New Pro Feature: Printmarks
Printmarks for Pros
Introducing a new way to dress up your orders: Printmarks! As the name implies, they’re watermarks for your prints. Use them to add your signature, a team name, the event date, or even your logo to any photo that your clients buy from you.
Set them up just like watermarks: Design the image of your choice (preferably on a transparent background) and upload it to a gallery. Use the gallery button Tools > Make Into Printmark option and adjust it to taste.
Once that’s done, open up your Gallery Settings and choose “Yes” for Printmarks, under the Printing option. Any physical items ordered from this gallery will get that design applied. Your customers will see a detailed preview in the shopping cart, so they know what to expect.
Two important things of note:
1. Printmarks don’t apply to digital downloads, but they will appear on all print and merchandise goods. (Thatsa lotta stuff)
2. We suggest that your make your printmark image at least 1500 pixels on the longest side. This is to be sure it prints smoothly on items of all sizes.
Right now, your Printmarks will be printed unobtrusively on your print in the region that you specify. We’ll be working on making this cool new feature even better in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more options.
Get the full details about this feature on our new help page. Play around with it and let us know what you think.
Bonus refinements:
- We’ve polished up our blogs page, adding our newest addition for foodies and hungries alike. Feast your eyes on this and see what’s cooking at SmugMug Central.
- Our Simple uploader is now much more forgiving if you’re uploading photos on a less-than-perfect connection. Instead of hanging, it will pick up where it left off… even if you’re logging in from your laptop on Mt. Everest. (We know some photos can’t wait.)
Cheers!
The SmugMug Family
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This is cute, but IMO there are far more important issues that require improvement. You know what they are, so I’ll spare everyone the rant.
Smugmug: you are doing a great job and it improves every day. I have been a customer for a couple of years, and the benefits far outweigh the infrequent snafus..
I have to agree with Victoria. I’ve been a member a year and a day exactly and your service has been wonderful thus far.
Dress will definitely dress up the pictures.
I would rather see the favicon work for IE.
I would rather have the background issue of the stretched slideshow fixed.
I would rather see global currency and marketing.
I would rather see all the bugs fixed.
etc….
cute, but it doesn’t do anything for me.
Not to sound stupid here, but can’t you do this yourself in photoshop and even in the online editors like Picnik? Not sure how this would be some new fascinating feature. Again not trying to sound rude or stupid it just seems to me that someone who can take photos like the one you posted above would already do this themselves if it was important enough to them to do.
Yes, you can do this yourself, but if a customer orders a print in a different size you have to rework the picture to keep the logo/signature from being cut off or cut in half and looking unprofessional. As someone who understands how long it can take to work the bugs out of programming I say hooray for the small stuff while we wait!
Couldn’t agree more, they must have read my mind!!! Love this new feature
Very nice new feature. Thank you SmugMug! Yes, it is something you can do yourself in photoshop, HOWEVER, how nice to be able to do at the time of upload to a specific gallery. Example, if you shoot an event, such as a prom or football game, you are now able to tag it with an event mark at the time of upload as opposed to saving a second image in photoshop. THANKS AGAIN SM!
I do like this it nice and convenient, easier and more flexible than permanently affixing to a photo in Photoshop, but I would be more excited with a more stable, feature rich IPAD app.
I’m glad you guys are always working hard on improvements… but I can do this with more control myself in an editing program. I always save a marked version of my photos, anyway, for sharing on social networking sites, etc. I would rather see improvement with multiple gallery uploads.
One of the big differences between doing this yourself before upload, and doing this through Printmarks is that Printmarks will keep the logo consistently sized/placed, no matter how the buyer crops the image, or what size image print. If you size your image for a 4×6 and they crop to a 5×7 (or vice versa) then the logo would be potentially cut off by the crop differences. And even if you caught it in proof delay, trying to satisfy both prints from the same image would be difficult. This automates the application with the awareness of how the customer cropped the image and what size/aspect ratio they ordered.
Good point cabbey.
I don’t think the people who are saying they can do this themselves in PS or other editing software have taken into consideration the cropping issue.
