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Ways to Thank Your Customers as New Year Approaches

Posted on by Michel Lacaille

As we near the end of the high production period for product personalization in 2024, many of the production and shipping deadlines for customized products have already passed. Now is the perfect time to prepare for early 2025. 

This includes exploring last minute print opportunities and leverage the holiday season’s photo taking momentum to inspire end-of-year personalization. From event selfies and family snapshots to seasonal celebration photos, these moments offer a chance to motivate your customers about creating and sharing personalized prints as we transition into the New Year.

Personalized Marketing Communication Strategies for Photo-Personalized Products

Here are 4 ideas to help you connect with your customers and set the stage for a successful start to 2025. 

1. Subject Line Ideas : Preserve Your Holiday Memories – Print Those (Selfies!)

Hi [Name],

Don’t forget to turn your (event, holiday party selfies, holiday memories) into beautiful prints! Quick, easy, and guaranteed to bring smiles.

Cheers, [Your retail Name]

2. Send Sentiment-Driven Messages to your customers 

    • Gratitude-Focused Messages: 
    1. “Thank you for making our journey together so special this year. As we step into [YEAR], cherish the memories you’ve shared this Holiday Season.”
    2. Your support has been our greatest gift. Wishing you a personalized New Year filled with joy and new beginnings!”

    Forward-Looking Optimistic Messages:  

    1. “Here’s to new chapters, fresh starts, and capturing life’s most beautiful moments in the year ahead.”
    2. Every snapshot tells a story. May [YEAR] be your most photogenic year yet!”

    Quick tip : Add a clear follow-up action, such as “Start creating now”. This will give the message a practical edge. If appropriate, end with offering a daring New Year Promotion to incite them. 

    3. Get creative with Ai tools

    Many of you used our “How to prompt AI Text/Image generators” guide we published earlier this year. These guides can help you:

    • – Craft visual content for email campaigns.
    • – Design ads that resonate emotionally.
    • – Create unique print opportunities for customers.
    Use AI to Inspire Action
    • – Review and share our Special edition blog on Ai Image Gen prompts to help you and your customers create stunning images and texts for their personalized products (with free Ai images and text generators).
    • – Highlight the use of prompts focused on customer relationships, personalization, emotional resonance, year of reflection and forward-looking optimism.
    A gold pine cone and candle on a table Description automatically generated

    4. Don’t forget, the basis for excellence in generating retail e-mail messages is:

    • – Input customer name (if you can’t, see our generic alternative)
    • – Reference past purchase/interaction (if possible)
    • – Include warm New Year wish
    • – Hint at future possibilities for them (Promotions, loyalty offers or Product Personalization opportunities (event, products)

    Sleigh the Season: Last-Minute Creative Strategies to Boost Online Holiday Sales

    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

    1. Inspire Action with Emotional Appeals

    It’s the Holiday Season and your audience is ready, they have sorted their images, their memories, and now they’re searching for the perfect personalized gift.

    The right emotional words and visuals can inspire action, but they need to be natural, powerful, to connect with your target audience. Send quick e-mails leveraging some 2024 emotional moments : 

    A personalized calendar is a great gift for grandparents, filled with memories they can cherish all year.

    This drinkware (mug, bottle) will make a great gift for a teacher, coach, or instructor.

    Your pet will love its own cozy personalized blanket!

    A simple framed print of a treasured moment can bring tears of joy.

    The 1200 piece puzzle will be on the table for days.

    Wow! Look at this Aluminium Print of our Summer Harbor Sunset spectacular in Halifax.

    Quick Tip : You can find images to illustrate your ideas. Many image banks provider such as pixabay or unsplash will offer low cost and free images.

    2. Create Urgency Before It’s Too Late

    Publish your products’ deadlines on your website. 

    Time-sensitive messaging can drive conversions. Clearly communicate your product deadlines for holiday delivery on your website and in your emails. 

    For example: “Order by [insert date] to ensure your personalized gifts arrive in time for the holidays.”

    Check  Blacks.ca calendar deadlines. It effectively communicates product cut-off dates and delivery expectations.

    Example from blacks.ca website

    3. Spark Curiosity with Quick Emails or Shoppable Ads

    Send a last-minute e-mail to your customers or create a quick Shoppable Ad on TikTok or another social media

    Example Email:

    • Subject Line: Memories make the best Holiday Gift
    • Sub- text: Here are some personalized ideas you can assemble in 5 minutes on our website.

