It's me, Candy, your AI sidekick at NowCandid, and I'm super excited to take you on a glittering journey through our 2023 Year in Review! πΈβ¨
β
A Year of Growth and Glitter!
β
β2023 was nothing short of amazing β a year filled with growth, creativity, and loads of innovation. We kicked things off at the biggest photo trade shows, buzzing with energy and inspiration. Your interactions there were the perfect inspiration for what was to come!
β
Tech Magic: Programming and App Development π
β
βWe supercharged our commitment to innovation with major investments in programming and app development. And oh boy, did it pay off!
β
Reporting Dashboard: Your Business, On-The-Go!
β
βOur tech wizardry led to some cool new features, like the Mobile Dashboard app. Managing your NowCandid Events has never been easier β or more mobile!
β
Meet Me, Candy! Your AI Chatbot Assistant π
β
β2023 was also the year you met me β Candy, your AI Chatbot Assistant! I'm here to provide instant answers about Workflows, help you navigate our platform, and share strategic tips to boost your photography sales. π
β
Smooth Payments with Apple Pay π³
β
βWe also integrated Apple Pay, making the checkout experience smoother than ever. Quick, easy, and secure β just how we like it!
β
App Development: Strong and Steady π±
β
βOur app development was a powerhouse of activity, with several rollouts across Apple iOS, Microsoft, and Android devices. We're all about making NowCandid more accessible and flexible, no matter your operating system of choice.
β
Wireless Tether Solutions: Goodbye Cables!
β
β2023 was a game-changer with our pursuit of wireless tether solutions. We introduced CamFi compatibility and Canon Wireless Compatibility β hello freedom from cables and hello seamless shooting and cloud uploading!
β
LiveLoop: Bringing Events to Life! π
β
βOne of my personal favorites β LiveLoop! A live-slideshow for your NowCandid Events, updating in real-time. It lets your subjects get to see the images you take hit the big screen just moments after taking them.
β
Wrapping Up a Dazzling Year π
β
βWe achieved so much in 2023, and guess what? We're just getting started! I canβt wait to see what 2024 has in store for us.
β
Here's to earning more and working less, with a sprinkle of fun and a whole lot of efficiency. Stay tuned for more adventures with NowCandid!
Candy here with another weekly recap! This week brings more control to Virtual Group Builder, a much better home for Event Background Removal, new Candy Image Studio exposure tools, andβyesβ27 new sports background sets. π
β
Letβs jump in!
β
π§βπ€βπ§ Virtual Group Builder Additions
β
Ask and you shall receive... sometimes! Weβve gotten some good feedback on Virtual Group Builder, and this week several new controls are here to make layouts easier to fine-tune:
β
βοΈ Force subjects onto different rowsβ
While dragging a subject, new Add to Row buttons appear over the other rows. Drop the subject there to explicitly move them where you want instead of relying entirely on automatic placement.
Previously you were limited to automatically determined rows, you still have those but can now override them!
β
π New logo size sliderβ
Adjust your corner logos to be smaller or larger than the default.
Previously they could be considered a bit tiny, but this gives you a bit more control!
β
π«οΈ Individual cutout fade controlβ
The Subject Inspector now has its own cutout fade intensity slider, separate from the global setting, so you can fine-tune individual subjects when needed.
This will let you tweak the cutout fade intensity for subjects in the front row or on the sides of the virtual group, in case you're wanting a very specific look.
The Subject Image Picker will only show images from merged participants when they share the same name.
This typically does not matter, but in the case of a parent doing a Selfie Check-In of themselves and then of their child later, this will keep Virtual Groups working as expected!
β
Just a few additions, but very useful ones when youβre trying to get a Virtual Group looking just right!
β
Drag and drop subjects into other rows for more control than ever!
β
New options to more quickly space out your subjects!
β
When viewing subject details, adjust them by individual!
β
Control the size of your logos!
β
π 27 New Sports Background Sets
β
Alright, shoutout to the random guy who told me (me being Candy, in case you forgot!) that he didnβt like the backgrounds. We heard you! π
β
This week weβve added 27 new sets of sports backgrounds, including a brand-new Sports β Locker Room background category.
β
And, in case you missed it, last week we also added an AI Background Generator so you can create entirely new, modern backgrounds of your own.
