Proofs on CD?

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show, but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow, making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

I supply my clients with original files and a thumbnail index on CD-ROM. With plain old HTML on an ISO 9660 disk, anyone with a web browser can view my photos. This is my workflow:

1. Shoot "Fine" quality JPEGs with normal sharpening (or Nikon NEF raw format and convert to JPEG).

2. Delete bad photos, rotate verticals and batch rename using ACDSee. I use the name format YYMMDD##, where ## is a alphabetical sequence i.e. AA, AB, AC, etc. This allows a six-digit date and up to 676 photos per job directory. Keeping all filenames eight characters or fewer is necessary in the ISO 9660 disk format.

3. Generate 400 pixel high images using a Photoshop action. These are medium size photos that will fit in most browser windows down to 800x600 resolution--which lots of people are still using.

4. Create HTML index pages using Jasc Media Center and their "MCML" scripting extensions.

5. Burn the CD-ROM, make a custom CD label, invoice, and it's ready to go. This is what an index page looks like:



The whole process is faster than it might seem once you get the hang of it. If you go the HTML route I have some (hopefully useful) advice:

Don't use the size attribute in HTML to resize photos--this will really slow down an old machine. Stick to HTML--avoid any style sheets, XML, Java, JavaScript, Flash, etc. There are still people using Windows 95 and version 3 browsers and they'll just get loads of error messages.

I deal mostly with big organizations and they buy prints from me even though they have my original files. If you give large files to the general public, many people will make inkjet prints from the CD--so you might want to add a watermark or supply only low-resolution files.

Good luck,
Fred

Truelight said:

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing
graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a
good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what
they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based
slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show,
but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to
properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow,
making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many
clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding
the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on
my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't
really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

Click to expand...

You can also look at

http://www.flipalbum.com/

Bill

Truelight said:

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing
graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a
good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what
they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based
slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show,
but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to
properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow,
making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many
clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding
the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on
my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't
really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

Click to expand...

Hey Rick,

Check out this thread from SonyTalk Forum. I've had quite a few folks test this application for me, but I'd still be happy to send it off to you to use (free). Lately, I've been creating customized versions for a few folks at a very modest cost. For proof CDs, I just use low resolution versions of the photos that the client can use for ordering or to email to family and friends. For my family and friends, I use full resolution (5MP) photos.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1009&message=3377006

--
Doug --
It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Rick,

Take Fred's advice and stick with an HTML based preview solution. I'm willing to bet all your potential clients have a web browser on there system. Choosing a presentation program that uses a proprietary viewer is not a good idea. Some people might frown on installing a program to view pictures not to mention there are platform issues to deal with. What does a Mac user use if you hand them a Pictures to Exe presentation? Stick with HTML and it won't matter what platform your client uses.

rob

Truelight said:

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing
graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a
good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what
they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based
slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show,
but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to
properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow,
making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many
clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding
the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on
my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't
really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

Click to expand...

Fred:

Did you try the HTML generator in PS7 and decide it was inadequate? I really like your approach but was wondering on the use of the Jasc solution over PS.

David,

I'm not using Photoshop 7 and the HTML from version 5.5 is too generic for me. I didn't indicate this in my last post, but my current system creates three layers of HTML pages:

1. 150 pixel thumbnails.
2. 400 pixel height individual images.
3. Full size files.

Photoshop 5.5 only does thumbnails and full-size photos and you can't add links or text or customize the appearance.

The good part about Media Center is that you can do any type of HTML page you want. In fact, the stock pages it creates are ugly looking and use JavaScript for basic functions. My custom pages use the exact table layout and colors I prefer.

I noticed that many people here like the idea of slideshow software, but a professional solution should work on both Mac and Windows machines. Don't forget that most graphic designers and pre-press types work on Macs.

Fred

David said:

Fred:

Did you try the HTML generator in PS7 and decide it was inadequate?
I really like your approach but was wondering on the use of the
Jasc solution over PS.

Click to expand...

Rick - while I am not a professional, I do have the same requirement ... my solution....

I use MultiMedia Builder from mediachance ( http://www.mediachance.com ) to build a menu front-end.... one of the options is slide show (via picstoexe) .. another option is a link to an online site where I've uploaded the pics (sometimes to my site ... sometimes to a site like photoacces where they can order their own prints)
Bill

I don't have Photoshop nor the Jasc product. I do however have ACDSee and have been experimenting with its HTML generator. It might do the trick.

• Rick

David said:

Fred:

Did you try the HTML generator in PS7 and decide it was inadequate?
I really like your approach but was wondering on the use of the
Jasc solution over PS.