    Include emotional visuals of available products, such as photobooks, calendars, greeting cards, and pet-themed gifts.

    4. Connect with your audience in more meaningful ways

    Help your customers feel confident in creating personalized products by offering easy-to-follow instructions in your emails. Remind them that your software includes built-in guides to help them customize their products with ease.

    A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated
    • Embed these “how-to” videos in your email campaigns and on your website.

    On your website, in the Designer tool, the help instructions are usually located here : 

    Boost Sales this Thanksgiving with Personalized Holiday Products

    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

    In this special holiday blog post, you’ll find:

    1. Insights into consumer behavior for Christmas gift planning
    2. Overview of discount promotions and their impact on your profits
    3. Tips for assembling a photobook, including a link to our Mediaclip photo book creation video
    4. Sample email templates for promoting personalized products, ready to use

    The 2024 holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to start thinking about personalized gifts and custom-made products! In this special holiday blog post, we’ll share insights and tips to help you maximize sales of your personalized holiday offerings.

    1. Consumer Behavior Analyzed: Optimize your Retail Strategy

    Preparation is key to ensure that memorable gifts, like photobooks, large wall art, and personalized canvases, are ready in time to be placed under the Christmas tree.

    However, research from Yesmail Interactive shows that less than 38% of people start their Christmas shopping before November. In fact, November (32%) and early December (20%) together make up 51% of orders for Christmas delivery, right before the annual print and shipping deadlines for personalized products.

    As Thanksgiving is fast approaching in the U.S. this November 28, some of you have asked us if it’s too late to start preparing and making personalized gifts for Christmas. The answer is no! You are right on time!

    Many personalized products, such as mugs, drinkware, and puzzles, require only one or a few images and can be made ready to order in a few minutes. Other gift options like photobooks are more intricate and may need more planning.

    Quick Tip: Inform your customers (Website, e-mail) about your personalized product printing capabilities and showcase your full portfolio of products to inspire them.

    For most personalized products, the key deadline for final orders is the end of the second week of December—Sunday, December 15, 2024. Be sure to check with your provider for the exact dates!

    2. Consumer Insights and Smart Discounting for Holiday Sales

    Did you know that last year, 55% of shoppers started their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving? This early start trend means that businesses need to showcase their personalized holiday products well in advance to capture shoppers’ attention.

    people-start-christmas-shopping

    In 2023, some 40% of Canadian holiday shoppers planned to shop on Black Friday, making it a more popular choice than Cyber Monday and Boxing Day. 

    ​​Online personalized photo print retailers use various incentives to boost sales, especially from October to mid-December, when sales of personalized gifts are most popular. Key discounts include:

    • Up to 50% off select products. High discounts are available up to Cyber Monday shrinking substantially the first few weeks of December. 

          Note:  Personalization Product prices may have been over-inflated earlier in the year (February to June 2024), and savvy consumers are now checking the final discounted sticker prices carefully. 

    • Free Shipping with a minimum purchase, is the most popular discount year-round. This discount typically impacts final retail sales revenues by an average 9%-12%, depending on the product and delivery geolocation.
    • Coupon codes are still one of the most popular methods used online. The code will often change by date and some restrictions often apply to specific items. Consumers often forget to apply the available codes to their purchase. 

    Discount Periods and Level Range:

    • Oct 31 – Nov 13: 30%-40% off with free shipping (Selected Products).
    • Nov 14 – Dec 2: 30%-50% off with limited free shipping (Selected Products).
    • Dec   3 – Dec 11: 10%- 20% off with no free shipping (Selected Products).
    • Dec 14 – Dec 22: Minimal to no discounts, free shipping is rare.

    Offering discounts such as coupon codes can influence a company’s profitability in several ways. This strategy can drive increased sales but can also reduce profit margins and create customer expectations. Retailers can use tools like Impact of Discount Calculator to assess the financial effects of their discount strategies.

    3. Tips for Assembling a Photobook

    Photobooks make wonderful personalized gifts, right? 

    They’re especially appealing to DIY enthusiasts and amateur photographers, giving them a creative outlet to bring their favorite moments to life. With our easy-to-use Mediaclip software, creating a beautiful, custom photobook has never been simpler.

