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Operating Instructions           

The following features and options are available for you to use at anytime. Upload a few events. and receive a few standard orders, then come back and learn about these additional features.

Upload and Display an Event

Once you set your print prices, shipping charges, payment methods, which are all set-able per event, you are ready to upload your event.

When you create a Product Catalogue (price group), you save it. You can name it anything you like. Use a name that applies to the Event Type for that Catalogue.

Each Product Catalogue will save the shipping information also.

When you are ready to upload your event, you can select an Event Type (Proofs, Wedding, Portrait, etc)

Give your Event a "Name".

Select a Product Catalogue.

Decide whether you want to Hide the Event (protect from public viewing), and if you want to set a "Shut Off" date. you can reactivate the Event at any time.

Click "Upload"- We will resize your images and upload them while you go about doing other tasks on your computer. A 1000 image Event will usually take about 30-40 minutes to upload.

After your Event is uploaded, you will see a message asking if you would like to send a link to your client.

You are done!!!

Manage Event Options

You can change prices and other options for already uploaded events on the
 

Manage Screen
The place to change options of Events already online, and other features

 

Go to your Gallery

 Select an Event in the list, you will be brought directly to that Event

Sort Event List

 Sort by Date or Alphabetical

Email Link to Event

 Send a link to any Event, Anytime
Hide / Show Events  This is our Password Protection
You can set this option on the upload screen, per Event

 eXpress Order

Send orders from the Web, to the lab, to your client-automatically

Delete Events

 Remove an Event from your Gallery

Shut Off Events/Reactivate

 Set a "Time Out" for an Event- Reactivate anytime

Change Price Catalogue

Change prices for Events already online

Rename an Event

 Rename an Event already online

Inventory Your Gallery

 If you upload Event from different computers, you may need to do an inventory from time to time

Home Page Editor

 Change your Home Page Slides Show images, and Text

Registration Screen

 Change studio information

Accounting

 Pay for your Gallery


Options you can apply

Hide Event- This is "Privatization or Password" type protection for your event. We don't use Passwords to protect your events. When you upload your events, you give your clients the URL (web address) to the event. The Hidden Events will not appear in the Event List on your Gallery. On the upload Screen you will se a box to "check" to Hide Your Event. You can change the status of any event from viewable to hidden, or vise/versa from the Manage Screen.

Tag for eXpress Order- If you have read about our eXpress Order feature, you know it will retrieve orders from your gallery, retrieve the images for the order, and send the order directly to our partner lab for processing and shipping to your clients. You must first establish an account with one of our Partner Labs to use eXpress Order. We will be happy to supply you with a list of Partner Labs in your area.

Upload images as Album Pages- If you design albums in Photoshop or other programs, you can display them on your Gallery in a "Side by Side", left and right side album format. Place the album JPG's in a folder. We assume the pages are named in numerical order. Select the Folder in Step 1, and the page JPG's should appear in the left upload screen. Move them to the right side. You can use our Album Cover options in the Enhance Screen. Make a few test uploads to see how your pages look.

Making "Panorama" album pages- If you design your own albums in Photoshop, or another program, you may create them as double spread Pano's. When you upload a page to the Gallery, it assumes it is either a left or right side album page. If you upload a Pano, it will place it on the left or right side as it uploads. BUT, if you enter the word "panorama" (without the quotes) into the name of the image, it will display across both sides of the layout, and it will look like a double page spread. Example- page1 panorama.jpg

Graphi Album Users: We have a unique feature in our Infinity Album Designer. If you are familiar with the requirements of the Graphi company, you know that you must submit "Panorama" double page spread layouts to them for printing. We have created a more versatile concept in page design. With our Infinity Album Designer, you can create individual 1/2 pages, and we will combine them for you in the final rendering process in the Infinity Album Designer. Being able to use individual pages opens the door for more versatility and easier page design.

Expiration Date- You can "Remove" your event from public viewing, without removing the event from your gallery. Set a date to remove "Expire the Viewing" of the event. When the expiration date is reached, a message will appear in place of the event when a customer goes to that event. The message tells them to contact you for further details about viewing the event.

You can change the status of any of the options at anytime. Go to the "Manage" screen to change options and event status.

Price Setting

Go to the Prices Screen in the Upload Toolbox/Utility. You can change the prices for pictures, and add/remove sizes you don't want to sell.

You can create 2 kinds of packages, single pose, and multiple pose. More instructions are below for package making.

Payment Options

On the Options Screen you can set your Shipping Charges, Payment Options, and Sales Tax. Your clients can pay by Credit Card, if you set up a PayPal account, or contact you to make payment arrangements.

