Zenfolio Image Resolution - Suitable Product Sizes / Limitations when Selling

dinners

dinners

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Phil
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I've had a few sales come in through Zenfolio recently and fortunately the products ordered were 'available' because the buyers chose reproduction sizes deemed 'suitable' for those particular images.

Should the buyers have wanted some of the larger products - they would have seen the message - 'Insufficient Image Resolution for this product'

Whilst I only have a few images available at the moment it's got me wondering.

If I choose to 'Approve Orders' then I can display small images and because all orders come to me to approve - I can then ensure the best possible image is available for the product ordered however all sizes will appear available to buy.
I however elected for the hands off approach of 'Use Zenfolio Partner Labs for Fulfillment' and just made sure the highest resolution images were in place beforehand to maximise available products.

I understand why images that were a result of 'cropping' would be more limited in terms of the size that a buyer could order however, with some of the un-cropped full sized images - I'm slightly surprised at the threshhold they (partner labs) set when determining what sizes are available / unavailable for order.

Are 'available' product sizes governed entirely by the physical size of the image sitting in Zenfolio? - In simple terms - would images from a 5D Mark2 or 7D suddenly result in larger products being available compared to images from a 40D or 1D Mark 2 etc....?

Cheers

Phil
 
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I've just looked at some of my galleries which only have small photos uploaded and it doesn't say anything to the customer about what can be ordered, that is set by the products you assign to the gallery. You can set multiple product list if you like, I have 2, one for weddings/portraits and one for sports.

The client should be able to choose their crop when ordering, they can drag this to the size they like on the photo. I do sometimes contact customers and suggest a different option if something will look terrible and see what they want to do.
 
Cheers Mark

I have products 'available' for all images within a particular gallery.

Although they are all 'full size' - because the images in that gallery differ in size - what shows as an available product for one image might not show as available for the next.

Buyers can still choose where to crop etc if they wish to order a slightly different aspect ratio to the full image but they would be unable to begin the process if the selected product is deemed too large.

Taking it to the extreme - If you added a 60" X 40" Box frame print to your product list then logged out and went to select that product - it might say it was unavailabe. That is unless 'You Approved Orders' rather than letting 'Use Zenfolio Partner Labs for Fulfillment' whereby they decide was is and isn't suitable for the image.
 
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Thanks Mark

I think you confirmed that if we have our settings set to 'Approve Orders' ourselves then any products added to our price lists are available to buy even if the product is way too large for the image resolution. It would be up to us to decide whether we have an image in reserve that we're happy with IQ wise to sell as that product size in that case.

In my case I've selected 'Use Zenfolio Partner Labs for Fulfillment' in which case they themselves make that judgement call based on the size of the image I have already stored on Zenfolio hence me having the largest one uploaded in place.

In my scenario it's about what I can do to increase the max size product that 'they' deem suitable to sell. Whether it's down to the camera/s I'm using or whether they're just playing it safe and keeping the available product sizes well within the cameras / images reproduction limits.
 
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mark1616 said:
Ah, that could be the difference, I approve all orders as I don't upload fully edited photos, that would be a waste of time as many are never ordered. Makes sense now.

So did I manage to answer your question or just confuse the situation..... which I'm good at?!
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When you get an order to approve do you then upload a higher res photo and process through Zenfolio? Or do you use other labs and just send out yourself?

(Sorry for jumping in but its been something I've wondered too as for speed of upload I tend to just have low res files in the galleries - fine for web viewing but not good enough for larger prints.)
 
ShoeQueen said:
When you get an order to approve do you then upload a higher res photo and process through Zenfolio? Or do you use other labs and just send out yourself?

(Sorry for jumping in but its been something I've wondered too as for speed of upload I tend to just have low res files in the galleries - fine for web viewing but not good enough for larger prints.)
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Hi Lynn

Products fulfilled by Zenfolio partners @15% = Zenfolio will take orders, collect payments, fulfill orders, and provide customer service.

Products created and fulfilled by you @5% = Zenfolio will take orders from your clients and forward them to you. You will collect payments directly from your customers, fulfill orders, and provide customer service.

Can't speak for Mark but my understanding is you can pretty much do what you want to fulfill your own orders if you're working to the 95% / 5% split. Whether you're tied to their partner labs or free to use your own choice is what I was wondering.

At this stage I'm happy to upload best quality, do nothing, hand everything over at 15% but would love to know more about their subsequent resolution / product size limits.
 
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I have this issue, its caused by the pro lab setting a minimum image resolution they will work with. I upload shots from a D300s at 300dpi, but unless I resize them (and re-sample) they are not available above 18" x 12" One Vision list them as insufficient resolution.

A work around is to re-size in ps to 24" at 300dpi and upload these, I need to do my homework though regarding what effect this has on the quality of smaller prints (I suspect little, but tbh I'm not sure)
 
ShoeQueen said:
When you get an order to approve do you then upload a higher res photo and process through Zenfolio? Or do you use other labs and just send out yourself?