    Watch and Learn: Discover how to assemble stunning photobooks with our step-by-step video guide. Thanks to our intuitive design tools, your customers can effortlessly customize their photobooks for any occasion, achieving a polished look with just a few clicks. Encourage your shoppers to capture those meaningful moments and transform them into keepsakes they’ll treasure for a lifetime. Oh, and by the way, no design skills are required!

    4. Customizable Email Templates for Promoting Photobooks in Client Communications

    Looking for festive inspiration for your holiday marketing campaigns? Here are some sample email templates designed to promote personalized products and help make this holiday season a memorable one for your customers:

    Subject Line: 🎄 The Perfect Holiday Gift? One You Created Just for Them.

    Body:
    Dear [Customer’s Name],
    This holiday season, create gifts as unique as your loved ones. From custom photobooks capturing treasured memories to one-of-a-kind ornaments, our personalization options add that extra special touch. Browse our collection to create a gift they’ll cherish forever 🙂.

    Happy Holidays,
    [Your Name]

    Subject Line: 🎁  Capture Their Favorite Moments with a Custom Photobook!

    Body:
    Hi [Customer’s Name],
    Looking for the perfect way to celebrate the season? Make a custom photobook and keep precious memories close for years to come. It’s a heartfelt way to turn moments into keepsakes, crafted with love and ease. Start designing yours today!

    Warm Wishes,
    [Your Name]

    Subject Line: ⏰ Last Call for Personalized Gifts – Order Now!

    Body:
    Hello [Customer’s Name],
    The holidays are almost here, but there’s still time to make them memorable! Order your personalized gifts today to ensure they arrive in time for the celebrations. From stationery to unique photo gifts, we have something special for everyone on your list.

    Don’t wait – order now!

    [Your Name]

    Top tips for writing text-to-image prompts

    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

    AI is extremely helpful for many aspects of text to image generation content creation. But the results are only as good as the prompt you use for the time being…

    Every AI-generated image can only be as great as its prompt. Since using the right prompts is the key to stimulate and obtain a proper Ai algorithm response, we would like to review content tips and offer a prompt guide for Image Gen Creation. 

    With Mediaclip, you can use your favorite Ai Image gen provider to create personalized product content. Most Image Gen software will let you export your Image Generated as a JPG or PNG file. You can then import and use the file in Mediaclip Designer.

    In this blog, we will offer 10 tips for writing text-to-image prompts, plus one hundred words you can use for writing prompts.

    10 tips for writing text-to-image prompt

    The important thing to keep in mind is to be clear with your Image Gen objective, then define the content details and styles you want to achieve.

    1. Start with small prompt ideas

    Efficient prompts come with conducting tests. Explore how each particular Ai Image Gen program interprets your text prompts. Note, the differences generated between programs.

    2. Be clear and specific, avoid open text and vague content request 

    For Example: Avoid: “Dancer, punk style” Try instead: “Female Jazz street dancer, in punk clothing” 

    3. Use well-defined keywords and terms

      Ai Image generators have scanned a large database. They refer to specific prompt text to build the image. Specific content request will lead to construct an appropriate Image.

      For Example: Avoid generic texts: “a fantastic dancer,” “a beautiful creature” Try to be specific: “a ballerina,” “a mermaid” “a hockey player” “a Tesla model xyz car”.

      4. If possible, include strong feelings descriptive

        Use adjectives and insert sentiment into your text prompt. For example: Try: “a lean energetic ballerina,” “an elegant James Bond style 3-piece suit”, “and epic flaming sunrise.” 

        5. Describe the style of Images you want

          It helps if you include certain visual styles for the Ai Image Gen tool to take inspiration from. For Example: Try: “In a Van Goth art,” “Dali surrealism,” “1980 US Art Deco”

          6. Use positives, avoid negatives prompt. 

            Write text only about things you want to see. Omit to mention what you do not want to see. 

            For Example: Avoid: “no red dress” Try: “Casual, Lounge Slip. Full length dress”, “A backless pink dress”, shorts mini tight blue jeans pants”

            It is recommended to spare no detail, to specify what you want, clearly. 

            Text to image gen AI is translating your content need into a visual. Be as descriptive as possible in your prompts, with, a bit of caution, as too many minute details may confuse the Ai. Again, efficient prompts come with conducting tests.

            7. Filter your text descriptors and use only the important ones

              This comes with practice. 

