Hey photo friends! 👋

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Candy here with this week’s updates! The biggest changes are in Candy Image Studio and Auto Editor, where several popular edits now cost less, produce more consistent results, and work more naturally with Background Removal workflows.

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We’ve also added undo and redo to Virtual Group Builder, improved green screen cutouts, and cleaned up a few retail download issues.

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Let’s take a look!

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🎨 Candy Image Studio: Better Results & New Lower-Cost Edits

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Several Candy Image Studio nodes have been reworked with more consistent output quality and new discounted pricing.

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⚫ Improved Black & White edits — now 4¢‍

• Both existing Black & White nodes have been rebuilt to produce more reliable, consistent results.

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✨ Improved Retouch — now 6¢‍

• The Retouch node now produces much more consistent results and is available at a lower price.

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🎞️ New 35mm Film node — 4¢‍

• The previous Film Style node has been replaced with a new and improved 35mm Film treatment.

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📸 New Clarendon node — 4¢‍

• Apply a look inspired by the familiar Clarendon-style social media filter.

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💳 More flexible edit pricing

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Some nodes now display their own lower price. Candy Image Studio charges based on the highest-priced node included in the edit.

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For example:

• An edit using only a 4¢ node costs 4¢
• If that same edit also includes a standard node, normal 2K or 4K pricing applies

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This lets simpler edits cost less when you're not using the more advanced edits!

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✂️ New Background Removal Options for AI Edits

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Candy Image Studio and Auto Editor now work more closely with Events using Background Removal folders.

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🖼️ Candy Image Studio can send an edit into Background Removal‍

• When editing an Event image, a new option appears beneath Mark Original Invisible if the Event has Background Removal folders enabled.
• Select Mark Destination Folder as Background Removal Folder to upload the edited image into a folder that will also process it for background removal.

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⚙️ Auto Editor adds a Background Removal size option‍

• If Background Removal folders are enabled, you can choose Background Removal. Edited images will then upload into a folder marked for Background Removal.

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🛠️ Auto Editor folder fix‍

• Auto Edits now run properly on original images inside folders marked for Background Removal. Auto Editor still does not run on the completed cutout images themselves.

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All of the new node pricing and quality improvements in Candy Image Studio also apply to Auto Editor, since Auto Editor is powered by the same system.

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↩️ Virtual Group Builder: Undo & Redo

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Virtual Group Builder now supports familiar keyboard shortcuts:

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• ↩️ Undo: CMD/CTRL + Z
• ↪️ Redo: CMD/CTRL + Shift + Z
• ↪️ Redo: CMD/CTRL + Y

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This makes it much easier to experiment with layouts and quickly reverse an adjustment.

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🖼️ Manage Images Improvement

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⬇️ Download Original for BGR and AI images‍

• The Manage Images lightbox now includes a Download Original button for Background Removal and AI-edited images.

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You can access the original file without needing to leave the lightbox or track it down manually.

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✂️ Background Removal Improvement

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🟢 Better green screen cutouts‍

• Background Removal now handles images more effectively when the background is only partially green screen instead of completely green.

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🛍️ Retail Download Fixes

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📥 Improved QuicEvents press-and-hold downloads‍

• Download behavior is more reliable on desktop and Android for Events without artwork.

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🖼️ Free Gallery Download resolution fixed‍

• Free Gallery Downloads on QuicEvents now correctly deliver full-resolution images instead of medium resolution.

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🧲 Photo Magnet artwork fix‍

• Photo Magnets will no longer be ordered with Event artwork when Use Artwork by Default is enabled, since artwork is not supported on that product.

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📱 Mobile Dashboard 4.1 for Android

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💰 New “Cha Ching” notification sound‍

• Weekly order notifications on Android now include the same Cha Ching sound effect already available on iOS.

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👉 Swipe to open the Sidebar‍

• Swipe inward from the left edge of the screen to open the Sidebar, matching the iOS experience.

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🤖 Google Play compatibility updates‍

• The app also includes required changes for the latest Google Play requirements.

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That’s the week!

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Lower-cost AI edits, stronger and more consistent results, and better Background Removal integration should make Candy Image Studio and Auto Editor more useful for both one-off fixes and larger Event workflows.

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Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

Hey photo friends! 👋

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Last week, we were busy hosting our annual Summer Seminar in Denver, Colorado—and we had a great time with everyone who joined us!

