Get a Free Imaging USA Expo Pass

Are you headed to Imaging USA 2016 in Atlanta, Jan. 10-12? We’d love to see you there, and we’re offering free expo passes. All you have to do is go HERE to claim your free pass.

While you’re at Imaging USA next month, please stop by booth #846 to check out our gallery of the stunning winners of the Sunset Print Awards.

We’ll also have a 24-inch Epson printer and our photo print experts discussing topics like: Color management, the importance of printing your own work, and how LexJet can help you set up your own in-house printing operation.

Plus, you can learn all about the LexJet Sunset line of products and more information about getting involved with the Sunset Print Award.

Looking forward to seeing you at Imaging USA!

Prints that Win: The Bike Builder

The Bike Builder by Michael Timmons

Michael and Tina Timmons are Sunset Print Award regulars, in one way or another. Both are past Sunset Print Award-winners for their outstanding photography, but have also printed award-winning images for other photographers across the country.

The Timmons’ most recent Sunset Print Award was earned by Michael at the Professional Photographers of Michigan competition for this slice-of-work image entitled The Bike Builder. It is a stellar example of capturing the essence of the subject and the environment in which that subject works.

The Bike Builder owns Arizona Thunder in Bisbee, Ariz. Michael stumbled upon the motorcycle repair and restoration shop during a road trip in the area following the Imaging USA show in Phoenix this past year.

“Being a motorcycle enthusiast, I noticed a big Harley-Davidson sign outside his shop. We were taking photos in town and stopped in to find out more. I asked him if I could take some photos and he agreed,” Michael recalls. “As soon as I saw the environment I knew I wanted to do something for competition, because of the clutter, the old parts and his character. At the time I got the capture we were having a conversation about his business. I had a tripod set up at the counter, so this scene is what you see from behind the counter when you walk into his shop. He had parts from all different makes, models and years in the shop with two or three bikes he was working on at the time.”

The image you see here is essentially what Michael captured with his Canon 5D Mark II with a 16-35mm lens on a tripod. The lighting is all natural light streaming through the window opposite the subject. The image was then converted in Photoshop with nik Silver Efex Pro 2 to black and white with some minor touchup with Silver Efex.

“When you’re working with someone in their environment, the key is to pull everything together and tell a story inside their everyday workspace. He’s real easygoing and laid back; this is what he does every day, so the story tells itself,” Michael says.

For the presentation at competition, Michael printed The Bike Builder on Sunset Photo eSatin Paper 300g, an inkjet photo paper he uses almost exclusively for competition printing.

“We’ve tested a lot of papers and found that the image quality on Sunset Photo eSatin surpasses other papers we’ve tested. We print competition images for people all over the country and everything that goes out is typically on Sunset Photo eSatin and Sunset Fibre Elite,” Michael explains. “The details, highlights and shadows print a lot better and the white point is a lot higher. We also like the weight and thickness of the paper; it’s easier to handle and it’s a lot more durable than other papers.”

Imaging USA in Atlanta, Jan. 20-22

Imaging USA, hosted by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), will be held in Atlanta, Jan. 20-22. Imaging USA is geared toward photographers and will include an expo, an education program, parties and other special events and presentations.

Conference and trade show for photographyPhotography classes focus on different specialties and tricks of the trade geared toward improving business and photographic skills, including a slate of classes sponsored by Adobe on how to better use those software tools. Speakers include Greg Gorman, Matthew Jordan Smith, Dane Sanders, Sarah Petty, Amina Moreau, Julieanne Kost, and more.

The Imaging EXPO trade show highlights hundreds of the industry’s leading vendors showcasing their products, with product demos, show-special deals and an opportunity to discuss products with the people who make them. After-EXPO parties include one at the Georgia Aquarium.

Imaging USA will also host an international photographic exhibit that’s open to the public and pre-convention workshops. To download a free mobile app for detailed schedules, maps and more go to: http://crwd.cc/iusa2013

Registration open and several options are available, including full-convention and expo-only passes. A special Join & Go promotion includes a free full-convention registration for new professional active members who join PPA prior to the show. For more information about Imaging USA or to register, visit www.imagingusa.org or call 888-260-0016.

Imaging USA Recap: Mobile Photo Proofing through PadProof App

Mobile app for the iPad for photographyLast week, LexJet’s crew of Michael Clementi, Ryan King and Alex Ried returned from Imaging USA with information about some notable new products now available in the photography market. In a previous post we highlighted the unique backlit and LED-lit products offered by Redipix.

Now for something completely different (but related)… PadProof introduced a new mobile device proofing app in the photography market. PadProof, as the name implies, is targeting iPads for this app, though other mobile devices like smart phones are in the works.

iPad app for photographers
Timothy Beckford, CEO and co-founder (foreground) and Timothy Lombardo, strategic advisor, at Imaging USA in New Orleans showcasing their new iPad proofing app for pro photographers. Photo by Chet Bell, PadProof user and FOPP.

“PadProof complements your Web-based proofing by enabling you to provide a premium proofing experience to your clients on their mobile devices. In a post-PC world you want to make sure that your business is catering to your clients’ needs on the mobile and the social Web,” says PadProof CEO and co-founder Timothy Beckford. “PadProof creates increased exposure for your business using Facebook and Twitter.  PadProof also helps generate more revenue through increased print sales. It’s never been easier for your clients to promote your brand or purchase prints and canvases from you. All of your PadProof events are tracked in real time and controlled by the photographer at PadProof.com. Products ordered by your clients are fulfilled automatically either directly to you to print yourself or the lab of your choice, and we direct deposit profits straight to your bank account.”