β
A quick reminder... you already have a lot of control over which backgrounds your customers actually see:
β
π¨ Edit the default backgrounds in your Offers
β
π€ Upload your own custom backgrounds at both the Offer-level and Event-level
β
π€ Generate new backgrounds of your own with AI
β
π Choose from our (now growing) collection of built-in choices
β
We have a TON of default backgroundsβand yes, many have been around for a whileβbut youβre never locked into using them. You can build your own look for your business, and weβll keep adding new options over time too.
β
βοΈ New Dedicated Background Removal Page
β
Event Background Removal now has its own dedicated Dashboard page, accessible from the Event Sidebar. It is not longer just a popup!
β
The BGR toggle on Event Overview will take you there too, giving all of these controls a little more breathing room.
β
On the new page, you can:
β
β Enable or disable Background Removal
β
πΌοΈ Manage your Event Backgrounds
β
π¨ See your Offer Backgrounds with a direct link to the Offer
β
π See how many cutouts have finished and how many are still processing
β
β³ Watch a live progress bar while Background Removal is working
β
π See all valid Event folders and which ones are marked for Background Removal
β
And if your Event is a new Event: βοΈ You can mark an existing folder for Background Removal even if it already contains images!!!
β
π¨ Candy Image Studio: Better Exposure Fixes
β
π New Fix Underexposure nodeβ
Helps recover images that came out too dark.
β
βοΈ Fix Overexposure greatly improvedβ
The existing overexposure tool has been reworked for more reliable results.
β
Utilize Candy Image Studio to fix images so they can sell, quickly and affordably!
β
π Jersey Jotter Progress Tracking
β
β³ New Jersey Jotter progress barβ
When Jersey Jotter is active and still has unprocessed images, its dedicated page now shows processing progressβsimilar to Candy Culler and the new Background Removal page.
β
This makes it much easier to tell whether recognition is still working through a large Event.
β
ποΈ Retail Improvements
β
β¨ Titled Luxe Prints now work with package prefillβ
Packages can now automatically prefill eligible Titled Luxe Print products just like other supported products.
Fixed an issue where these products could render incorrectly inside packages.
β
π€ AI-generated backgrounds now render correctly on products
β
π¨ Selected backgrounds now stay visible through the final product stepβ
Fixed an issue where the chosen background could sometimes disappear on renders when reaching quantity and finish steps.
β
π Several product descriptions updatedβ
Some product descriptions have been refreshed for better clarity.
β
πΌοΈ AI Edit + BGR Assignment Fix
β
π₯ BGR versions of AI edits now keep direct participant assignmentsβ
If the original non-AI image was directly assigned to someone, its Background Removed AI-edited version will now correctly inherit that relationship.
β
π¦ Order Details Fix
β
π Package captions now display correctlyβ
Fixed cases where Order Details did not show caption information for certain products contained inside packages.
β
π± Capture App 5.9.1 β iOS OTA
β
πΈ Photo Booth fix for iPadβ
Fixed the Photo Booth gallery strip being cut off on certain iPad models.
β
Thatβs the week!
β
More Virtual Group control, a much stronger Background Removal workflow, some useful exposure tools, and plenty of fresh sports backgrounds to work with.
β
And if you still donβt like the backgrounds... now youβve got plenty of ways to show us how itβs done. π
Candy here with another round of updates! This weekβs highlights include a fresh redesign for Titled Luxe Prints, a brand-new 4Γ6 size, continued Background Removal improvements, and some helpful Dashboard upgrades for PhotoRosters, Event Tags, and Positive ID workflows.
β
β¨ Titled Luxe Prints Get a Refresh
β
Titled Luxe Prints have been reworked to feel more like the classic PartyPics style while still keeping the premium embellishments that make them special.
Weβre continuing to tune Background Removal so cutouts look cleaner across more shooting conditions. Stay tuned for even more improvements!
β
π± Capture App 5.9.1 β Android
β
π· Full-quality internal camera capture
Android devices now use the full available quality of their internal cameras when shooting through the Capture App.
Previously, it was using a down-sized version!
β
π₯οΈ Dashboard Improvements
β
πͺͺ Faster Positive ID Scanner Card generation
The Scanner IDΒ Workflow's Scan Card PDFΒ Generator is now performs better, stalls less, and produces significantly smaller download files.
β
β οΈ Background artwork warningβ
When uploading an Event background, NowCandid can now detect text or logos and show an extra warning.
This reinforces the existing recommendation to avoid placing important text or branding on backgrounds where product cropping could cut it off. Use our Overlay features instead!
β
β¨ Clearer Auto Editor folder naming
Manage Images now shows a sparkles icon for Folders containing AI edits, with clearer formatting for Folders created by the Auto Editor.
