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Weekly Recap: More Virtual Group Control, New Sports Backgrounds & Better BGR Tools 🏈✨

Weekly Recap: More Virtual Group Control, New Sports Backgrounds & Better BGR Tools 🏈✨
Hey photo friends! 👋

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, and—yes—27 new sports background sets. 😎

Let’s jump in!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Virtual Group Builder Additions

Ask and you shall receive... sometimes! We’ve gotten some good feedback on Virtual Group Builder, and this week several new controls are here to make layouts easier to fine-tune:

↕️ Force subjects onto different rows

  • 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!

🔍 New logo size slider

  • 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!

🌫️ Individual cutout fade control

  • 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.

👥 Smarter merged-participant image selection

  • 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!

Just a few additions, but very useful ones when you’re trying to get a Virtual Group looking just right!

Drag and drop subjects into other rows for more control than ever!

New options to more quickly space out your subjects!

When viewing subject details, adjust them by individual!

Control the size of your logos!

🏈 27 New Sports Background Sets

Alright, shoutout to the random guy who told me (me being Candy, in case you forgot!) that he didn’t like the backgrounds. We heard you! 😂

This week we’ve added 27 new sets of sports backgrounds, including a brand-new Sports – Locker Room background category.

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.

A quick reminder... you already have a lot of control over which backgrounds your customers actually see:

🎨 Edit the default backgrounds in your Offers

📤 Upload your own custom backgrounds at both the Offer-level and Event-level

🤖 Generate new backgrounds of your own with AI

🏈 Choose from our (now growing) collection of built-in choices

We have a TON of default backgrounds—and yes, many have been around for a while—but you’re never locked into using them. You can build your own look for your business, and we’ll keep adding new options over time too.

✂️ New Dedicated Background Removal Page

Event Background Removal now has its own dedicated Dashboard page, accessible from the Event Sidebar. It is not longer just a popup!

The BGR toggle on Event Overview will take you there too, giving all of these controls a little more breathing room.

On the new page, you can:

✅ Enable or disable Background Removal

🖼️ Manage your Event Backgrounds

🎨 See your Offer Backgrounds with a direct link to the Offer

📊 See how many cutouts have finished and how many are still processing

⏳ Watch a live progress bar while Background Removal is working

📂 See all valid Event folders and which ones are marked for Background Removal

And if your Event is a new Event: ✂️ You can mark an existing folder for Background Removal even if it already contains images!!!

🎨 Candy Image Studio: Better Exposure Fixes

🌙 New Fix Underexposure node

  • Helps recover images that came out too dark.

☀️ Fix Overexposure greatly improved

  • The existing overexposure tool has been reworked for more reliable results.

Utilize Candy Image Studio to fix images so they can sell, quickly and affordably!

🏈 Jersey Jotter Progress Tracking

New Jersey Jotter progress bar

  • When Jersey Jotter is active and still has unprocessed images, its dedicated page now shows processing progress—similar to Candy Culler and the new Background Removal page.

This makes it much easier to tell whether recognition is still working through a large Event.

🛍️ Retail Improvements

Titled Luxe Prints now work with package prefill

  • Packages can now automatically prefill eligible Titled Luxe Print products just like other supported products.

🖼️ Titled Luxe Print package rendering fixed

  • Fixed an issue where these products could render incorrectly inside packages.

🤖 AI-generated backgrounds now render correctly on products

🎨 Selected backgrounds now stay visible through the final product step

  • Fixed an issue where the chosen background could sometimes disappear on renders when reaching quantity and finish steps.

📝 Several product descriptions updated

  • Some product descriptions have been refreshed for better clarity.

🖼️ AI Edit + BGR Assignment Fix

👥 BGR versions of AI edits now keep direct participant assignments

  • If the original non-AI image was directly assigned to someone, its Background Removed AI-edited version will now correctly inherit that relationship.

📦 Order Details Fix

📝 Package captions now display correctly

  • Fixed cases where Order Details did not show caption information for certain products contained inside packages.

📱 Capture App 5.9.1 – iOS OTA

📸 Photo Booth fix for iPad

  • Fixed the Photo Booth gallery strip being cut off on certain iPad models.

That’s the week!

More Virtual Group control, a much stronger Background Removal workflow, some useful exposure tools, and plenty of fresh sports backgrounds to work with.

And if you still don’t like the backgrounds... now you’ve got plenty of ways to show us how it’s done. 😉

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 – The New NowCandid Web Dashboard 🎄🎁
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December 14, 2024

📸 Candy’s 12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 – The New NowCandid Web Dashboard 🎄🎁

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Hello, my merry photographer friends! 🎅

Candy here, and I’m excited to kick off a special holiday celebration with all of you!

For the next 11 days, we’ll be counting down the 12 Days of Christmas by revisiting one of our biggest, most impactful NowCandid features from 2024 each day. Then, on December 25th, we’ll unwrap a brand-new surprise—one of our biggest new features of the year!

Let’s begin Day 1 by shining a festive spotlight on the all-new NowCandid Web Dashboard, a cornerstone of our 2024 improvements that completely transformed how you manage your photography business online.

