Artefact Launches Web-Based Professional Albuming Service

25/03/08

Improving the bottom line, while reducing time digitally enhancing photos. This is just one of the unrivaled features of “Artefact Studio,” a new web-based application now available to wedding and portrait imaging professionals. With a substantial financial investment made in its development, this revolutionary new software application merges the latest printing technologies with cutting-edge digital imaging software. Artefact Studio redefines expectations, providing an evolutionary system that actually tailors itself to the user’s work style – getting smarter with each click of the mouse – to enable easier design customization and more efficiency.

Founded to meet the business requests of photographers and labs, Artefact, LLC, is a web-based digital printing and software company recently launched by long-time photography industry executive Joshua Sieck. Artefact offers photography studios and labs a streamlined creative process that incorporates in-depth working knowledge of how both designers and photographers work.

“Photographers provide a unique service for their customers by capturing that once in a lifetime moment,” says Josh Sieck, CEO of Artefact. “What we do is help them document that moment by creating the most beautiful and vibrant keepsake to last a lifetime and longer – in the most efficient and profitable way possible.”

When developing the software, Artefact worked to address gaps in the printing and software industry:

The industry abandonment rate for online digital image design software is 80%. That means 80% of the time, users find a software program too complex, inefficient or inflexible – and stop using it.
Most photographers say that they are forced to spend too much time at the computer laying out images in books or other products, instead of actually taking photos. This ever-increasing time at the computer makes it more and more difficult to make profits.

Using their back-end expertise of both the printing and the software businesses, Artefact began a mission to create software applications to address these issues. The outcome is an evolutionary system that tailors itself to the user’s work style, increasing efficiency and reducing time spent in design – while providing customized templates and the ultimate in color purity via a seven-color, high-fidelity printer. Artefact Studio keeps photographers behind a camera, not a computer, thus increasing profits.

“Artefact Studio redefines what is possible,” says Tim Berwin, CMO for Artefact. “Our tools give you a new creative process where you can comfortably express yourself, without having to focus on the parts of the process that weigh you down.”

Artefact’s objective is to elevate the value and potential of every image – from both an aesthetic and financial perspective. Artefact delivers the ultimate in product beauty and quality, while making a photographer’s life behind a camera easier and more profitable. Here’s how:

Aesthetic Elevation of Image

Rivals the Quality & Richness of RA4 Printing – Artefact Studio software empowers imaging professionals to compete with the quality and richness of offset printing without the RA4 printing price.
No Color Shifting – There is no color shifting with Artefact Studio digital processing software. Every photo book, card, or novelty – from the first printed to the last – will maintain the exact color shade.
Unprecedented Color Management – Artefact Studio software provides unprecedented color management through its soft-proofing software. This means that the images will look the same printed as they do on the computer screen. In fact, a computer can be color profiled by Artefact color management experts to ensure color seen on the screen, is exactly what is produced in the printed product.
Templates That Are Flexible – Artefact Studio offers adaptable, pre-built template pages that have the flexibility to showcase personal style. Templates and color palettes can also be built easily from scratch. Once the template or color palette has the desired look, the custom templates can be saved with a click of the mouse.
Customization – Artefact books enable imaging professionals to organize, customize and preserve images to individual specifications. Treasured photos can be showcased and captions can be added – a level of personalization that is not possible with standard photo albums.
Quality & Workmanship – Empowered by the union of old world craftsmanship and modern technology, Artefact workmanship is the finest in the industry. Devoted craftsmen, working in an environment rich with knowledge and experience, create each unique book. The skill of our book binders, as well as the meticulous care of our equipment, ensures the quality and longevity of Artefact products.
Beauty, Functionality & Longevity – Artefact books, cards and novelties are produced using custom-designed, milled paper. Combining delicate beauty with heavy-weight vellum stock, Artefact books are a perfect union of artistry and functionality. Top-grain, hand-cut leathers are used. With Artefact books, form and function meet to create an appealing, yet enduring elegance.

Financial Elevation of Image

More Customers, Better Marketing – Artefact Studio enhances marketing efforts to current and future clients. This web-based tool ensures that previous customers return to the imaging professional, not the online printer, for future business. In addition, information from orders is captured exclusively for the imaging professional to use for marketing purposes. This software even provides online marketing pieces (such as postcard and direct mail design) and helps determine audience and pricing structure.
More Copies Sold – Artefact books can be mass produced in almost any size. The portability of the book, plus the amount of copies that can be produced, allow the customer to easily share memories with family and friends in ways that were not possible in the past.
• More Photography Time, Less Computer Time – Artefact Studio’s evolutionary system actually tailors itself to the user’s work style – getting smarter with each click of the mouse – to enable easier design customization and more efficiency.
Design Efficiency – Design and photography are two creative, yet different, skill sets. Understanding this, Artefact software designers developed tools to compensate for the differences in how each work. This highly functional web-based application allows those who wish to reduce time spent designing, to easily develop template and color palettes. For those who like to design pages, the flexibility is there to do so, quickly and efficiently.
Seven-Color Press – Through Artefact’s seven-color, high-fidelity digital press, the company is effectively redefining the level of color purity in the printing industry. Artefact’s ability to add additional colors for wider gamut printing processes meticulously enhances color resolution and accuracy for unparalleled results.
Superior Asset Management System – Everything created in Artefact Studio can be stored on the Artefact site. This allows photographers to come back and print additional copies of the books, cards and novelties, increasing the profitability of each product. The photographer or lab can even make photos available to their customers to purchase online or share with others.
Fast Turnaround – Because of Artefact’s state-of-the-art bindery process, proprietary workflow and digital technology, Artefact books, cards and novelties ship within 10 days. This is a remarkable difference from traditional albums, which can take many months.

At Artefact, customer service and feedback is paramount. The company was founded based on feedback and input from customers over the years. Artefact’s team of craftsmen – comprised of photographers, designers, marketing professionals and software developers – make it easier for customers to get answers and overcome challenges quickly. In addition, Artefact provides a customer support line and an online training site complete with training modules for specific tasks.

Artefact can be found in Booth V023 at the Wedding & Portrait International Convention & Trade Show held March 12 to 19 in Las Vegas.

The SWPP 2008 Convention was an outstanding success,
we have 174 days to get ready for the 2009 convention - which starts on January 14, 2009

Photo Quote: Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again. - Henri Cartier Bresson