(Sorry for jumping in but its been something I've wondered too as for speed of upload I tend to just have low res files in the galleries - fine for web viewing but not good enough for larger prints.)
Click to expand...

Exactly, I have a separate hidden folder for photo orders where I can put the high res versions which will have had extra editing and then I that is sent to the lab through Zenfolio. I know I could save a little with self fulfilled, however the time saving and convenience of letting Zenfolio do it is great for me.
 
flook999 said:
I have this issue, its caused by the pro lab setting a minimum image resolution they will work with. I upload shots from a D300s at 300dpi, but unless I resize them (and re-sample) they are not available above 18" x 12" One Vision list them as insufficient resolution.

A work around is to re-size in ps to 24" at 300dpi and upload these, I need to do my homework though regarding what effect this has on the quality of smaller prints (I suspect little, but tbh I'm not sure)
Click to expand...

Interesting.

For mine - the maximum size available for 'Products fulfilled by Zenfolio partners' on a typical image are:

Prints through Photobox up to 30" x 20"
Prints through One Vision up to a 18" x 12" or 20" panoramic

Acrylic Prints through Photobox up to 70cm X 30cm
Acrylic Prints through One Vision up 18" x 12"

Canvas Wraps through Photobox up to 40.6cm x 30.5cm

Fine Art Prints or Box Frames through One Vision up to 18" x 12"

Wall Mounts through fotoflot up to 30" x 20"
 
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it seems that one vision require higher resolution than photobox, quite like Mark1616 idea of hidden Hi-res folder for prints, this will help the site load quicker and provide a little protection against image theft too, think I may try that
 
mark1616 said:
Exactly, I have a separate hidden folder for photo orders where I can put the high res versions which will have had extra editing and then I that is sent to the lab through Zenfolio. I know I could save a little with self fulfilled, however the time saving and convenience of letting Zenfolio do it is great for me.
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So how exactly does that work, if someone orders image A, its from a low res file, how then does the hi-res file get sent to the lab for printing? If you approve each order can you then substitute the file that is printed?
 
mark1616 said:
Exactly, I have a separate hidden folder for photo orders where I can put the high res versions which will have had extra editing and then I that is sent to the lab through Zenfolio. I know I could save a little with self fulfilled, however the time saving and convenience of letting Zenfolio do it is great for me.
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Hi mark why have a hidden folder, also if you have editied more then the people buying might not be happy.
 
dinners said:
Interesting.

For mine - the maximum size available for 'Products fulfilled by Zenfolio partners' on a typical image are:

Prints through Photobox up to 30" x 20"
Prints through One Vision up to a 18" x 12" or 20" panoramic

Acrylic Prints through Photobox up to 70cm X 30cm
Acrylic Prints through One Vision up 18" x 12"

Canvas Wraps through Photobox up to 40.6cm x 30.5cm

Fine Art Prints or Box Frames through One Vision up to 18" x 12"

Wall Mounts through fotoflot up to 30" x 20"
Click to expand...
where did you find out this information.
 
flook999 said:
So how exactly does that work, if someone orders image A, its from a low res file, how then does the hi-res file get sent to the lab for printing? If you approve each order can you then substitute the file that is printed?
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When you get the approve order screen you can either leave the photo as it is or you can replace with a higher res, different edit, or actually completely different looking photo (not sure that would be helpful).... basically you have full control.

scottthehat said:
Hi mark why have a hidden folder, also if you have editied more then the people buying might not be happy.
Click to expand...

I have a hidden folder for orders as I don't want people seeing random photos coming up in ones and twos in the gallery. The edits are to ensure they print as well as possible. We all know that screens are not calibrated the same.... well customers are not likely at all to even be calibrated in any way apart from what they like the look of. When they get a print I want it to look as good as possible re exposure, contrast, colour etc. Not talking about major skin touch up etc unless requested.
 
scottthehat said:
where did you find out this information.
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Scott - I just went to one of my galleries, selected an image and then in the 'buy' options viewed what products are available for people to buy - making a note of the largest option available that wasn't so large that it displayed the message about 'the image isn't high enough res for this sized option'
 
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mark1616 said:
Exactly, I have a separate hidden folder for photo orders where I can put the high res versions which will have had extra editing and then I that is sent to the lab through Zenfolio. I know I could save a little with self fulfilled, however the time saving and convenience of letting Zenfolio do it is great for me.
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Thanks Mark. So if you do that via Zenfolio do they send direct to the customer? Ie does it go through as if they had ordered apart from you changing the actual file used for the order?

I need to sort out how to do all this as even though I'm not advertising print sales, or have any prices up, I'm starting to get requests for prints so need to get a price list and system in place soon.
 
ShoeQueen said:
Thanks Mark. So if you do that via Zenfolio do they send direct to the customer? Ie does it go through as if they had ordered apart from you changing the actual file used for the order?