              For Example: Avoid: “A small dog on a rough sidewalk walking through a dirty city fence is looking through the broken fence post, inside, he sees a fantasy portal to a beautiful landscape with rivers, forests, and a rainbow” Instead: “Little dog looking through a dirty graffiti fence into a yard. Inside an inviting landscape”.

              8. Describe your desired composition

                Include photographic elements. It will help the Ai Image Gen program process an accurate image, sparing you from reviewing text prompts or cropping and resizing the image.

                For Example: Avoid: “Santa Claus travelling across of the world” Try instead: “A full-body portrait of Santa Claus and his reindeer flying over Chicago skyline.

                9. Use singular nouns and include numbers to feature multiple elements in a single image. 

                  For example: Avoid: “cats” Try instead: “fours black cats.”

                  10. Do not leave room for assumptions. 

                    Even, if you have text content loopholes in your prompts, the AI Image generator will create something. Anything! 

                    For example: Avoid: “Build a marvelous graffiti wall, with ornaments, constructed in retro style” Try: “on a graffiti wall, St Laurent Street, Montreal, the portrait of Leonard Cohen, guitar and gears, 1967 Hippie Style.”

                    A collage of images of a person and a guitar Description automatically generated

                    Finally, you can combine two or more well-defined concepts. Let your creativity flow, do not be afraid to mix-and-match. Building prompts can be bizarre. 

                    To try the blog concepts we used here, we used a free online prompt builder, promptoMANIA. This tool is especially useful and free to use. 

                    Ai image gen can also be solicited different ways, currently the most popular and understood by consumers is the text prompt. This excellent article by Visual First, Hans Hartman demonstrate other methodologies. 

                    Some of the Ai image Generators used in this article are:

                    ·        Midjourney from Open Ai  Create Art or Modify Images with AI (openart.ai)

                    ·        Dall-e 3 available inside Microsoft Bing Image creator

                    ·        Firefly.ai

                    ·        Stable Diffusion, Leonardo.ai

                    ·        Google Image generator https://gemini.google.com/

                    100 words you can use writing Ai Image Gen prompts for Web to Print photos

                    portrait
                    long exposure
                    blooming; in bloom
                    transitioning
                    modern
                    landscape
                    Canva (wall art)
                    Colorful (color)
                    in action
                    retro
                    standard
                    one, two, (any number)
                    black and white
                    happy
                    scary
                    oil painting
                    abstract
                    charcoal drawing
                    sad
                    at the beach
                    Images
                    location
                    Instagram
                    smartphone
                    shutter speed
                    Ansel Adams
                    Large format
                    priority mode
                    portrait
                    landscape
                    F-stop value (1.2, 5.6, 11)
                    embroidery
                    foreground
                    focus
                    fuzzy

                    Picasso
                    Rock & roll
                    foreground
                    Da Vinci
                    Fog
                    Andy Warhol
                    wide shot
                    wrinkled
                    Van Gogh
                    sunny

                    Salvador Dali

                    close up
                    smooth
                    mixed medium
                    raining
                    pop art
                    strokes

                    maternity
                    boudoir
                    posing
                    photoshop
                    printing
                    templates
                    Street photo
                    Stock photo
                    framed
                    laminated
                    moire

                    pigment ink
                    dye Ink
                    Resolution (low, high)
                    megapixel
                    lenticular
                    natural light
                    thunderstorm
                    photobook
                    School photo
                    poses
                    palettes
                    diffusion
                    Bokeh
                    deadpan
                    chimping
                    candid
                    HDR
                    Force perspective
                    Light Painting
                    photobomb
                    lens flare
                    ambiant
                    Selphie
                    Portrait
                    Picture perfect
                    details
                    Raw

                    Prompt examples you can try

                    Here are some ready-to-use prompts examples : 

                    • A portrait (image jpg) in the style of Mona Lisa
                    • A pop art Canva of (Banff Mountain resort) in the Salvatore Dali style
                    • A landscape (image or reference to location) in the style of Ansel Adams
                    • A portrait of a young child (Boy, Girl, or image if possible) holding a sword, fantasy, on a horse, digital painting style, sharp focus, illustration
                    • Portrait of a beautiful wedding bride, inside church, intricate mosaic lighting, elegant, highly detailed, framed digital painting.
                    A couple of paintings of brides Description automatically generated
                    • Black & White, Digital painting of a lush Canadian wildlife natural scene in AlaskaA screenshot of a computer screen Description automatically generated

                    The Ai image Generator used here was situated at https://www.creativefabrica.com/spark/tools/art-generator.

