HomeNavigation arrowBlogNavigation arrow
Current page
Feature Updates

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 🍬

Related articles

Big News: Introducing the "View Photos in Sequence" Button for SportsPics! 📣⚽
Feature Updates
October 15, 2024

Big News: Introducing the "View Photos in Sequence" Button for SportsPics! 📣⚽

3
 minutes read
Hello, amazing photographers and sports enthusiasts!

Candy here with some thrilling news that'll make capturing and enjoying those epic sports moments even better! 🌟

Drumroll, please... 🥁 We're excited to introduce the new "View Photos in Sequence" button on the Retail site. It will be visible on SportsPics Events using Face Matching! 🎉

What's the Buzz About?

Imagine you're photographing a high-energy soccer game. You've snapped a series of shots capturing the intensity of the match. Some photos feature the players' faces, which, thanks to our Face Matching technology and Selfie Check-In or Tap-A-Face workflows, automatically land in their personal galleries.

BUT what about those incredible action shots where the player's face isn't visible? 🤔

That's where our "View Photos in Sequence" button comes into play!

How Does It Work?

When your customers view a photo in their personal gallery, they'll now see a "View Photos in Sequence" button. Clicking this button allows them to explore images taken immediately before and after that specific shot.

This means they can easily find and enjoy all the action-packed moments, even if their face isn't visible in every photo! 🏃‍♂️⚡

The button is visible when previewing a personal gallery photo on the retail site

Why You'll Love It

  • Expand Your Memories: Players can now discover more photos of themselves, capturing every twist, turn, and goal—even those where they're zooming past the camera!
  • Enhanced Engagement: Offering more images increases the chances of customers finding that perfect shot they can't wait to share or purchase.
  • Effortless Navigation: It's simple and intuitive—just a click, and they're exploring a sequence of moments from the game.

A Game-Changer for Sports Photography

This feature is a win-win for everyone:

  • Photographers: Showcase more of your work and provide added value to your clients.
  • Athletes and Families: Relive the excitement of the game with a comprehensive view of their performance.
  • Boost Sales: More images mean more opportunities for sales and happy customers!

Ready to Try It Out?

The "View Image Sequence" button is now live for all SportsPics Events using Face Matching. So go ahead and give it a spin in your next event! We can't wait to see the amazing moments you'll capture and share. 📷💫

As always, we're here to help you make the most of NowCandid's features.

If you have any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to reach out!

Cheers and high fives,

Candy 🍬

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Exciting Updates to Boost Your NowCandid Experience! 📸🎉
Feature Updates
October 11, 2024

Candy’s Weekly Recap: Exciting Updates to Boost Your NowCandid Experience! 📸🎉

6
 minutes read
Hello, my wonderful photography friends!

Candy here, back with another Weekly Recap to keep you in the loop on all the fantastic new features and improvements we've rolled out. 🌟

We've got some real game-changers this week that I'm sure you'll love. So, grab a comfy seat and let's dive in! 🛋️

Chip Board Now Included with All Print Orders 📦

We're enhancing the quality of your clients' "unboxing" experience!

  • • Protective Packaging: A small piece of Chip Board (aka Ship Board) is now included in all print envelopes.
  • • Reduces Damage: Adds extra protection to prevent potential damage during shipment.
  • • Professional Touch: Elevates the overall presentation of your delivered products.

QuicPics & QuicPics GO Enhancements 🚀

We've made some significant updates to QuicPics and QuicPics GO to make your life easier and your clients happier!

  • • Bulk Downloads: Your QuicPics customers can now download all their images at once in medium resolution, instead of adding each one to the cart individually.
  • • Renamed Product: When you're not selling high-resolution digital downloads in your QuicPics Offer, the Medium Res Download product will automatically rename to Free Download.
  • • Avoid Mistakes: We've added an extra confirmation step when creating a QuicPics Event. This popup serves as a friendly reminder to double-check your selection before proceeding!

Theme: Starburst - Watermarking: Off

Access to Selfie Check-In from All Images Gallery 📲

Sometimes you have to (or want to) share the All Images Gallery with an Event Organizer or directly to a group of customers!

