Today we introduce four new features to RAD:
1) Client editing
The “Share Album” button now shows a dialog with two tabs: “Web
Proofing” and “PDF Proofing”. PDF proofing is new and is described below while Web Proofing is used like before to create the link to the flipbook. (See attached photos.)
Web Proofing now also lets you decide if the client can make changes to the album spreads! If you specify this option, a password is required. On the flip-book page, your client will then see a icon that looks like a wrench in the lower right corner. When the client clicks on the icon, she is taken to the designer where she is asked for the password. If the password is correct she can edit the album spreads, just like you, and with your templates. You don’t have to worry about your client ruining your design as a new version is created. Upon Save&Exit, the client is sent back to the flip-book where she can see the changes immediately. The language used in the designer is determined entirely by your own RAD setting.
To try this cool feature out just click on the picture to flip through the album, then click on the wrench symbol and use the password “albumdesign” to make changes in the album.
We hope this can be useful, for instance if you have a stubborn client who is better off designing their album, or if you are two or more designers cooperating on an album.
2) PDF proofing
PDF proofing is available from the “Share Album” button and lets you create a PDF document with one spread per page, with your banner at the top and optional watermarking.
You can either download the PDF document and send it to your client, or simply send them the link to the PDF document, which is kept on the RAD server.
The PDF document is created from the thumbnails so it is not necessary to upload the high resolution files to create the PDF document, which is kept small enough for you to mail it as an attachment.
Example: http://rad.pub/proofing/000028312124846982/album.pdf
3) Crop detection
This feature is very appreciated by our partners, album manufacturers who are offering a white label version of the software to their customers:
RAD can now detect if you have cropped and re-uploaded photos used in the album. Also, if you cropped your photos and uploaded them as high resolution files in order to export the spreads on the server, this is also detected. Warnings are presented for each of these cases.
If you get a warning you should “Edit spreads” and re-design the spread containing that photo.
Suspicious photos are shown with a yellow “?” in the manager’s flipbook, but you may be asked to reload the manager page to see them. In the near future I hope to improve the manager so reloads are not necessary.
4) Export thumbnail verification
If you upload high resolution files with the intent of exporting
spreads on the server you will see small thumbnails of each spread as they are being exported. As a security measure, you will now be asked to click on each thumbnail before you can download the zipfile with the spreads. You can do this easily by clicking on the first spread and using left and right arrow keys to navigate between the spreads. When a spread has been checked, a checkmark is placed under the corresponding thumbnail.
button, which used to sit where the new up/down arrow button is, is now part of the new pop-up dialog: it lets you see gallery selected photos first in the list. This is useful if you, e.g., have uploaded all photos from a wedding and your client has chosen 50 from the gallery.