I need to sort out how to do all this as even though I'm not advertising print sales, or have any prices up, I'm starting to get requests for prints so need to get a price list and system in place soon.
Click to expand...

On the approve order page you have an option at the bottom to choose to ship to the customer or to you. I generally get them shipped to the customer, but for the first couple I did get them to me first to make sure everything was working OK.
 
mark1616 said:
On the approve order page you have an option at the bottom to choose to ship to the customer or to you. I generally get them shipped to the customer, but for the first couple I did get them to me first to make sure everything was working OK.
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Thanks, that's helpful. Glad this thread came up as I didn't realise you could upload a higher res file if you select to approve orders.
 
I do exactly the same as mark. I upload longest length to 1024 and set my order system to make it approve. When I get an email saying someone has ordered, I export the full res photo from Lightroom to a hidden "orders" gallery, and then substitute the image.

I do a lot of marine photography and sometimes need to crop and straighten photos before ordering, thus why I do it the approval way, otherwise I would have to straighten nearly 2000 photos an event, with the possibility they won't be bought. :(
 
I may upload smaller images in future but I'm not sure how I (or a buyer) would be able to determine what product sizes are available without the full res shot being in place.
 
dinners said:
I may upload smaller images in future but I'm not sure how I (or a buyer) would be able to determine what product sizes are available without the full res shot being in place.
Click to expand...

You preset the sizes you want to make available for that specific gallery? Not sure what your getting at really... You could upload a 10x20 pixel photo and set it to be printable at 30x20 inches, as long as you have approval on..
 
scottthehat said:
im just sticking to uploading my full size images and setting the sizes of the prints to a max size, that way its saves getting all mixed up.
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I couldn't do that, it would be a waste of time, uploading 2000 photos from an event would properly take the entire week lol.... I always need to straighten horizons and check colours before the order being printed, do low res works for me, and I'm sure (although have no proof or justification) makes my site faster...?
 
stokes said:
You preset the sizes you want to make available for that specific gallery? Not sure what your getting at really... You could upload a 10x20 pixel photo and set it to be printable at 30x20 inches, as long as you have approval on..
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The 'Products fulfilled by Zenfolio partners' option determines what the max size of a product can be based on the resolution of the image you load.

The 'Products created and fulfilled by you' option doesn't set a threshold as it's up to you to decide whether an image is suitable for larger products.
 
dinners said:
The 'Products fulfilled by Zenfolio partners' option determines what the max size of a product can be based on the resolution of the image you load.

The 'Products created and fulfilled by you' option doesn't set a threshold as it's up to you to decide whether an image is suitable for larger products.
Click to expand...

i must have some other setting ticked or something.

Ive just checked and i have a 1024x680 images that can be ordered at 20x16 inches through photobox.
 
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stokes said:
I couldn't do that, it would be a waste of time, uploading 2000 photos from an event would properly take the entire week lol.... I always need to straighten horizons and check colours before the order being printed, do low res works for me, and I'm sure (although have no proof or justification) makes my site faster...?
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yeah ok that makes sense i suppose, for weddings edit them and save in 2 different sizes full size and website,
 
scottthehat said:
yeah ok that makes sense i suppose, for weddings edit them and save in 2 different sizes full size and website,
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Do you use lightroom? I only ask as i do and i use the upload plugin for zenfolio to manage the file sizes that go up to the website. For general photos i set the longest edge to 1024, for photos that i need to upload that have been ordered i just leave them at maximum dimensions. that way there is no need to resize all the photos.
 
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stokes said:
Do you use lightroom? I only ask as i do and i use the upload plugin for zenfolio to manage the file sizes that go up to the website. For general photos i set the longest edge to 1024, for photos that i need to upload that have been ordered i just leave them at maximum dimensions. that way there is no need to resize all the photos.
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i have got lightroomm v3.6 but cant get on with it i keep trying:bang:.
 
shame your not a bit closer as i would have taken you through it :) I used to hate lightroom, and then gave it a go and love it now, in fact, i would be lost without it :)

Uploading to zenfolio is a breeze
 
stokes said:
shame your not a bit closer as i would have taken you through it :) I used to hate lightroom, and then gave it a go and love it now, in fact, i would be lost without it :)

Uploading to zenfolio is a breeze
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then only pluging for zenfolio you have to pay for is that right, and thats nice of you shame, i really must work harder to get on with it, so with the plugins if i send to a host site it doesnt alter the originals.
 
You do have to pay for it, but its a donation. I initally gave £1, but since using it alot i have gone back and donated a further £10.

http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/zenfolio

The plugins work like folders.

Say you have 100 edited photos that you want to upload to your site. You literally copy those photos over to the "Zenfolio" plugin folder and press upload, and up they go.

You can set specific settings that apply to that folder, ie, watermark, file size, file dimensions....

was going to write you a long reply, but just found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxE4k7ckyXc
 
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