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That means this week’s recap includes two weeks of updates. Nothing too wild, but plenty of useful improvements across Retail, the Dashboard, Auto Editor, Capture App, and more while we continue working on some bigger changes behind the scenes.

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Let’s catch up!

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⚡ Faster Background Removal

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✂️ Background Removal processing is faster‍

• We made multiple speed improvements over the past two weeks to help cutouts finish sooner, especially during higher-volume periods.

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📥 Smarter Digital Download Delivery

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Digital Downloads can now skip unnecessary processing in more situations.

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⚡ Some downloads are now available immediately‍

• If a customer selects No Overlay, the Event has no artwork, and/the image is not a BGR image, the customer will skip the cropping step on the retail site and receive the full-resolution image without waiting for an 8×12 rendered version.

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🖼️ Full aspect ratio is preserved‍

• These downloads bypass the cropping step and work more like Personal Gallery Download products.

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🆓 Also applies to Medium Res and Free Downloads‍

• This includes cases where those downloads are automatically upgraded to full resolution.

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📧 Clearer receipt messaging for custom renders‍

• When a download does require processing, the receipt now explains that the custom image takes a little longer and will be emailed from YourPhotos@orderssupport.picsemail.com.

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🧾 Order Details now identifies each download type‍

• Digital Downloads can now show a Rendered Download or a Full Aspect Ratio Download badge, making it clearer which version was delivered to your customers.

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🎨 Auto Editor & Candy Image Studio Updates

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🧩 Auto Editor now supports image-input nodes‍

• You can now use nodes such as:
  • Custom Image
  • Copy Style
  • Diploma Fix

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🙈 Auto Edit originals won’t be texted too early‍

• QuicPics and QuicPortraits will no longer send the original image by MMS when it belongs to an active Auto Edit with Hide Originals enabled. The system will wait for the edited version instead.

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🕺 New Retro Pop node‍

• Give images a colorful, retro-inspired treatment.

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🂡 New Ace Card node‍

• Turn subjects into a bold playing-card-style design.

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💬 QuicPics & Marketing Improvements

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👥 QuicPics can now send to multiple contacts on merged participants‍

• If merged participant records contain different phone numbers or email addresses, regular QuicPics can now send to each unique contact.

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✉️ Marketing startup fix for BGR cutouts‍

• Fixed an edge case where marketing would not begin if the only visible images were cutouts from the newer Background Removal system.

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🔗 Hot Links now better respect Hide Originals‍

• Fixed an issue where the preview could temporarily show the original image before an Auto Edit finished generating.

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📱 Capture App Updates

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Capture App 5.8.1

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iOS and Android OTA updates

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🎨 Updated Event artwork is refreshed at login‍

• If artwork changed, the latest file is pulled when logging into the Event normally.

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🛠️ Small follow-up fix‍

• An additional 5.8.1 update was released to address a minor issue.

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Capture App 5.9

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iOS and Android App Store update

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📲 iOS OTA updates are easier to install‍

• You no longer need to completely restart the app or return to the Home Screen to install an available Over-the-Air update.

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🤖 Android compatibility updates‍

• Required updates were made to stay current with new Google Play requirements.

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🛍️ Retail Download Fixes

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📱 Safari share sheet reliability improved‍

• Press-and-hold downloads should now open the native share sheet more consistently on Safari.

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🖼️ Virtual Group download cleanup‍

• Virtual Groups in QuicPics no longer offer a Download with Art option.

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🎨 Background selection fixes‍

• Fixed cases where:
  • A PNG could be downloaded without selecting a background and receive an incorrect blue background
  • Faux renders showed no selected background in the download popup

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🔐 Facebook login works again

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🖥️ Dashboard Improvements

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📊 Image Timeline cleanup‍

• Fixed chart display issues, removed folders that were not useful in the timeline, and prevented multiple summaries from appearing when switching folders quickly.

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🌾 Candy Culler controls are clearer‍

• Filter visibility and report controls now use more descriptive buttons, similar to Manage Images.

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📈 BGR Folder Stats fixed‍

• Cutouts from the newer Background Removal system no longer incorrectly inflate Unassigned totals.

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📱 Mobile Dashboard

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🔗 More reliable deep linking‍

• Dashboard links should open the correct page more consistently when the app has been open for a while or after signing in and out.

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That’s the two-week update!

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Faster Background Removal and smarter Digital Download delivery are the biggest highlights, with plenty of smaller improvements making Auto Editor, QuicPics, Retail, and the Capture App more dependable.