Click to expand...

--

• Rick

Rick,

I'm on a Mac so I use iView but what I've seen ACDSee does a similar job.

Good luck,
rob

Truelight said:

• Rick

David said:

Fred:

Did you try the HTML generator in PS7 and decide it was inadequate?
I really like your approach but was wondering on the use of the
Jasc solution over PS.

Click to expand...

--

• Rick

Click to expand...

This is quite similar to my proofing system. I do have a VERY fast computer, however, I still found the rotation, resize, to gallery process much faster in ACDsee than PS. I guess it all boils down to what your used to. Are you using the latest version of ACDsee?

Fred Stucker said:

1. Shoot "Fine" quality JPEGs with normal sharpening (or Nikon NEF
raw format and convert to JPEG).

2. Delete bad photos, rotate verticals and batch rename using
ACDSee. I use the name format YYMMDD##, where ## is a alphabetical
sequence i.e. AA, AB, AC, etc. This allows a six-digit date and up
to 676 photos per job directory. Keeping all filenames eight
characters or fewer is necessary in the ISO 9660 disk format.

3. Generate 400 pixel high images using a Photoshop action. These
are medium size photos that will fit in most browser windows down
to 800x600 resolution--which lots of people are still using.

4. Create HTML index pages using Jasc Media Center and their
"MCML" scripting extensions.

5. Burn the CD-ROM, make a custom CD label, invoice, and it's
ready to go. This is what an index page looks like:



The whole process is faster than it might seem once you get the
hang of it. If you go the HTML route I have some (hopefully
useful) advice:

Don't use the size attribute in HTML to resize photos--this will
really slow down an old machine. Stick to HTML--avoid any style
sheets, XML, Java, JavaScript, Flash, etc. There are still people
using Windows 95 and version 3 browsers and they'll just get loads
of error messages.

I deal mostly with big organizations and they buy prints from me
even though they have my original files. If you give large files
to the general public, many people will make inkjet prints from the
CD--so you might want to add a watermark or supply only
low-resolution files.

Good luck,
Fred

Truelight said:

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing
graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a
good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what
they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based
slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show,
but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to
properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow,
making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many
clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding
the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on
my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't
really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Putting the proofs online is very cool, however, it will take forever for the viewer to "proof" the shoot if you have hundreds of images. I often post proof galleries online when I have small jobs, but for most jobs, where the images could number to the thousands, a cd is much more practical (they can view it anytime, no loading times, no costs for being online, etc.)

I'll have to check out those links you mentioned. Thanks!

Bill C said:

Rick - while I am not a professional, I do have the same
requirement ... my solution....
I use MultiMedia Builder from mediachance ( http://www.mediachance.com )
to build a menu front-end.... one of the options is slide show (via
picstoexe) .. another option is a link to an online site where I've
uploaded the pics (sometimes to my site ... sometimes to a site
like photoacces where they can order their own prints)
Bill

Click to expand...

I am doing a proof CD right now! The latest version of ACDsee handles the process wonderfully.

MY Process: (I use a card reader to upload my files, PC)

1. In the original folder, I rotate all images necessary.

2. I then copy the original folder with the shoot in it and paste it to my desktop

3. I rename the copied folder "XXX" HTML
4. I resize all filesto no more than 700px high & wide
5. Do HTML gallery

The process is very fast... the resizing can take some time though.

The key is to always copy the original folder. That way, if you screw it up in any way, just copy the original folder again. I always like to be safe.

This works well for me. I tried a bunch of other methods... PS, other "jazzed up" methods, but in the end, this takes the least amount of time for me and the easiest for the user when they open the CD- I label the HTML pages "OPEN ME". ALl they do is open that file and they're all set.

There probably is a better method, but this is mine!
Good Luck.

Truelight said:

I'm just getting into a bit of portrait photography, doing
graduation photos and such. Using digital it occurs to me that a
good way to have clients view "proofs" so they can select what
they'd like to have printed would be to perhaps make a CD-based
slide show using something like Pictures to Exe.

One problem I'm finding however is that I can make a nice PTE show,
but then the client will lack a machine with the "horsepower" to
properly play the show. I've also played a bit with Xatshow,
making VCDs which can be viewed in a DVD player, but again, many
clients lack compatible players.

I'd be curious what other digital photographers are doing regarding
the issue of making proofs. I can print a sheet of thumbnails on
my inkjet printer, but the small size and inkjet quality doesn't
really represent my work very well.

How are some of you digital pros handling proofs? Thanks...

• Rick

--

• Rick

Click to expand...