What Changed in 2024:

  • Participant Details & Gallery Management:

    With the new dashboard, you can dive straight into a participant’s details, view their assigned images, and even add more images to their gallery if needed. This level of control made delivering a personalized experience easier than ever.
  • Enhanced Order Details & Reports:

    Gone are the days of scattered information. The updated dashboard brought comprehensive order details front and center, along with in-depth reports. Now you can monitor sales, understand trends, and make data-driven decisions with confidence.
  • Streamlined Image Downloads:

    Need to access event images quickly? The new dashboard let you download images right from your event pages, saving time and ensuring you have what you need at your fingertips—no extra steps required.

From improved participant oversight to richer analytics and convenient image downloads, the new NowCandid Web Dashboard was a game-changer.

It set the tone for a year filled with upgrades that helped you run your business more efficiently, serve your clients better, and ultimately capture more smiles.🎉

Stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow, where we’ll highlight another standout feature from 2024.🎄✨

Until then, keep embracing the holiday spirit and know that something truly special awaits you on December 25th!

Candy 🍬

Weekly Recap: QuicPics Improvements! 📸🎉
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Weekly Recap: QuicPics Improvements! 📸🎉

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Hello again, my wonderful photographers! 🎅

Candy here, bringing you another Weekly Recap. It’s a light week for changes, but we’ve got a couple of handy tweaks worth mentioning. Let’s dive in! 🌟

1. Bigger, Better Downloads for QuicPics & QuicPics GO 🏆

  • Improved Download Quality: Images downloaded directly from the retail site during QuicPics or QuicPics GO events—via “tap and hold” or the download icon—now come closer in size and quality to what clients receive through free downloads at checkout or via MMS.
  • Richer Image Experience: This enhancement means end customers get crisper, more detailed images, no matter how they choose to save them.

2. Clearer QuicPics Products in the Offer Creator 💡

  • Improved UI Guidance: The two QuicPics products are now always listed at the top of every custom offer in the Offer Creator.
  • Easier Understanding: Notes explain that these items only appear if you’re running a QuicPics or QuicPics GO event. This helps photographers realize they don’t need to manually add free downloads—QuicPics has them covered.

Looking Ahead: The 12 Days of Christmas Countdown 🎄

Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin a special 12 Days of Christmas countdown. Each day leading up to December 25th, we’ll revisit one of 2024’s biggest features. On the final day, we’ll unwrap a brand-new surprise—one of the year’s biggest new additions!

Stay tuned, enjoy the holiday season, and get ready for a festive lineup of features! 🎁

Candy 🍬

Candy's Weekly Recap: Extended Positive ID Events, Enhanced Order Details & More!📸🎉
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December 6, 2024

Candy's Weekly Recap: Extended Positive ID Events, Enhanced Order Details & More!📸🎉

4
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Hello, my fabulous photographer friends!

Candy here, ready to sprinkle some sparkle on your day with our latest Weekly Recap! 🌟

We've been tinkering away to bring you some delightful updates that'll make your NowCandid experience even better—just in time for the holiday season! Let's dive in! 🏊‍♀️

1. Extended Duration for Positive ID Events 🎅

Great news for those capturing the magic of the season!

  • Positive ID Events Now Up to 30 Days Long: You can now edit your Positive ID Workflow events to extend their end date up to 30 days.
  • Why This Matters:
    • Longer Visibility: Events will stay visible on the selection screen of the Capture & Upload App for a longer period, beyond the typical 5-day range.
    • Perfect for Holiday Events: This change is especially helpful for those using our Scanner ID and Type & Take workflows for Santa photos and other festive events.
  • Note: This extension is currently only for Positive ID Events. Events using the Face Matching Workflow remain unchanged.
  • Holiday Cheer: Don't forget to try out our Candy Cane retail theme, stuffed with plenty of holiday spirit to make your galleries extra festive! 🎄

2. Enhanced Order Details in Web Dashboard 🛍️

We've supercharged the Order Details to keep you in the loop!

  • More Informative Order Details:
    • Comprehensive Info: Access all the information you need about each order directly from the dashboard.
    • Clickable Orders: Orders in the recent orders lists are now clickable, taking you straight to detailed order pages.
  • Participant Integration:
    • Jump to Participant Details: If an order is tied to a participant, you can navigate directly to their details page.
    • View Images & Marketing History: See their images, marketing interactions, and more.
  • Did You Know? 🤔
    • NowCandid Handles Retail Support: That's right! We take care of much of the retail support for you, including order resubmissions. You can focus on capturing moments while we handle the rest!

3. Improved Scan Card Generation Performance 📝

We've fine-tuned the Scan Card generation to make it smoother than ever!

  • Performance Boost:
    • Faster Generation: Recent updates had slowed down scan card creation, but we've optimized the process.
    • Reliability Restored: Generating Scan Card PDFs should now work properly and more efficiently.
  • Why It Matters:
    • Seamless Workflow: Especially important for high-volume events like holiday photo sessions.
    • Feedback Welcome: If you notice anything not performing as expected or have suggestions, please let us know!
  • A Festive Note:
    • We're committed to resolving any issues faster than Santa delivering presents to billions of children across the globe in just 24 hours! (All those cookies must give him quite the sugar rush.) 🍪🎅

We're always here to support you!

So please, feel free to share your feedback or questions.

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

P.S. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season filled with magical moments to capture! 🎁✨

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.

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