Photographers can sign up to receive an invitation to participate at www.PadProof.com/Pro/. Use the invite code Lexjet to take advantage of one of the 20 invitations reserved through this promo code.

Once the invitation is accepted, photographers can sign up and get the word out to their clients that the app is available and ready for them to use. So, instead of sending the client a URL, you send them the app and an event name or event ID so they can access their photos on their iPad through the PadProof app.

“At the moment it’s invitation-only and only available for the iPad because we want to make sure that during our initial growth phase we can provide the customer experience we want them to have, so we’re limiting the number of initial users based on that. We’ll scale our infrastructure up as we grow,” adds Aaron Drenberg of PadProof.

PadProof offers monthly fee-based plans, a one-time purchase option and a free starter plan that currently has a wait list. Credit card processing, customer service and automatic product fulfillment to the lab of your choice is included in every plan. The app is free for end-use clients to download. Go to www.padproof.com/pro/pricing/ for more pricing information.

PadProof has extended its Imaging USA specials until midnight ET, Friday, Jan. 27. Specials are reflected on the pricing page. For more information about the PadProof app and to sign up for an invitation, go to www.PadProof.com/Pro/.

Imaging USA Recap: Backlit Gallery Wraps from Redipix

Backlit inkjet printed gallery wraps for display

Fresh from the Imaging USA show earlier this week in New Orleans our intrepid LexJet crew – Michael Clementi, Ryan King and Alex Ried – brought back inspiration and ideas that we’ll share over the next week or so.

Backlit gallery wraps for photography
Gallery Wrap Dazzle by Redpix is backlit with LEDs for a unique, eye-catching display that can be dimmed and brightened remotely.

The LexJet crew reported that Sunset Stretcher Kits were the most popular product they demonstrated at Imaging USA. The DIY kits make it easy to create your own museum and gallery wraps in minutes, and you can read more about them here.

Another interesting twist on the gallery wrap concept was presented by Redipix at Imaging USA. Redipix has created a backlit gallery wrap using LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth that can be used for all types of display and lighting situations.

The box, built out of heavy-duty foam board, is backed with hundreds of LEDs placed in a pattern which maximizes light coverage behind the print. Moreover, the product – called Gallery Wrap Dazzle – comes with a remote dimmer so that the light can be controlled for various lighting situations.

Backlit printed gallery wraps for display
Here's what Gallery Wrap Dazzle looks like with the lights off.

“The LEDs can get brighter than you would normally want, except in sunlight, and it can be turned way down if need be. They’re particularly good where you don’t have good light, but they work anywhere. It’s amazing how the picture changes with the light and changes the contrast, so you can control the contrast,” says David Elmore, owner of Redipix. “We started using Water-Resistant Satin Cloth a couple of years ago and saw how people were using them in galleries and outdoors and other applications, and I noticed how great it looks in a window with the light behind it.”

The print can be easily removed and replaced with another one, so the Gallery Wrap Dazzle is re-usable, and the original print can be re-sold or re-purposed in whatever way you’d like, as a banner or hanging display, for instance.

“One of the photographers we met at the show wants to use it for weddings and display a picture of the bride and groom. It really glows so everyone can see it, leading to additional business from people who saw the display at the wedding,” says Elmore.

Printed shadow box for photography
This shadow box product from Redipix lights up the family photo on the inside.

At Imaging USA Redpix also introduced a new LED-lit shadow box and previewed a photo album that resides inside a gallery wrap, in addition to its primary foam board gallery wrap product that can be decorated with canvas or Water-Resistant Satin Cloth.

The shadow box has a hole in the middle of the main print, with another print recessed and lit with LEDs. Typically the main print is “word art” with a photo inside, the word art describing the picture inside. The photo album gallery wrap hangs on the wall so that the album can be prominently displayed and taken off the wall and opened for viewing.

For more information about Redipix, go to www.redipix.com.

Visit LexJet at Imaging USA for a Chance to Win a $300 Gift Certificate

Photo show in New Orleans in 2012As the headline reads, so it is, so stop by LexJet’s booth (547) at Imaging USA 2012 for a chance to win a $300 gift certificate good toward the purchase of any LexJet products, including the award-winning Sunset line of photo and fine art papers, canvas, canvas stretcher bars and photo albums.

Imaging USA is being held at the Ernest N. Moral Convention Center in New Orleans, and kicks off Thursday with pre-convention classes. The expo, where you can find the hot spot of the exhibit hall – LexJet’s booth – runs Jan. 15-17, a.k.a., next Sunday through Tuesday.

Canvas gallery and museum wraps
LexJet's booth will be the place to be for all things printing at Imaging USA in New Orleans with fantastic show-only specials, a chance to win a $300 LexJet gift certificate, product demos and samples, and more.

In addition to your chance to win big with a $300 gift certificate, LexJet experts will be on hand to demonstrate the latest inkjet printing technologies and help you with any questions or troubleshooting you may need.

And don’t forget about the amazing deals you can only pick up at Imaging USA at LexJet’s booth:

To find out more about show specials, demonstrations and the chance to win a $300 LexJet gift certificate, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538. You can find out more about Imaging USA and register online at www.imagingusa.com.