Thanks.
That’s great and I understand the principle, but this is not a necessary feature. Considering how many outstanding issues there are with basic functionality, this is poor use of SM’s resources.
I’m thankful for all the little things that get added to the features here at Smugmug. What keeps me here is the fantastic customer service and the absolute dedication to the subscribers. Considering where SM started you’ve gone above and beyond for your clients. If the lack of certain items were issues that were gimping a photographer’s business site… there are other options out there on the market. Believe me, I get emails from competitors frequently. I’d rather stick with SM Pro and be patient than have all the whistles and bells of another site that treats me like a number.
Thanks for all your hard work!!
Boy! People are jerks, aren’t they?
they really are, but at the same time I agree with what they are saying NOT HOW they are saying it though
my 2 cents
Evan
Nice for some, but I’m a Pro and a Master Photo Artist.. I’m very picky where my name or initials are placed on the photo.. Not always in the same spot or size..
Won’t work for me… What I’d like to see is your Name (SumgMug) not on my Galery’s or when a photo or Gallery is emailed to someone.. I pay for this site and it should only be My Name and My Links…
Tom T.
Truman Photography, you can go into your control panel and choose whether you want Smugmug on your website or not. So I would research a little before you complain. You also don’t pay for the site, you pay to use their site and the options that they have produced for you to use.
Research a little???? This host is the most confusing site I have ever been on.. Times are rough and most of my time is spent trying to make a living… What is the difference between paying for the site or Paying to use the site??? It cost me MONEY…
Tom is correct though. Even with the control to change the header and footer of your page. You can’t remove the SmugMug footer entirely. Now that said, this may not be a bad thing. As also said this is a spectacular photo viewing experience for my customers, so I don’t mind. Where I do mind is not being able to custom brand the share emails. Up pops the SmugMug logo even though I have removed it everywhere else.
If you dont like the service why are you paying for it?
I hope you proof your images better than you proof your complaints! You spelled “gallery” wrong and right only seven words apart! Anyway, you can customize both the top and bottom of the page which will remomve any mention of SmugMug. Or go one better and hire http://www.fastlinemedia.com! For $300 and up they will totally customize your site for you!
As far as your clients knowing who is your photo-host, when you have a great host like SmugMug, that is a PLUS not a negative! I am sure they will like it that you have chosen well!
Agree with Tom 100%. I went into this with the impression as SM puts it…Your name, your brand…snmugmug should be nowhere in sight.
Dang! There sure are some crabby people out there! I have 3 or 4 pending feature requests/suggestions but it doesn’t rub me the wrong way when SmugMug works on someone else’s first!
As some have mentioned, what really matters is SmugMug honestly seems to care! In my nearly 2 years here I have never had an email go unanswered! That is the type of customer care that matters!
What concerns me is Andy is selling a 10*15 metallic print for $17! How are we supposed to compete against a markup of only $10? LOL — just kidding Andy!
Nice, you guys keep smokin.
Very Nice! Thank you, this will be GREAT for seniors & teams.
And if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all. These guys bust their butts behind the scenes all the time. Their customer service is amazing, they’re constantly rolling out new features & fixes. Thank you Smug for all you do!
It’s a Business.. Druuuu, they don’t do it to make friends, they do it to make MONEY!!!!
Oh and if someone emails one of your photos to a friend, it has SmugMug links all over it.. to there home page… Then if the customer joins (cheap one) they can see what the real cost of the photos are… Not real Professional..
Yeah this is fairly useless. I would like to see the option to have it on a digital download though…
It looks useful for certain aspects. … But I would like the option of two prices, with, and without, the print mark.
I agree… Yes in some cases it would be nice, wish they could do it in GOLD ink
like it like it Yes of course you can do it in Photoshop, but it takes TIME if you are a super busy pro! Of course there are other items for Smug Mug improvements on my wishlist too, but SmugMug dish out more improvements more regularly than any other site I know, in this industry and others.