It is very easy to create a PayPal account and it is very safe and reliable. Go to www.paypal.com and follow the simple instructions to create an account. You do not need a "Pro" account, a simple business account will do.

Slide Show and Home Page Editor

On the Manage Screen you will find the "Home Page" Icon.

You can change the slides from ours to your own. Replace the images in the boxes with your own. Use full resolution images and we will resize them for you. After replacing the images, upload them. When you go to your Gallery to review them, you may have to refresh your screen.

You can also edit the text. Make it entirely your own. Use standard shortcut keys for Bold, Italic, etc (Control B, I, etc.)

If you would like your own "Logo" to appear in the top bar of your HomePage, send us an image with these dimensions: 92 x 960 pixels at 72 DPI.

Future versions of the Gallery will include Homepage Templates with various layout options, and the ability to change Text and Page colors.

How do clients get to Event to view them?
  • There are a number of ways to get to Events.
     
  • 1. They can go the the DLS Gallery main page. www.dlsgallery.com, and type your Account Name (not your display name) into the box on the screen.

  • 2. You can create a direct link using the path: www..dlsgallery.com/starlightstudio/jack_and_jill_wedding
     
  • 3. When you upload an Event and when you are finished with the upload process, you will be asked if you want to send an email to your client with te direct path to the event.

    4. you can go to the Manage screen, select an Event, and send the client an email at any time.

Favorites Folders

Your customers can create multiple Favorites Folders. They log in with their email address, and name each "Album".









When they are finished making their selections, they can send you their order by email, and through our system. When you receive an order and open it in Presentation Gold, the selected images will be retrieved and placed in a folder for you. You won't have to search for them manually.

You customers can also place "Proof" orders. In the Favorites Screen your clients can order any single image size, and any quantity of that size. For example, they can order 1, or more, of each image in the Favorites Folder, as a 4x6 print size.

You receive their order, and again, our Presentation Gold program will retrieve your images for you.

Receiving Orders

Your orders arrive 2 ways. Through an email, and in the Web Order Utility.

If you use the Web Order Utility it will save you a lot of time. When you open the Order Utility you will see a message on your screen informing you of an order.

Click the Open Order button. You will see your order in the box. When you click on it, the program will create a folder for you. the Order Utility will retrieve the ordered images and place them in the folder.

You don't have to search for them!!!.

You will find the folder in c:/Presentation/Orders.

you can open the images in Photoshop and apply your enhancements. when you are finished, send your order to your lab. If you use one of our Partner Labs, you can use our Presentation Gold Mode to crop your images and send your order to the lab with a "mouse click".


Using our Partner Labs

If you decide to use our  Lab, you can open your orders in Presentation Gold, crop them and send the orders to the lab. The cropping is applied to each image according to the sizes ordered, and is applied at the lab before printing. We can also color correct the individual image before printing, so you will have one uniform color and density for all of your prints.

We will assume you are already working with your own lab and workflow. We suggest you learn the basics of our system before you use our Lab. If you would like to use our Lab contact us and we will establish and account for you.

When you use our Lab, Click the Green Arrow Button and you will see your order in the list. Add it to the Que, and send your order(s) to the lab via our built in FTP.


Enhance Images Screen
There is no absolute, guaranteed way to protect images displayed on the web. We have adapted every security measure available to protect your images. If you feel you require more protection, we suggest you use our "Watermark" tool to protect them. You can place your studio name, the word Proof, or any other text across the entire image, or in a corner. You can have 100% solid text, or reduced opacity.

You will also find the Sharpening Tool (rarely required-upload your images, if you like the sharpness, leave them alone. This option does not effect you original images. You will also find Album Cover text tool on the Enhance Screen. You can display your Album Designs on your Preview Gallery. Save your designed pages as full size JPG's. When you select the folder that contains the pages, check the box at the bottom of the upload screen that says "Upload as Album Pages". If you create "Panorama" pages, be sure to have the word-"panorama" in the file name of the pages. Example: Page1 panorama.jpg. It can appear anywhere in the file name. When the program sees the word "panorama" it displays the page as a single print, spread across two pages.


Package Pricing

You can create packages in your shopping cart. There are 2 types of packages you can offer.

Package type A- One pose for all prints ordered
Package type B- Different poses for every size ordered

You create the packages the same way for each type you create. Select a Size (Component), Quantity, and use the Arrow Button to move it to the box. Add as many Sizes as you like. When you are finished, give the Package a "Name". Leave the description alone, it will display the contents in your shopping cart.

Click the + button and the Package will be added to your list. You can move it up to any position in the list.

