Digital Downloads - proof delayed?

[photogmomma]

Okay, I *swear* I saw the answer to this once and the answer was "no", but I thought I'd ask again....

My normal new routine is this:

Do photoshoot and cull down to best shots
Color correct/crop
Upload full sized images
Turn on ordering for everything by DD
They purchase, I edit and reupload and release the printing/shipping
Turn on DD for the gallery since they are most likely to order images for download that they printed
They get their DD.But if there *is* a delay on DDs, I'd LOVE that since then they could get what they want and I wouldn't have to have some confusing thing that says "let me know if you decide you want a DD that hasn't been edited so I can edit and you can purchase it, but if you already ordered the DD you want it's edited and I'm trying to make this as confusing as possible." :huh

Anyway, this was about 3x longer than it needed to be. Is there a proof delay on Digital Downloads?

[Andy]

Is there a proof delay on Digital Downloads?
:nah Sorry.

http://www.smugmug.com/help/proof-retouch-replace

[photogmomma]

:cry :cry :cry

Can you put this in as a request? Even if you could turn it on/off for DD in each gallery, that would be HUGE for me and make my process MUCH easier.

(And I *knew* I read it someplace. Read the help section? Why would I want to RTFM? Or rather, RTFH? :doh )

Thanks for your fast reply, Andy! :D

[dogwood]

:cry :cry :cry

Can you put this in as a request? Even if you could turn it on/off for DD in each gallery, that would be HUGE for me and make my process MUCH easier.

(And I *knew* I read it someplace. Read the help section? Why would I want to RTFM? Or rather, RTFH? :doh )

Thanks for your fast reply, Andy! :D

Another option that I stumbled across when a customer couldn't download a digital download due to a password problem-- is once you see a customer has ordered a download and paid, you can either send them a retouched version or set them up with a new gallery without right-click/ctrl-click protection.

Just explain the version you're sending is retouched and looks better. In a way, it's just like the proof-delay only they get both the untouched and the retouched versions. You could even set up a digital download FAQ on your site explaining how it works.

One problem with proof delay on downloads is that most people want the download instantly -- kind of like why you might buy a download of an album rather than go to the record store.

[Hindsight]

Well I for one feel this needs to be changed. I don't want my customers buying commerical licenses and putting my shots into publication without my trademark on the photo. I simply don't have time to trademark every shot, only those that sell. How difficult would this be to implement?

[photogmomma]

Another option that I stumbled across when a customer couldn't download a digital download due to a password problem-- is once you see a customer has ordered a download and paid, you can either send them a retouched version or set them up with a new gallery without right-click/ctrl-click protection.

Just explain the version you're sending is retouched and looks better. In a way, it's just like the proof-delay only they get both the untouched and the retouched versions. You could even set up a digital download FAQ on your site explaining how it works.

One problem with proof delay on downloads is that most people want the download instantly -- kind of like why you might buy a download of an album rather than go to the record store.

That's essentially what I do. I have a preset in Lightroom that exports 1MP images and I send 'em off. But I hate it - to me it looks unprofessional. I understand about the whole instant gratification, but how hard is it to make that a different "proof delay" amount? One for prints, one for downloads - and those that don't want to delay 'em for clients don't have to!

Just a thought! (Major annoyance for me, though.)

[lynnesite]

Hi, Eric and Andi--
Andy explained it to me as a shopping cart issue, it would force a full redesign. My procedure is like yours, and so digital downloads are prohibited in all my galleries as a result--though I may make "print" galleries for fully prepped stuff that can go that way. I only do the small ones, as the license lingo isn't sufficient for the big ones.

Another thing I tried was to put a notice in the gallery header that if someone ordered DD that I would supply them the prepped version via e-mail.

[Dsus]

Greetings, I am new here so if I say something dumb please be gentle.

I see Lynnesite's message that proof-delay for digital downloads would mean a full redesign. If that's the case I can understand leaving it alone as there are a number of workarounds.

Still, I wanted to weigh in to say that the proof-delay option definitely seems more suited to digital downloads. I am happy to leave colour-correction for prints to the labs (in the process of evaluating them now) but proof-delay seems to be made for digital.

Like another photographer on this thread said, I would love to offer the option to download and know that I will get the chance to correct an image ahead of time.

I will say more once I have finished setup.

[Andy]

Greetings, I am new here so if I say something dumb please be gentle.

I see Lynnesite's message that proof-delay for digital downloads would mean a full redesign. If that's the case I can understand leaving it alone as there are a number of workarounds.

Still, I wanted to weigh in to say that the proof-delay option definitely seems more suited to digital downloads. I am happy to leave colour-correction for prints to the labs (in the process of evaluating them now) but proof-delay seems to be made for digital.

Like another photographer on this thread said, I would love to offer the option to download and know that I will get the chance to correct an image ahead of time.

I will say more once I have finished setup.

Welcome - it's trivial for you to email your buyer and say "Thanks for purchaing! The image you have is a proof, I'm going to (edit, make perfect, etc, etc) and email you a link to a new photo with X days. Thanks for buying!"