All these fiddledy ‘cool’ items amount to nothing if the only people who see it are those on Smugmug and a few outside friends – what is sadly and very badly lacking is MARKETING so as the rest of the world SEES us. In this day and age of technology – Global Currency choice is an absolute necessity! – not ‘cool’ little fixes and charms – and I have grave doubts about the accuracy of the ‘hits’ information.
Terence, sounds like we could help you with SEO, and some other features we have that you might not be aware of. Please write me and I’ll help. http://smugmug.com/help/emailreal ATTN: Andy
Thanks!
Ya Know what I would really like them to do is to put a sticker on the back of every print bought, with my Company name, Web site address and phone number.. Now that would be worth paying a little for…
Great feature… been wondering about this for a while and definitely better to have it done in SM than manually for each photo, especially if I decide to change my branding down the road.
I second Truman’s thoughts about more business information on the back of the prints. A sticker with company/photographer name, web address, email, and phone number. would be awesome.
The current back-printing information with substitutions is a bit weak. Even better would be being able to do a back print watermark/image. That way, folks who have logos and/or non-english information can add useful information to the back.
In my case, I’d be interested in adding the name/addresss/contact info along with a logo and a QR /2D barcode for ease of access to me.
Maybe you want to have a look at this. You can already add a lot of extra business information
to your customer’s orders.
http://release-notes.blogs.smugmug.com/2010/05/13/thank-you-prints-stickers-event-marketing-and-bug-fixes/
Awesome … another great addition.
If only you could fix the gaping security hole …. that would be a much needed improvement for us all.
Care to elaborate? Or are you just here making unsubstantiated claims?
Wow – You guys are good. I’m a newbie and am definitely learning a lot from yous.
I am not sure where you get this part from, I have emailed plenty of links to images and it goes right back to my website, not smugmug.
If you think your pictures are only WORTH the paper they are printed on then it is you have has an issue.
Every person out there knows you can buy an 8×10 for 49 cents at Wal-Mart.
Yet I sell 8×10′s all day long at over 20 dollars each. If you want an 8×10 piece of paper, sure I can sell that to you for 49 cents, if you want that paper to have ym art on it, that is going to cost you.
I love it ,for me it does save alot of photo shop time.
This is fantastic!! I was contemplating on somehow getting my name on the bottom of each print. And then I would have to worry about cropping and everything. You have eliminated my problem, plus, this is a great marketing tool. Reminds me of Olan Mills.
Interesting reading to say the least. My Take after more than 2 years with smugmug? You folks are doing an awesome job. With more than 2 decades as a programmer, I know that these type of features keep your imagination going and help to keep the team on track for the bigger issues. Keep up the good work and don’t let your imaginations be confined by the task alone. Tunnel vision can quickly cause your vision to be unfocused.
If all of you are that unhappy with smugmug…go somewhere else or shut up!!!!!
Dollar for Dollar ShubMug is a great site… But this forum is here for a reason, both SmugMug and there photographer want to hear the Pro’s & Con’s from this forum..
I respect the views of all even when I don’t agree with them.. And speaking both Positive & Negative is what make this site what it is and why your here, So may it’s you that should Shut Up!!!
I love this new feature! Thank you for taking the time to add this to your already fantastic list of features.
This comment doesn’t really belong here but… Did you guys sneak one in on us? For years I had to arrange my photos after uploading but for the past 24 hours or so every upload landed in the gallery’s chosen sort — in my case by “Taken Date.” Is it possible I will no longer have to “arrange” after every upload or did I just get lucky for a day?
Not to get off the subject but I do a lot of kids sports they are asking about large posters with a lot of different photos of them on it. Do you make them and can you? What would be my price on something like that?
Fred, for something like that you could either make the collage yourself and then have it printed on a large format.
Or you can search out some of the trusted partners of smugmug such as BayPhoto and see what they have to offer for poster size prints.
ShortrunPosters.com does Great work I’v had about 15 done by them… The cost is only $2.00 + $10.00 for shipping in a hard cardboard tube. Cheap, but the quality is very good… TOM
This is GREAT! This has been a concern for me for a while…printing the image and having to send it to me before the client so i can sign it…and this elliminates that issue! THANKS!