Our Group-By-Face feature definitely makes navigating an entire All Images Gallery easier for customers, but it still can be tough to find that first image with their face to see the others.

This new touch will give people visiting the All Images Gallery easy access to the Event's Selfie Check-In page (when the Event is a Face Matching Event) so that they can receive a link to their personal gallery!

  • • Selfie Check-In Button: A new button is now available when visiting an Event's All Images Gallery.
  • • Easy for Groups: When sharing the All Images Gallery link, participants can now Selfie Check-In and receive their personal gallery via text.
  • • Automatic Removal: The button will disappear once the Event's face matching period has ended.

Theme: Liquorice

Order History Enhancements 🛍️

Some new quality of life improvements when it comes to your orders!

  • • Detailed Order History: When previewing an Order from a participant's details page! Includes order contents and subtotal.
  • • Participant Management Integration: An Order column has been added to the Participant Management page, so you can easily spot who has ordered and who has not.
  • • Daily Order Counts: Hover over each day's column in the Event Management page's sales chart to see the order count for that hovered day!

Import Backgrounds and Overlays from Past Events 🎨

For those of you who use the same Overlay Art or Custom Backgrounds frequently - we've sped things up for you!

  • • Quick Import: You can now easily import Backgrounds and Overlays from previous Events.
  • • Auto Refresh: When uploading Overlays and Backgrounds, the interface now auto-refreshes, so you'll know when your art is done processing.
  • • Ideal For: Photographers who frequently do repeat events or have standard branding elements.

Capture App Version 4.5 Update (for iOS)📱

We've made a small update to the iOS Capture App to start preserving image meta data after images have been uploaded!

This will enable some pretty cool additions down the line, but for now there are still some new things you can do:

  • • No More Stripping: Image metadata is no longer removed from uploaded image files when using the iOS Capture App.
  • • Accessible Metadata: So, you can now view the metadata on the images you have downloaded from the Manage Images page!
  • • Benefits:
    • Check image timestamps to check photographer productivity.
    • Review camera settings from past shoots for comparison.
    • Evaluate your own or your photographers' settings at the time a photo was taken.

Windows' "image details" information

New Marketing Preview Page 📣

A new page on the Web Dashboard that gives you a preview into the marketing campaign your customers will receive!

  • • Unified Preview: While campaigns are mostly identical right now, this new page allows you to preview them all in one place.
  • • Future Enhancements: Campaigns will become more unique to their respective markets over time.

Minor Changes & Bug Fixes 🐞

We're always working behind the scenes to improve your experience:

  • • Bugs Squashed: A variety of issues have been resolved for smoother operation on both the Web Dashboard and the Retail Site.
  • • UI Tweaks: New headers on Offers & Events pages for a more guided experience (especially for new users).
  • • Clarity Improvements: Text adjustments across the dashboard and retail site to enhance clarity.
  • • Resource Additions: New materials now accessible from the Resources page.

We hope these updates make your NowCandid journey even more enjoyable and efficient!

Your feedback is invaluable, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts or questions.

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Candy’s Weekly Recap: New Dashboard, In-Gallery Background Rendering, and More! 📸 🎉
Feature Updates
October 4, 2024

Candy’s Weekly Recap: New Dashboard, In-Gallery Background Rendering, and More! 📸 🎉

6
 minutes read
Hello, fabulous photographers!

Candy here, and I'm buzzing with excitement to bring you this week's jam-packed recap! 🌟

We've got some big news that's going to make your NowCandid experience even more delightful and efficient. So, let's dive right in! 🏊

🌐 The New Dashboard Is Here to Stay!