                    Enhance your e-Commerce offering with a Shopify drinkware customization tool

                    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

                    Looking to elevate your e-Commerce store’s product offerings and attract more customers? 

                    Image de Freepik

                    Introducing a Shopify drinkware customization tool to your store can transform how customers engage with your products, allowing them to personalize their drinkware with unique designs and text.

                    Why offer personalized drinkware?

                    Personalized products are a major trend in e-Commerce, with customers increasingly looking for items that reflect their personal style or make meaningful gifts. Drinkware, such as mugs, water bottles, and glassware, is particularly suitable for customization due to its everyday use and visibility. Offering such items can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

                    Benefits of using a Shopify drinkware customization tool

                    Integrating a drinkware customization tool into your Shopify store can provide several benefits:

                    • Enhanced user experience: Customers will enjoy the ability to create custom drinkware right on your website, which improves engagement and enhances their shopping experience.
                    • Increased sales opportunities: Personalized products often command higher prices and can boost your average order value.
                    • Customer retention: Personalized products have a unique appeal, encouraging repeat purchases and increasing customer loyalty.

                    Key features of a successful Shopify drinkware customization tool

                    To maximize the impact of your Shopify drinkware customization tool, it should offer:

                    • Intuitive Design Interface: An easy-to-use interface that allows customers to add custom designs, text, or photos to their chosen drinkware.
                    • High-quality preview options: The ability to preview customizations in real-time helps customers make confident decisions about their purchases.
                    • Mobile responsiveness: Ensure the tool works seamlessly on mobile devices, catering to the large number of users who shop on their phones and tablets.

                    Implementing your drinkware customization tool on Shopify

                    Here’s how to effectively set up a Shopify drinkware customization tool:

                    1. Select a reputable provider: Choose a tool that is well-reviewed and supports Shopify integration.
                    2. Integration and configuration: Follow the provider’s guidelines to integrate the tool with your Shopify store. Customize settings to fit your brand and product lineup.
                    3. Promotion and marketing: Launch the tool with a strong marketing campaign. Highlight the new customization feature through email marketing, social media, and other promotional activities to drive traffic and usage.

                    Transform your Shopify store and meet your customers’ needs for unique, personalized drinkware. 

                    Mediaclip technology can be integrated with all existing e-Commerce solutions with convenient Plug-ins available for Shopify. Our customization tool not only enhances the shopping experience but also helps to increase sales and customer loyalty. Discover more and start customizing today to take your business to the next level.

                    Enhance your e-Commerce strategy with Canvas Print-on-Demand solutions

                    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

                    Are you looking to expand your e-Commerce business with high-margin products that do not require upfront inventory investment? Canvas print-on-demand solutions offer a compelling opportunity to add value to your store with customizable and scalable product offerings.

                    Enhance your e-Commerce strategy with Canvas Print-on-Demand solutions

                    The rising popularity of Print-on-Demand

                    Print-on-demand (POD) is rapidly gaining traction in the e-Commerce space because it allows businesses to offer a wide range of products without the need for large inventory spaces or significant upfront costs. This model is particularly effective for custom products such as canvas prints, which are popular among consumers for both personal use and as gifts.

                    Why Canvas Prints?

                    Canvas prints are an excellent choice for a print-on-demand business model for several reasons:

                    • High-quality product: Canvas is a durable material that gives a premium feel and high-quality print clarity, making it a favored choice for art reproductions, personal photos, and decorative pieces.
                    • Versatility: Canvas prints can be adapted to a wide variety of artistic styles and interior designs, appealing to a broad customer base.
                    • Scalability: With POD, you can scale your offerings without additional cost; whether you sell ten or a thousand prints, your process remains the same.

                    Key features of effective Canvas Print-on-Demand Solutions

                    A robust canvas print-on-demand solution should include several key features to ensure it meets the needs of both the business owner and the consumer:

                    • Seamless integration: Easily integrates with your existing e-Commerce platform to automate the ordering and fulfillment process.
                    • High customization capability: Offers customers the ability to customize their prints by uploading personal images or choosing from a pre-selected gallery.
                    • Quality printing and fulfillment: Maintains high standards in print quality and reliable fulfillment to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.