I could have used this last year if it works like I hope it does. It would be great if you are able to make an overlay that can cover the entire image so that when prints are made the word “PROOF” is across all images. This way I only have to upload one set of images, thus saving editing and upload times.
At first the idea of the name on all photos by SM did not appeal. I thought as others do I could just set up a batch in PS and be done with it. But as was said, all it takes is an odd cropped image and your sig is gone. So I for one think a. It is refreshing to see ANY site working on improvements whatever they are. And b. It is a simple workable elegant idea. Nicely done.
Love the idea of this, very time saving! I just wish it would go on the digital downloads as well.
Yes won’t that be nice…
I just wanted to chime in on this. I just used this feature on my last event and it has saved me a boatload of time. I have an event logo that appears on every print at the bottom right. Until now, it is a PIA to have to re-upload a print any time there is any cropping done.
For me, when I saw this feature it was like Christmas and I am very thankful!
LR3 now has a watermark feature that is also helpful, but it doesn’t address the cropping issue.
I find it absurd that people are complaining because it isn’t a feature that THEY wanted. Get over it, the world doesn’t revolve around you
I like this new feature! Thanks! Saves loads of time vs. me placing a logo on each photo in each size myself.
Well I have complained a lot here of what you get, But all I can say is you get what you pay for… This site is cheap and works to some degree of professionalism, with the shortage of work out there for Photographers, I guess this can keep the overhead down tell the economic crunch is over..
Ok Truman, what company do you suggest we use? Since you obviously believe SM to be inferior it is obvious that you would not use them, so what pray tell amazing service do you use?
Ana, while I understand your sentiment, let’s not disparage others work. It is not only childish, it is highly unprofessional.
It all goes back to the Saying “You get what you pay for” I use SmugMug because of what it cost… For my high Paying customers I use “SeeYourPhotos” to show there photos and H&H to do my printing, but they are costly… I like SmugMug Dollar for Dollar, and am very happy with there service for bottom line customers..
Tom,
I just checked out SeeYourPhotos.net”. You use this for your professional proofing?
You do realize that there is no security on those photos other than watermarks, and I was able to hit the directory and pull out full resolution images since they do not even have basic web securities enabled.
Not to mention, auto playing music with no stop or pause button? Are they nuts?
Sorry dude, but SM’s slideshow blows them out of the water in a heartbeat.
James I don’t know where you went, but the Pro service for SeeYourPhotos is for members only, you need a Pro Number and Password just to enter the site….. So I’m sure you didn’t see my service with them, the customers are Password Protected and it is only Thumbnails that show, so you can not copy them with any quality results… The customer only see there gallery, no one else’s and they need a password to enter.. And there is no Music on my Customers page???? Not sure you know what your talking about… Don’t Sorry Dude Me, I like ShugMug for what I use them for and that’s the Bottom line here.. Low end Customers…
Tom, I went to http://seeyourphotos.net.
The only site that came up after a search of “SeeYourPhotos”.
They have a preview which allows you to see what the sites look like when using thier service.
I tried it.
It has automatic music with no ability to stop or pause it.
It has zero security other than a watermark.
The thumbnails click through to a larger resolution version which is hosted on an unsecured directory which houses hundreds of images many of which I am sure belong to customers.
Your site may not follow those same patterns, but it seems clear to me that is what they have as the default template.
As for style and looks, the site looks like it was designed in 1999. All it needs are a couple of animated gifs and it would be good to go.
Sorry Tom, you and I disagree on this one, SM is 100% customizable, everything is customizable, hell I can even customize the purchase pages (just takes a bit of CSS know how). From what i see you can choose from templates for the SYP site, but no customization is allowed.
Oh, and if you want to try it for yourself, I wil make it easy so that you do not have to go through the sign up to see the demo.
Just use this URL.