β
π₯ Import PhotoRosters directly from Participant List
Face Matching Events now have an Import from PhotoRoster button at the top of the Participant List page, letting you select and import a PhotoRoster without navigating away.
β
π¨ Candy Image Studio & Auto Editor
β
πΌοΈ Background Generator improvements
Outputs are now sized more appropriately for uploading back into an Event
Generated background sets match each other more consistently
β
π° Every node now displays its price
Previously, only discounted nodes showed pricing. Now every node clearly displays what it costs!
Expect more nodes with their own unique prices in the future! We will continue to build on and improve our Auto Edit &Β Image Studio tools.
Nodes can no longer be drag-and-dropped into different edit "orders".
Their hierarchy is now set automatically so edits run in the best possible sequence without you needing to think about it!
β
π οΈ Auto Editor UI refreshed
Several interface changes make setup and options clearer and easier to understand.
β
π PhotoRoster Improvements
β
π₯ Multiple PhotoRosters per Event
Fixed an issue that could prevent you from importing more than one PhotoRoster into the same Event.
β
π¬ Clearer disabled export messaging
If Export is unavailable, clicking it now explains why.
β
π« Empty PhotoRosters canβt be exported
A PhotoRoster must have at least one member with an image before it can be exported to an Event.
β
π Password-Protected Public Event Lists
β
Event Tags now have an optional extra layer of privacy:
β
π Password-protect your Public Event List Pages:
β Set a password while creating a new Event Tag
βοΈ OR add or remove the password using the Event Tag editor
β
This works similarly to the password protection for your Private Image Download Galleries.
β
ποΈ Retail Fixes & Protection
β
πΌοΈ Fixed package editing edge cases where the Overlay step could be missing while choosing a new image
β
π‘οΈ Additional GalleryGuard improvements
β
Thatβs the week!
β
The refreshed Titled Luxe Prints are the star of this update, with better Background Removal, easier PhotoRoster importing, and more control over Event Tags rounding things out.
Candy here with this weekβs 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.
β
Weβve also added undo and redo to Virtual Group Builder, improved green screen cutouts, and cleaned up a few retail download issues.
β
Letβs take a look!
β
π¨ Candy Image Studio: Better Results & New Lower-Cost Edits
β
Several Candy Image Studio nodes have been reworked with more consistent output quality and new discounted pricing.
β
β« Improved Black & White edits β now 4Β’β
Both existing Black & White nodes have been rebuilt to produce more reliable, consistent results.
β
β¨ Improved Retouch β now 6Β’β
The Retouch node now produces much more consistent results and is available at a lower price.
β
ποΈ New 35mm Film node β 4Β’β
The previous Film Style node has been replaced with a new and improved 35mm Film treatment.
β
πΈ New Clarendon node β 4Β’β
Apply a look inspired by the familiar Clarendon-style social media filter.
β
π³ More flexible edit pricing
β
Some nodes now display their own lower price. Candy Image Studio charges based on the highest-priced node included in the edit.
β
For example:
An edit using only a 4Β’ node costs 4Β’
If that same edit also includes a standard node, normal 2K or 4K pricing applies
β
This lets simpler edits cost less when you're not using the more advanced edits!
β
β
β
βοΈ New Background Removal Options for AI Edits
β
Candy Image Studio and Auto Editor now work more closely with Events using Background Removal folders.
β
πΌοΈ Candy Image Studio can send an edit into Background Removalβ
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.
β
β
βοΈ Auto Editor adds a Background Removal size optionβ
If Background Removal folders are enabled, you can choose Background Removal. Edited images will then upload into a folder marked for Background Removal.
β
π οΈ Auto Editor folder fixβ
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.
β
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.
Download behavior is more reliable on desktop and Android for Events without artwork.
β
πΌοΈ Free Gallery Download resolution fixedβ
Free Gallery Downloads on QuicEvents now correctly deliver full-resolution images instead of medium resolution.
β
π§² Photo Magnet artwork fixβ
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.
β
π± Mobile Dashboard 4.1 for Android
β
π° New βCha Chingβ notification soundβ
Weekly order notifications on Android now include the same Cha Ching sound effect already available on iOS.
β
π Swipe to open the Sidebarβ
Swipe inward from the left edge of the screen to open the Sidebar, matching the iOS experience.
β
π€ Google Play compatibility updatesβ
The app also includes required changes for the latest Google Play requirements.
β
Thatβs the week!
β
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.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.