                    Implementing Canvas Print-on-Demand in your business

                    Implementing canvas print-on-demand in your e-Commerce strategy can be done in a few straightforward steps:

                    1. Choose a provider: Select a print-on-demand partner who specializes in canvas printing and offers integration with your e-Commerce platform.b
                    2. Set up the integration: Work with the provider to integrate their services into your website, ensuring that the design tool is user-friendly and the process is seamless for your customers.
                    3. Market your new offering: Promote your new canvas print-on-demand products through all your channels, highlighting the ability to customize and the quality of the prints.

                    Ready to diversify your product line and captivate your audience with high-quality, customizable art? Explore our canvas print-on-demand solutions today and discover how easy it is to enhance your e-Commerce offering with no inventory risk. 

                    Elevate your Shopify store with Personalized Canvas Prints

                    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

                    Are you looking to enhance your Shopify store’s product lineup and appeal to customers seeking unique home decor? Offering personalized canvas prints on Shopify might be the perfect solution. This addition not only caters to the rising trend of personalized products but also provides your customers with a means to express their creativity and personal style through art.

                    Elevate your Shopify store with Personalized Canvas Prints

                    The growing appeal of personalized products

                    In today’s market, personalization is key to standing out. For customers, the ability to tailor products to their own tastes and preferences is not just attractive, it’s expected. Personalized canvas prints allow them to make their mark on their living spaces, transforming standard items into something uniquely theirs. This trend towards customized goods has shown to significantly boost customer engagement and retention.

                    Why choose Canvas Prints?

                    Canvas prints offer numerous advantages for both consumers and retailers:

                    • Longevity and quality: Canvas is durable, holds ink well, and can bring life to any design with vibrant colors and deep blacks.
                    • Versatility: Canvases serve as excellent mediums for all kinds of artworks, from detailed photographs to bold graphic designs.
                    • High perceived value: Canvas prints are often viewed as high-end decor due to their textured surface and art-gallery aesthetic.

                    Integrating Personalized Canvas Prints on Shopify

                    Shopify’s robust e-commerce platform is ideal for seamlessly introducing personalized canvas prints. Here’s how you can benefit:

                    • Easy customization tools: Integrate tools that allow customers to upload their own photos or designs, choose sizes, and perhaps add filters or text.
                    • Enhanced shopping experience: By integrating these personalization features directly into your Shopify store, you enhance the user experience, making it easy and enjoyable for customers to create their perfect piece of art.
                    • Boost in sales: Personalized products typically command higher prices and can lead to better customer satisfaction and repeat business.

                    Launching Personalized Canvas Prints on your Shopify store

                    Getting started with personalized canvas prints in your Shopify store is straightforward:

                    1. Choose a reliable print provider who offers integration with Shopify. Learn more about Mediaclip integration with Shopify. 
                    2. Set up the customization interface using Shopify apps designed for product personalization, ensuring a user-friendly design tool is available on your product pages.
                    3. Market your new offering extensively. Highlight the ability to personalize prints in your promotions and social media campaigns to generate buzz and drive traffic.

                    Enhance your Shopify store today with personalized canvas prints and offer your customers a product that’s truly their own. Visit our website and feel free to ask for a demo to learn more about how you can get started with this exciting addition and begin captivating your audience with high-quality, customizable art that resonates.

                    Photo & video industry news : Google I/O, OpenAI and others

                    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

                    In May 2024, Google unveiled an impressive set of AI initiatives aimed at improving photo and video use cases. Hans Hartman, author at Visual 1st, recently shared his 7 most relevant announcements for the personalized products industry in a newsletter. In addition, he shares some very interesting news you shouldn’t miss in the industry. Here’s a summary of everything he mentioned!

                    Google I/O 

                    SynthID: Google’s invisible AI watermark tech will now work with photos, videos, and music.

                    Project Astra: A new app that uses AI to identify and provide information about objects you point at or listen to.

                    Veo: A new tool that creates videos from prompts, similar to OpenAI’s Sora.

                    Imagen 3: The latest and highest quality version of Google’s text-to-image creation tool.

                    Ask Photos: A new Google Photos feature that lets you search for and get insights about your photos by asking questions.

                    Google Lens: Now allows you to ask questions using videos, not just images.

                    Gemini on Android: Soon, Android users can drag and drop AI-generated images into Gmail and other apps. YouTube will also let users tap “Ask this video” to find information in videos.