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Thanks again to everyone who joined us in Denver for Summer Seminar—we loved seeing you!

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Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

Hey photo friends! 👋

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Candy here with another round of updates! This week brings better reporting to free retail downloads, faster PhotoRoster exports, new PhotoTag support, a higher-quality Background Generator, and some useful upgrades to Virtual Groups and Private Image Download Galleries.

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Let’s take a look!

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🎨 New 2K Background Generator

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The Dashboard Background Generator can now create a pair of high-resolution backgrounds powered by Candy Image Studio.

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🖼️ Generates two 2K backgrounds

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📐 Uses a 2×3 aspect ratio

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🍬 Powered by the same higher-quality editing system used by Candy Image Studio

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💳 Costs the equivalent of two 2K Candy Image Studio edits

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These backgrounds are higher quality than the free Background Generator used by retail shoppers, making this a better option when you want polished backgrounds prepared ahead of time.

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Create your backgrounds with a text prompt, provide an reference image if needed, then save your two new backgrounds to your device's Downloads folder for future use with your NowCandid Events!

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📥 New Quic-Download Tracking

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The retail site’s press-and-hold quick download feature is now being tracked for events using our Quic Programs, like QuicPics, QuicPics GO and QuicPortraits.

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Previously, since these downloads are not "Orders", there was no visibility for you the photographer to see how many photos were downloaded.

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Starting July 6, 2026, NowCandid now records:

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🖼️ Which images were downloaded

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🕒 When they were downloaded

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🎨 Which background was included (if using BGR)

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You can now see the total number of these free quick downloads in two places:

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📊 The Orders square on the Event Overview page shows a download total

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📄 The Participant List spreadsheet download shows a download total per participant

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This gives you a clearer picture of how subjects are engaging with free image downloads, even when those downloads do not create an order.

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Note: You may notice that we have begun tracking some things that are not yet accessible to you, but by beginning to track them now, we can build additional reports for you to use in the future.

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📋 Faster PhotoRoster Exports & More PhotoTags

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⚡ PhotoRoster exports are much faster‍

• Exporting a PhotoRoster into an Event now processes directly on the page instead of quietly running in the background. Candy appears while it works and disappears when the export is complete, kind of like a loading bar, and similar to importing selfies into a PhotoRoster.

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🏷️ Up to three PhotoTags per PhotoRoster contact‍

• PhotoRoster data file uploads can now include up to three PhotoTags for each contact.

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✨ PhotoTags are created automatically‍

• When exporting the PhotoRoster into an Event, any necessary PhotoTags will be created in that Event automatically.

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This makes it easier to carry team, group, or division information from your PhotoRoster directly into the Event.

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Virtual Group Builder Updates

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🧬 Duplicate Virtual Groups more easily‍

• Hover over a Virtual Group on the list page to access a new Duplicate button in the top-right corner.

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🖼️ Full-size render consistency fix‍

• Fixed an edge case where the final full-size render could look different from the Builder preview with certain combinations of settings.

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🔒 Private Image Download Gallery Improvements

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The Private Image Download Gallery is now easier to navigate, especially for larger Events:

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🔎 Search images by file name‍

• A new search bar lets you and the organizations you share the PIDG with quickly find specific images and supports CTRL/CMD+F search commands.

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👤 Filter by participant‍

• Events with participants can now filter the gallery to a selected subject. The filter only lists participants who actually have images.

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🪟 Scrollable popups on smaller screens‍

• Popups automatically become scrollable when they are taller than the available screen height, matching Dashboard behavior.

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🖥️ Manage Images & Assignment Fixes

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🎯 Unassigned Only filter improved‍

• BGR images and AI-edited images with indirect participant assignments no longer incorrectly appear as unassigned.

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📊 Folder Stats clarified‍

• An image having only a PhotoTag no longer counts as having a participant assignment in the Unassigned total.

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👥 Group image assignment cleanup‍

• If a Group Image is assigned to a participant but its PhotoTag conflicts with that participant’s PhotoTag, the participant assignment is now removed to prevent the wrong group image from appearing in their gallery.

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🛍️ Retail Fix

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🍬 Peppermint theme readability fixed‍

• Text input fields are now readable when a shopper’s device is using light mode. Whoops!

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That’s the week!

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Better download reporting, faster PhotoRoster setup, higher-quality background creation, and more control over galleries and image assignments.

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Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