Now, if you want to use Package type B- check the box next to the package, that says "Web Package"

When you have your new Price List as you like it, save and rename it. Give it a name that applies to the event type you will be using this new price list with


Order Options in Presentation Gold Mode

There are additional order processing options available, including an option to create finished rendered JPG's of your album designs that you can send to any lab, not only our partner labs. There is a small fee to activate that feature. $9.95 per month. To activate that feature, contact us by phone or email and we will


The Prints ordered appear in the columns. The red Crop Squares indicate that your images were not cropped in OUR Presentation Gold Program. Our cropping program is very intuitive. It automatically sets the crop range for the aspect ratio of the print sizes ordered. It is easier and faster to use than Photoshop or any other program. You must be using a Partner Lab to take advantage of our cropping system, since the final crop is applied at the lab. Go to the View menu in the Web Gallery Toolbox, uncheck the Web Upload Toolbox option.


Changing Registration/Studio Information

Go to the "Manage" screen in the Upload Utility Toolbox. Look for the "Registration" information Icon. Click it, you will be brought to the Registration Screen. The information on this screen is used to display your Studio Information on your Gallery.

The email address you enter here will be displayed on your Gallery. If you have a different email address for your PayPal account, you enter that on the "Options" screen in the Upload Utility Toolbox.

Sales Tax

In the Options Screen you will find the place to enter your state's sales tax. Your instate clients will be charged sales tax, out of state will not be charged.

You will also find the place to change Shipping Charges, and Payment Options.

If you have a PayPal account or will be establishing one to collect payments from your customers, you will enter the account number on the Options Screen. We do NOT collect your money for you. We do not hold your money. You collect your payments from customers for prints and shipping costs, immediately. You make your own payment arrangements with your lab for prints and shipping costs.

Additional Computers

You can use multiple computers to upload events to your Gallery.

BUT- if you use our Order Upload Utility to open your orders, each individual computer will only retrieve orders that were uploaded from that computer.

You can receive emails to all of the computers, and create orders manually.
 

How do I pay for my Account?

1. When you set up your Gallery for the first time, we give you a 500 image capacity Gallery to use for 14 days. There are no restrictions, you can set prices, enter your PayPal account information and collect payments. Receive orders and send them to your lab, or create an account with one of our partner labs.

2. During the 14 day test period, you can choose a payment/display option that works for you. At that time we will activate your plan manually.

3. When your first payment is due, a Credit Card screen will appear when you open the Upload Utility Toolbox. Enter your credit card information. Make your Payment.

We never actually receive your credit card information, and it never leaves your computer to be stored elsewhere. It is always on your computer in an encrypted format. It is perfectly safe.

4. If you choose the Flat Rate "Pay for Space" plan, you will pay for your added space on a pro-rated basis for the month. One the first of each following month, the payment screen will appear and you can pay for your used Gallery space. You can add or remove space yourself whenever you like.

We pro-rate your upload charges, but you are paying for the your space for the entire month. When you decide to remove space, it will be noted in you account to remove the space on the first of the following month, but we cannot pro-rate removed space.

In "real life", you will find that you will probably not actually remove an event and need to remove space immediately. You will always be adding new events and removing old one's. You will probably find yourself removing space "seasonally".
 

Account Activation

To activate a new account with us. Follow any links that refer to "Get Started Now", or "5 Minute Set Up".

You may not see a direct link to simply set up a gallery instantly. While the set up is quite fast- 5 minutes, we try and make you read a little bit about the system before you get started.

We find that many people don't like to read, thus they jump in, get frustrated, and don't ever get started.

We really have created a very simple set up and installation process. You probably could do it without any instructions. But, you will have a lot of questions about features and functionality you would like to see in a Web Hosting System, and you may not find them all by chance.

Upload an event, click around our screens, make a list of questions. Look back in theses Operating Instructions, and our FAQ's for your answers. And if you have a personal need for your type of photography, please contact us directly. We try and add any and all ideas to the system.


Receiving eXpress Orders From Your Gallery

eXpress Order is our "Total Automated Order Fulfillment System". When you upload an event, and designate it as an eXpress Order, your order will be retrieved from your Gallery, the images will be found in your computer, and the order will go directly to our Partner Lab, all behind the scenes without you having to do a thing.

You can change the status of your Events Online at anytime from eXpress to Standard order at any time.

You must establish an account with one of our Partner Labs to use eXpress Order.


Read about the additional features available for you to use in Presentation Gold (the advanced mode) at: www.myprohelpdesk.com


Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or problems. We will either return a response by email, or a phone call. Be sure to always include your phone number in all correspondence.

TechSupport

877-966-4446