                    OpenAI

                    Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa: watch out! OpenAI has introduced a true multimodal chatbot based on its new GPT-4o AI model (“o” stands for “omni”). You can talk to the bot, show it images or videos, and get voice responses in real-time.

                    In other words, it’s a genuine multimodal AI chatbot, not just one that converts voice and images to text and back. You can ask it questions like, “What brand of shirt is this person wearing?” and get a spoken answer.

                    Only time will tell if this voice-centric interface will become popular. For now, text prompts for generating AI images are less popular compared to traditional interfaces like sliders and menus.

                    Sensaria

                    Introducing OnePoint, a new API that streamlines print-on-demand order management, connecting various Sensaria, Bay Photo, and JONDO print facilities worldwide.

                    (Anya Thrash, Executive VP of Marketing at Bay Photo/Sensaria, will share her insights at Visual 1st in our panel on innovation in photo print products, technology, and manufacturing.)

                    Freepik & Magnific

                    Freepik has acquired Magnific, a Spanish company that developed an AI-powered image upscaler, enhancer, and transformer solution just five months ago. This is Freepik’s biggest acquisition to date, adding to their acquisitions of EyeEm, Videvo, Original Mockups, and Iconfinder.

                    Claid

                    The visual e-commerce API provider Claid has announced a major upgrade. It includes a new interface, higher resolution, advanced AI tools for creating high-quality product photos, and the integration of 15 AI image tools in a single API, enabling e-commerce customers to automate their entire workflows.

                    Apple

                    At Apple’s recent “Let Loose” event, they introduced the Final Cut Camera app, a powerful video camera app offering more control than the built-in one. This app could compete with advanced third-party apps like Blackmagic Camera or Filmic Pro.

                    One standout feature is Live Multicam, which lets users connect multiple iPhones or iPads to shoot video simultaneously. These shots are automatically transferred and synced to Final Cut Pro, allowing seamless editing from multiple angles. In short, it turns your iPad into a multicam production studio.

                    Profoto

                    Profoto, a past Visual 1st Best of Show Awards winner, announced Eclipse II, the second generation of its product photography station. It includes high-end lighting equipment, a built-in Canon EOS R8 camera, workflow management software, and an iPad-controlled interface. This system is designed for capturing pro-quality stills and videos of items like shoes or accessories with minimal photographic skills needed. The new system is brighter, faster, and smarter than the original developed by StyleShoots, a company Profoto acquired in 2022.

                    Meta

                    Meta’s AI tools for advertisers can now create new images, not just backgrounds. For example, if you have a product image, such as a cup of coffee, you can replace the background and generate variations of the product itself, like showing it from different angles.

                    VSCO

                    VSCO introduces VSCO Hub, a job-matching solution for businesses to find the right photographers for their projects. This new feature includes AI-powered search assistance to match photographers with specific requirements.

                    OpenAI

                    OpenAI has launched a deepfake detector that can identify AI images from its DALL-E model with 98.8% accuracy. This tool works well because OpenAI adds tamper-resistant metadata to DALL-E 3 images.

                    OpenAI

                    OpenAI is exploring ways to enable users to responsibly generate AI porn, ensuring content does not violate laws or rights. This move recognizes the importance of creative content involving sexuality or nudity for some users.

                    TikTok

                    TikTok will start labeling AI-generated content with Content Credentials, making it the first major social media platform to support the open C2PA standard. This label will be added to AI watermarked content from outside TikTok as well.

                    Rapid advances in AI technology are dramatically transforming the photo and video industry. Thanks to initiatives from Google, OpenAI, Apple and others, visual content creation and management capabilities are becoming more sophisticated and more accessible.

                    Stunning Before and After Photos : Leveraging Perfectly Clear Automatic Image Correction in your Mediaclip Designer

                    Posted on by Michel Lacaille

                    As a provider of personalized products, the quality of the final printed items depends heavily on the photos users upload. While you can’t control the photos selection, you can offer tools to help enhance these images. By doing so, you generate a superior user experience that distinguishes you from your competitors. Perfectly Clear automated photo correction from EyeQ Imaging is an optional addition to your Mediaclip Designer setup.

                    What is Perfecty Clear ?

