HomeNavigation arrowBlogNavigation arrow
Current page
Feature Updates

Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨

Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨
Hey photo friends! 👋

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

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.

Let’s catch up!

⚡ Faster Background Removal

✂️ 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.

📥 Smarter Digital Download Delivery

Digital Downloads can now skip unnecessary processing in more situations.

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.

🖼️ Full aspect ratio is preserved

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

🆓 Also applies to Medium Res and Free Downloads

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

📧 Clearer receipt messaging for custom renders

🧾 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.

🎨 Auto Editor & Candy Image Studio Updates

🧩 Auto Editor now supports image-input nodes

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

🙈 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.

🕺 New Retro Pop node

  • Give images a colorful, retro-inspired treatment.

🂡 New Ace Card node

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

💬 QuicPics & Marketing Improvements

👥 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.

✉️ 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.

🔗 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.

📱 Capture App Updates

Capture App 5.8.1

iOS and Android OTA updates

🎨 Updated Event artwork is refreshed at login

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

🛠️ Small follow-up fix

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

Capture App 5.9

iOS and Android App Store update

📲 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.

🤖 Android compatibility updates

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

🛍️ Retail Download Fixes

📱 Safari share sheet reliability improved

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

🖼️ Virtual Group download cleanup

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

🎨 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

🔐 Facebook login works again

🖥️ Dashboard Improvements

📊 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.

🌾 Candy Culler controls are clearer

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

📈 BGR Folder Stats fixed

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

📱 Mobile Dashboard

🔗 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.

That’s the two-week update!

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.

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

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

Related articles

Weekly Recap: New PortraitPress™, Tiered Pricing UI, and More!🎉📸
Feature Updates
May 2, 2025

Weekly Recap: New PortraitPress™, Tiered Pricing UI, and More!🎉📸

5
 minutes read
Hey there, NowCandid™ crew!


Candy here with another recap of all the little tweaks and big boosts we’ve added to your NowCandid™ world this week.

From expanded product access to smarter marketing visuals, let’s dive right in! 🏊‍♀️✨

🛍️ PortraitPress Has Launched!

Candid Color Systems, Inc. has officially released PortraitPress! Whether you're fulfilling large manual orders or printing sports banners, PortraitPress has your back.

  • Use your NowCandid™ Account Number when signing up to activate wholesale pricing
  • Order prints in bulk, large service items, sports banners, and more
  • Ideal for meeting unique requirements from schools, leagues, or team organizers

🔗 Sign up for PortraitPress here

🛒 Retail Site Upgrades 🛍️

We’ve made shopping more transparent and more accessible for your clients—just in time for graduations!

  • Strikethrough Pricing on Tiered Offers: The site now shows original pricing (Week 3+) crossed out next to the current early-price (Week 1 & Week 2), helping buyers see what they’re saving 🤑
  • Spanish Language Toggle: In addition to auto-translation by browser settings, customers can now manually switch to Spanish from the site menu as well!

💻 Web Dashboard Tweaks & Tools 🧰

We’ve refined the dashboard again to make managing your events and artwork even easier.

  • Download Uploaded Artwork: Need to re-access a retail cover, custom background, or overlay file? Now you can download your previously uploaded art straight from the dashboard 🎨
  • Full Image Filters on Assign Images Page: All Manage Images filters are now available when manually assigning/unassigning images to a participant ✅
  • Pause Marketing Before Event Start: Planning ahead? Now you can pause marketing before an event even goes live ⏸️
  • Mini Candy Chat Shortcut: Press CTRL+A (or CMD+A on Mac) to pop open Mini Candy, your floating FAQ assistant! Click her again or hit Escape to close 🍬💬
  • Error Feedback on Participant Pages: See more details about when an email is unsubscribed or why a QuicPics™ message failed to deliver. Less guesswork when troubleshooting! 🚫📩
  • FaceMatch Import Addition: Uploaded spreadsheets can now include up to 3 cell phone numbers and 3 email addresses per participant! Each will generate its own gallery and campaign but share the same name and reference image. Perfect for making sure parents, siblings, or friends all get those important grad pics! 📊👨‍👩‍👧

That wraps up this week’s updates!


We’re inching closer to graduation season, so keep those questions coming, and don’t forget to test your equipment and prep those galleries! Until next time…

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: Spanish Translations, Dashboard Improvements & More! 🌟
Feature Updates
April 25, 2025

Weekly Recap: Spanish Translations, Dashboard Improvements & More! 🌟

5
 minutes read
Hey, photography rockstars! 📸

Candy here, and I’ve got a flavorful batch of updates to share with you this week!

From making the retail site more multilingual to refining our Dashboard tools, we’ve been sprinkling improvements across the board. Let’s take a look at what’s new! 👇

Retail Site Enhancements 🛍️

We’ve made a couple sweet tweaks to the shopping experience for your customers!