As you can see they do not even scrub URL information.
http://www.seeyourphotos.net/syp/event-start.html?eventname=Ashley%20and%20Joe&email=n@a.com&firstname=Tester&v=Yes
I don’t care what the Demo is… I’m telling you how it works for me as a member.. Nothing like you said on my photos.. Thats it, Argument over…
Oh and while I’m on here, why do you keep saying I don’t like SM… I said I like it for all my Low End Customers.. It works GREAT!!!! Now leave me alone and go to work, or at least let me work..
First of all.
What are you that 11 year old girls father “argument over, consequences will never be the same”. Get a life man. Your power and control issues do not work here.
Secondly, how am I stopping you from work? It is your choice to reply to these messages, it is your own inability to control your urges which is keeping you from your work.
And third, You state you do not care how the demo looks, the only problem is that you speak of a site which uses that demo for the face of its services and shows that this is how all of its users sites work. As we are not privy to your site since it is super top secret double plus locked then we can only assume that what we see touted as the demo would be what the company thinks is the best possible product they have to offer.
And finally, I never said you did not like SM, I said that SM (from what I can see of the demo) blows SYP out of the water.
Of course i guess I could take offence (and SM SHOULD take offence) at your continued use of the “low end” comments.
You sound like an upper east side 95 year old New Yorker talking about how “those black people are fine for walking my dogs, but I would not have them at my party”.
You sound, to put it bluntly, conceited and bigoted.
Now, how about you take your own advice and go to work. And I will continue to comment as I have been working since 5am and put in my 13 hours for the day already.
Hmmm…m.a.y.b.e. there’s only a shortage of work for grouchy, negative photographers, Truman Photography. I need to check out your work…it would take some pretty amazing work to overcome a personality like yours. It seems to me that photography is at it’s all time popularity thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.
SmugMug is VERY impressive and my clients are extremely happy with every aspect of it’s ease of use and quality prints. The new features consistently make my job easier, my turn around time faster, and leave more time for me to do the creative part I enjoy.
The coupons and packages have saved me a tremendous amount of time, whereas I used to have the clients email me their list for prints, crop them, re-upload them, order them, ship them…which took at least two hours for client session…now they can just order what they want and save both us time.
This printmarking is just another fantastic feature SM has developed for us. And no, there is no way to do it in Photoshop or Lightroom in a way that will turn out the right size for any size print. That is unless you crop and upload every size ordered with the appropriate size signature. Of course, since it sounds like business is slow for you and you need to cut corners with costs, you probably have time to do it the long way
I welcome you to visit my website: http://anaedwardsphotography.com to see how many clients SM has helped me satisfy
Thanks, my Heroes! No one could do it better than SmugMug!
Your Right, I’m not real busy right now, but after going to your site, I would starve to Death at your Prices… Your Page and Photographs are very good I must say, but your Prices!!!! Who are you competing with, Walmart???
I don’t know why everyone is jumping on me? I like SM, just not for my top end customers… They want textured Prints with sprayed ink that will last a life time, UV Luster coating Prints on hardboard… H&H gives me all that and a very reasonable price… and I get from $65.00 to $135.00 for a 8X10…
Now if you really like SM, then it’s right for you.. Now leave me alone, I have my right to my opinion.. But I must admit I should spend more time learning SM then I have, just don’t have the time to do that… Maybe after the Holidays..
Oh and I love facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Truman-Photography/205117431348
Ana, I just wanted to say that your beach pictures do a great job of drawing the viewer in and leave us wanting more.
Very nice!
Have a great holiday
http;//www.facebook.com/balesphoto
Because of the price only…. The other Host I use for my VIP customers charge me for each upload, Times are rough right now and I find myself dealing with a less appreciative customers that are not willing to pay what I got a few years ago, so I need a site that I can load there photos on… Simple (Economics) But if photographers don’t speak up on here and let them know what we are not happy with, how will (If they chose so ) Change it??? I can take care of the Watermark… I still say they would really have something if they would put your company sticker on the back of each photo.. Name, Phone & Web Address…
2 much trouble.., dont need it
HEY TOM! Thanks for the link to Truman Photography. How about a link to YOUR SITE?!