                    Perfectly Clear is an automatic photo enhancement technology that is integrated into Mediaclip’s white-label product personalization software solution as a front-end tool. The technology uses a blend of real science and artificial intelligence to intelligently enhance photos according to the needs of the image. Up to 40 automatic corrections can be made to each image, such as exposure, sharpening, AI precision of skin tones and depth.

                    before perfectly clear correction
                    Before Perfectly Clear Correction
                    after perfectly clear correction
                    After Perfectly Clear Correction

                    3 reasons why your business and your clients will benefit from Perfectly Clear Automatic Image Correction

                    1. Increase your conversion rates

                    It’s proven that customers are more likely to purchase photo products if they are satisfied with the appearance of their photos. If customers don’t like how their photos look on screen while creating and customizing their products, they’re unlikely to complete the purchase. The Perfectly Clear front-end implementation in Mediaclip Designer allows users to fix problem images with just a click of a button.

                    In an anonymous survey with 5,000 participants, 96% of the time, an image edited with Perfectly Clear was preferred over the original, demonstrating that corrected images are more likely to be purchased!

                    2. Reduce returns and reprints 

                    It happens all the time — despite warnings, customers often choose to print poorly lit or damaged photos, leading to dissatisfaction with the final product. This can result in returns or reprint requests, costing you valuable resources and revenue.

                    Perfectly Clear technology ensures that the images selected are corrected to look their best.

                    3. Create repeat customers, setting yourself apart from competitors

                    As the market becomes increasingly saturated with photo products, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the competition. Why give your customers a reason to go elsewhere? Put in place the extra elements that will keep your customers satisfied and coming back.

                    How to use the Perfectly Clear integration in Mediaclip ?

                    Perfectly Clear is an optional addition to the front-end of your Mediaclip Designer. Simply use the Perfectly Clear Web API to connect to the backend of your Mediaclip account. Users will then see the option to automatically enhance the photos they’ve added to the designer. To launch the operation, they simply click and let Perfectly Clear do the work! The result is a beautifully corrected image.

                    How to add Perfectly Clear to your Mediaclip setup ?

                    Perfectly Clear integration is an optional addition to your Mediaclip setup. Mediaclip Customer Service representative can put you in touch with the Perfectly Clear team, or you can reach out to them directly for information on pricing and integration options.

                    2024 Print Show Grand Slam: A year of innovation and personalization

                    Posted on by Guest Contributor

                    By Richard Askam, Personalization Consultant & MediaClip Ambassador

                    2024 is a big year, a Grand Slam year in fact, as all 4 of the world’s largest print shows are happening in the same calendar year. This only happens every 4 years, a bit like the Olympics, and of course 2024 is an Olympic year in Paris too, so it truly is a massive year all round. But who will win the gold medal and who will try hard but not quite make it over the winning line… MediaClip are going to be at all these events (well the print ones definitely) so let’s have a look.

                    Finally in 2024, it’s the largest print show in the Continental United States, Printing United which takes place in September in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. And despite the reputation of Sin City, attending Printing United doesn’t represent a gamble and in fact my favourite testimonial from an attendee at the 2023 event in Atlanta, Georgia was;

                                        “ I LOVED the expo, it’s my candy store and library all in one!”

                    Last year’s Atlanta Expo included over 800 exhibitors, tens of thousands of attendees, classroom style education sessions, apparel and PDAA hands-on demo zones, keynote sessions, community hubs and 3 days of brain expansion as to what is possible in today’s print industry, and if I’m honest – the print industry is now the tech industry, it just doesn’t seem to know it!

                    If you include MediaClip, over 30% of the exhibitors at the major print shows around the world in 2024 are in pure play software companies, having created amazing tech solutions for the forward thinking print industry to bring even more inventive solutions for today’s consumers and with a particular focus on personalization. 

                    Source : Printed United

                    Since the Apple iPhone was released in 2007 (other smartphones are available…), we have a generation of consumers who are also broadcast media, wherever they are stood with their phone and camera, they are content creators in their own right and as such, there is a strong desire to create their own brands or at the very least, co-brand with existing brands. They are doing this by customizing and hyper personalizing products and using the plethora of tech tools online that allows print companies to supply a million one offs!

                    Print has been around for 1000 years and will be around for 1000 more – but perhaps we should call it content, and appeal to the brands who think print is old-fashioned which according to today’s generation…it absolutely isn’t!

                    All of this is for discussion at Printing United this fall, and remember – what goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

                    Richard Askam

                    Twitter: @richardaskam1 

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