Standardized testing and reporting of image permanence and durability performance using ISO standardized methods allow photo fulfillment companies to assess and promote product performance in a way that is easily comparable by both professional fulfillment laboratories and consumers. Standards in development on the durability assessment of photo books and stability performance ratings of consumer prints will provide a clear, common comparison among products and allow a better understanding of these attributes by the consumer. This in turn can help grow the photo printing industry by encouraging printing and promoting the value inherent in the long term permanence of photographic quality prints and photo books.
Kodak Alaris leverages a number of technology platforms to create a broad range of digital output products. We are able to rapidly commercialize products to meet specific customer requirements, while at the same time serving a wide range of customer applications from a common platform. This advantage is enabled by a clear understanding of individual market requirements combined with a very responsive mechanism for custom product tuning to meet specific customer preferences around the globe. As a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad portfolio of photographic media the ability to efficiently localize products from a common platform is an important aspect of leveraging R&D and manufacturing scale while uniquely serving the needs of a given geographic market. Technology platforms that demonstrate this leverage include the KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Premier Media's family of silver halide technology, the formulation of professional grade photographic paper base, KODAK ESTAR base support technology, and a deep and continually evolving understanding in imaging science. This paper will discuss the products that have benefitted from these technology platforms and helped advance the photo fulfillment industry.
A new grassroots industry called personal photo organizing has been growing to meet the needs of consumers who are overwhelmed with their lifetime of photos. We live in an increasing, complex technical world, yet, as human beings, we have not changed in our need to tell a story. It is through stories that we connect and one of the ways we tell our stories is through our photos. With the introduction of digital cameras and mobile phones, people are now taking photos at a record pace and sharing them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other photo sharing sites. Yet, people are also finding they don't have time to sort through and organize the thousands upon thousands of photos they are accumulating, let alone print them. The result is a consumer who is overwhelmed and paralyzed. In addition to digital photos, hundreds of thousands of printed photos languish in shoeboxes and bins. Thus, the need for a solution has emerged and the photo organizers are stepping in to fill that need. There are now hundreds of small independent business owners offering their services in 48 states and six countries. By providing personal one-on-one assistance, the photo organizers are helping consumers reconnect with their photos and videos again. At the conclusion of this presentation, the attendee will have learned why there is a need for photo organizers, who the target market is for photo organizers, how a photo organizer charges for their time, the five most common services a photo organizer provides, and how the Association of Personal Photo Organizers supports this growing industry.
Dramatic changes have occurred in the photo industry since the turn of the century. The disruptive innovations of digital cameras and smartphone cameras have turned the industry on its head, while giving consumers unprecedented ability to capture and share pictures anytime, anywhere. Moving focus from technology development to understanding and addressing consumer needs is critical for success in this rapidly changing landscape. Digital technology is an enabler – allowing consumers to better tell the stories behind their pictures. The My Kodak Moments smartphone app allows consumers to make photo products directly from their smartphone. Tell My Story is a new feature in the app that allows consumers to tell stories with voice and pictures. It was built through a consumer led discovery approach. This talk reviews the development of this new feature at Kodak Alaris.
This paper describes in addition to the paper presented last year how videos can be implemented into printed photo books and greeting cards. We will show that –surprisingly or not-pictures from videos are similarly used such as classical images to tell compelling stories. Videos can be taken with nearly every camera, digital point and shoot cameras, DSLRs as well as smartphones and more and more with so-called action cameras mounted on sports devices. The implementation of videos while generating QR codes and relevant pictures out of the video stream via a software implementation was contents in last years' paper. This year we present first data about what contents is displayed and how the users represent their videos in printed products, e.g. CEWE PHOTOBOOKS and greeting cards. We report the share of the different video formats used.
The presentation 'Photo Kiosk Architecture' will briefly review the technologies that LiveLink technology has used for its photo kiosk products over the last 10 years. The current kiosk architecture will be discussed in the context of wider industry solutions. Finally, a novel architecture will be presented that aims to increase the flexibility of photo kiosk design.
The result of 10 years research, LumeJet is commercializing a new photonic 'inkless' printer, the S200, for ultra high quality photobook production. Similar to Ink Jet – but without the inks – LumeJet comprises custom designed print heads (moving or static) with multi-LED arrays and special fiber taper optics. Using light, rather than ink, increases throughput and image quality, whilst reducing media costs for image intensive documents. LumeJet is a continuous tone process that can resolve down to 2pt colored text and graphics, which would require at least 10-colours and over 4000dpi with inkjet and toner systems. Applications for LumeJet technology have also been identified in label and package printing and printed electronics.