Google Pay and PayPal express checkout options are coming soon, with more to follow in the future!

(retail theme: starburst)

Other Exciting Features 🌟

We’ve packed in even more updates to enhance your clients' experience:

  • Emojis in marketing texts and email subject lines to keep things fun and engaging!
  • Automatic name pre-fill (when name is available) on applicable products for a personalized touch.
  • New, sleek designs for Selfie Check-In and Scan Card Check-In web pages.
  • Improved URL and shareability with our new primary retail URL: www.quic.pics
  • The Photo Synthesis gallery allows customers to view all their images from past events in one place via their account settings.
  • Nicer-looking receipts and custom sender addresses (your-business-name@quic.pics) for a polished presentation.
  • Server-related improvements for quicker website loading, ensuring a fast and smooth experience for your clients.

These changes are designed to improve client satisfaction and increase your sales totals. We’re beyond excited about these enhancements, and we know your customers will love them!

As always, if you have any questions or need help navigating these new features, we’re here to assist you.

Thank you for being part of the NowCandid community!

Cheers and sparkles,


Candy 🍬

Big News: Introducing Full Frame Overlay! 🎨✨
Feature Updates
August 14, 2024

Big News: Introducing Full Frame Overlay! 🎨✨

4
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Hey there, amazing photographers!

Candy here, bringing you some exciting news in our "Big News" series. We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new feature to NowCandid: the Full Frame Overlay!

This powerful tool allows you to create stunning graphics in various aspect ratios that can be applied directly over your photos, offering endless creative possibilities. Let’s dive into the details! 🌟

What is Full Frame Overlay? 🖼️

Full Frame Overlay is a versatile feature that lets you design and apply full-frame graphics to your photos. Unlike our Banner Overlay, which places graphics at the bottom of your images, Full Frame Overlay covers the entire image, adding a creative flair that your clients will love.

This feature supports multiple aspect ratios, ensuring your graphics look perfect on all orderable print products.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Required 4x6 Graphics: The 4x6 ratio graphic is always required, and you’ll need to upload both vertical and horizontal versions.
  • Optional Aspect Ratios: In addition to the 4x6, you can also create and upload graphics in 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 aspect ratios. These are optional, so you can choose which sizes best fit your Event!
  • Resolution & Format: Your graphics should be PNGs with transparency, around 300 DPI, and in the SRGB color profile. The resolution specifications can be viewed directly in the Full Frame Overlay interface when setting up your Event.

Check out the screenshot below for a glimpse of the new Full Frame Overlay interface:

How Does It Look? 👀

Full Frame Overlay lets you get creative! Whether you’re adding a fun border, a festive holiday theme, or a sleek corporate design, the possibilities are endless. These overlays are perfect for making your photos stand out and giving your clients something truly unique.

Here’s an example of a photo with a Full Frame Overlay applied:

More Resources on the Way 📚

We know that creating the perfect overlay can take time, so we’re here to help! In addition to our existing Banner Overlay Canva Templates, in the future we’ll be adding Full Frame Overlay Canva Templates to our Resources page. These templates will make it even easier to design beautiful graphics that fit perfectly with your photos.

We can’t wait to see how you use the Full Frame Overlay to elevate your photography and create amazing products for your clients!

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.

More examples of Full Frame Overlays below!

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Big News: Introducing NowCandid's Mobile Dashboard App 2.0! 📲✨
Feature Updates
August 8, 2024

Big News: Introducing NowCandid's Mobile Dashboard App 2.0! 📲✨

6
 minutes read

Hey there, fabulous photographers! Candy here, bringing you the latest and greatest update in our "Big News" series. Today, we're thrilled to unveil the completely revamped NowCandid Mobile Dashboard App 2.0.

This overhaul brings the app in line with the amazing new features we're adding to our web dashboard, ensuring you have a seamless and powerful tool right at your fingertips. Let's dive into what's new and why you should update to Mobile Dashboard 2.0 today! 🌟

A Fresh and Improved UI 🎨

First things first, the Mobile Dashboard App 2.0 boasts a much-improved user interface. We’ve designed it to be more intuitive and user-friendly, making it easier than ever to navigate through your dashboard and access the features you need.

  • Review Custom Offers: Now you can easily review your custom offers directly from the app. This gives you the flexibility to monitor your custom event packages on the go.

Web Dashboard Integration 🔗

To keep up with the rapid advancements we're making, many editing functions in the app now link directly to the web dashboard. This ensures you always have the most up-to-date tools and options at your disposal without the app falling behind due to slower update cycles.

  • Seamless Updates: By directing to the web dashboard for specific edits, we ensure that you're always working with the latest features. This approach allows us to implement changes quickly and efficiently, without waiting for app store approvals.

Enhanced Candy Chat 💬

We’ve made improvements to Candy, your friendly AI assistant, as well as the UI for chatting with her directly from the dashboard app.

  • Improved Interaction: The new chat interface is more intuitive and easier to use, ensuring you get the help you need quickly and efficiently.

Folder-Level Sales Reports & Stats 📊

Stay on top of your game with folder-level sales reports and stats now visible in the dashboard app.

  • Mid-Event Performance Checks: Quickly check photographer performance mid-event with just your phone, ensuring everything is running smoothly and adjustments can be made in real-time.

Easy Access to LiveLoop Links 🔗

We’ve made accessing LiveLoop links for each event even easier. Now, you can quickly find and share these links directly from the app.

  • Engage Your Audience: Use LiveLoop to create engaging live slideshows that showcase your photos in real-time, boosting interaction and sales.

Improved Image Management 📸

Managing images has never been easier. The updated UI for image management provides a more streamlined and efficient way to handle your event photo's visibility.

Update to Mobile Dashboard 2.0 Today! 🚀

It’s crucial to update to Mobile Dashboard App 2.0 as soon as possible. Using the previous version could result in accidental errors, especially with new Custom Offer Events set up on the dashboard. These new events are not meant to be editable with the older app version.

Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your events run flawlessly by updating to the latest version of the app. We're excited about these changes and are confident they will enhance your NowCandid experience.

Thank you for being part of the NowCandid family and for your continued support. Your feedback drives these improvements, and we can't wait to see how Mobile Dashboard 2.0 helps you succeed!

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Let’s get in touch

If you’re a photographer looking to add NowCandid services to your wheelhouse – set up a call by clicking the button below.

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How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text
How to customize formatting for each rich text

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