First things first—the new NowCandid Dashboard has officially become our main dashboard! 🎊

  • All-in-One Place: Every feature from the old dashboard (now called the Legacy Dashboard) has been brought over, plus so many more new features to supercharge your workflow.
  • New Accounts: All new NowCandid users will exclusively see the new dashboard, ensuring a seamless and modern experience right from the start.
  • Update Your Bookmarks: If you're a long-time user, it's time to say goodbye to old habits. Replace any bookmarks from dashboard.nowcandid.com with app.nowcandid.com. Trust me, you won't want to miss out on all the new goodies! 😉
  • Accessing the Legacy Dashboard: Need to peek at the old dashboard for any reason? No worries! There's a handy button on the new dashboard that lets you access it anytime.

We're thrilled about this upgrade and can't wait for you to explore all the enhanced features designed to make your life easier!

Names on orders withheld for privacy

🖼️ Photographer-Uploaded Backgrounds Render in Personal Galleries

Great news for those of you who love adding that extra flair to your images! Your uploaded backgrounds will now render directly on BGR (Background Removed) images right in your clients' personal galleries. 🌈

  • Visual Impact: Clients can instantly see how amazing their photos look with your custom backgrounds applied.
  • Boost Sales: By showcasing these options upfront, you can provide more options from the get-go it can be a more intuitive experience for your customers.

This enhancement creates a more engaging and personalized shopping experience for your clients!

Theme: Liquorice - Watermark: Default

🛍️ Retail Site Checkout Improvements

We've made some nifty changes to the checkout process to make it smoother than ever:

  • Split Process: The original checkout flow is now divided into a View Cart screen and a Checkout screen.
    • Better Visibility: Clients can easily review their cart contents before proceeding to checkout.
    • Facilitates Express Options: This change provides space to accommodate our growing number of express checkout options, making the payment process quicker and more flexible.
  • Enhanced Clarity: The new layout reduces confusion and helps prevent cart abandonment, as well as more clarity regarding subtotals and shipping costs.

Making shopping a breeze means happier clients and more sales for you! 💰

Theme: Liquorice - Watermark: Default

🎒 Bag Tag Product Now Has Live Rendering

Exciting update for the Bag Tag product:

  • Live Rendering: Clients can now see real-time previews of all art styles available for Bag Tags.

Offer your clients a preview of their custom creations to enhance their shopping experience! 🛍️

Theme: Liquorice - Watermark: Default

📝 Blog Now Accessible in the New Dashboard

Stay informed without ever leaving your dashboard!

  • Integrated Blog: Our blog is now hosted right within the new dashboard.
  • Easy Access: Get the latest updates, tips, and tutorials at your fingertips.
  • Stay Updated: Never miss out on important news that can help you make the most of NowCandid.

Knowledge is power, and we’re putting it right where you need it! 📚

🔐 Update Credit Card Info & Change Password Easily

We've streamlined account management features:

  • Change Credit Card Info: Update your payment details directly from the new dashboard.
  • Change Password: Easily keep your account secure with straightforward password management.

Your convenience and security are our top priorities! 🛡️

🌍 Now Supporting Photographers Worldwide

We’re expanding our horizons!

  • International Support: You can now select countries other than the U.S. during account creation and in your profile settings.
  • Global Community: Photographers around the world will soon be able to use NowCandid to grow their business.

No matter where you are, NowCandid is here to support your photography journey! 🌐

📞 Retail "Contact Us" Visualization

Communication made clearer!

  • Business Info Editor: In your profile settings, you can now visualize how your contact information appears to clients on the retail site.
  • Professional Appearance: Ensure your clients have the correct information to reach out to you when needed.

Clear communication builds trust and improves client relationships! 🤝

🕸️ New Font: Geist!

We're getting into the festive spirit!

  • Font Update: We've switched from Inter to Geist for both the web dashboard content and the retail site.
  • Spooky Vibes: Geist may not look spooky, but the name of the font alone adds a touch of whimsy appropriate for the Halloween season. 🎃

Enjoy a fresh look as you navigate through your dashboard and retail site! 👻

We hope these updates make your NowCandid experience even more enjoyable and efficient.

We're constantly working to bring you the best tools and features to help your photography business thrive. 🌱

As always, we're here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to reach out! 💌

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

P.S. Don't forget to update your bookmarks to app.nowcandid.com to stay connected with all the latest features! 🔖

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