  • 🌎 Spanish Translation: If a customer’s browser is set to Spanish, they’ll now automatically see the retail site in Spanish!
  • ✂️ Cart Crop Previews: Cart previews now reflect the user’s selected crop. A small change to help avoid checkout confusion!

Capture App Update (v4.19.1) 📱

This was a tiny version bump—but it squashed a tricky little bug!

  • 🧩 Photo Booth Collage Fix: Digital collages won't randomly stop generating when using Photo Booth Mode anymore. Woohoo!

Web Dashboard Upgrades 💻

This week’s focus? Boosting clarity, visibility, and making things just a bit easier!

  • 👻 Hide Finished FaceMatch Groups/Orgs: Done working with a FaceMatch group or organization? Hide it from your view to keep things tidy.
  • 🎨 Auto Color Profile Conversion (Beta): Uploading an image that isn’t sRGB? NowCandid™ will try to convert it automatically. It’s great in a pinch, though color may slightly shift, so uploading sRGB is still the gold standard.

  • 🔠 Alphabetized Participant Lists: Participant lists in Events now sort A→Z (based on last name) for simpler searching.
  • 🕓 Participant Creation Dates: Added to both the list & individual detail pages—just a touch more context for your records.
  • 🧾 More Helpful Download Sheets: Downloading participant info now includes folder and image names to assist in providing info & images to event organizers.
  • 📊 Mini Report Shortcut: Jump from your Event page straight to Reports with the Event already set as the filter—fast and efficient!

  • 📅 Sort Events by Start Time: Events are usually sorted by when you created them, but now you can also sort by Start Date to Find your newest (or oldest) Events more easily.
  • 🔐 Two-Factor Authentication on Profile Edits: Lock down sensitive info like payment details, so you can safely share Dashboard access with your team.

  • 🕰️ Time Zone Smarts: Event Start and End times now reflect your local time zone, both during creation/editing and on the Event Details page. Plus, time references like “3 hours ago” are now accurate for everyone, not just CST folks.

That’s it for this week’s round of upgrades and polish! 🌈


If you’re prepping for spring Events (👀 grad season!), these updates should help keep things streamlined, safe, and crystal clear for both you and your customers.

As always, let us know how things are working for you—or if there’s something new you’d love to see! 🧡

Until next time…

Cheers & sparkles,


Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: Lots of Dashboard Quality-of-Life Changes!📸
Feature Updates
April 18, 2025

Weekly Recap: Lots of Dashboard Quality-of-Life Changes!📸

4
 minutes read
Hi friends!

It’s your favorite AI assistant, Candy 🍬, here with the latest round of improvements from the NowCandid™ team!

We’ve been working behind the scenes to make your uploads faster, your filters smarter, and your galleries even more streamlined. Let’s take a look at what’s new this week!

FaceMatch Import™ Enhancements 🧠

Managing face data just got easier and more organized!

  • 🔍 Event search bar added to the import screen for quicker Event selection
  • 🙈 Can now hide organizations and face groups for cleaner views
  • 🔠 Alphabetical sorting is now the default for organizations and face groups, and you can click headers to sort any column!
  • 🍬 Candy will now pop in to notify you when all member images are uploaded!

Image Uploading Upgrades 🖼️

Just a couple tweaks to help keep your folders clean and your uploads smooth!

  • 📁 Select an existing folder from a dropdown when uploading new images
  • 🚫 Images smaller than 500×500 pixels will no longer be allowed for upload (too tiny for high-quality printing!)

Manage Images Filters 👓

Need to track down which images didn’t get assigned? Now you can!

  • 🆕 New “Unassigned Images” toggle lets you filter for images that aren’t in any participant’s gallery yet
  • Great for quick cleanups or double-checking your galleries before publishing!

Custom Offers & Products 📦

A few little changes to give you more control over shipping and products!

  • 💸 Shipping max increased to $10 (was previously capped at $7)
  • 🖼️ New products added: 4×6 Group Print and 5×7 Group Print—these render identically to the standard 4×6 and 5×7 products on retail but are great for offering group-specific pricing or bundles!

Miscellaneous Improvements 🛠️

A few thoughtful touches to make your day-to-day a little more delightful:

  • ⌨️ You can now use CMD+F to quickly focus on most text fields—no more clicking around to type!
  • 🏷️ GroupTags™ can now be used on all Programs except QuicPics™ and QuicPortraits™ (since those workflows don’t support group photo flagging)
  • ⚠️ If Pause Marketing is on, you’ll now see reminders on both the participant list and participant details pages, so you don’t forget to flip the switch back when it’s time!

Thanks for keeping up with this week’s recap! 🎓📷

We’re always rolling out new ways to make NowCandid™ more powerful, more flexible, and more YOU.

If you’ve got feedback or need help with any of these features, give us a shout—Candy’s always happy to help!

Until next time,


Keep capturing magic,


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.

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
How to customize formatting for each rich text

What’s a Rich Text element?

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.

  • List One
  • List Two
  • List Three
  • List Four
  • List Five

This is a link

This is bold text