Video: How to make a minilab book

December 1, 2009

No double sided printer?  No problem!  We have some great little books that you can make with the MyPhotoBook kit and 8×6″ or 10×8″ prints…we call them Minilab Books.

You just need the covers and stapler/guide kit and you are ready to go!  Don’t forget to check our Marketing page for a poster you can print to advertise your new products!  Scroll down in this blog to read the entry and watch video about our other minilab product, the Smart Calendar!

(posted by Rachel)


Go BIG or Go Home! How to jumbo size your display…

November 23, 2009

We had fun redecorating our training room here at headquarters in Virginia, and came up with some jumbo products that drew a lot of attention, so thought we’d share!

Lucidiom Training Room - Jumbo Display

Materials you will need:

  • Files from the kit posted here: http://www.lucidiom.com/support/tools_kits.aspx (even the pencil art is up there!)
  • 1 can adhesive spray
  • packing tape
  • wide format printer(able to print at least 24″ wide) – we used bond paper for wrapping paper and notepad, satin paper for all others
  • 9 pieces 20×30″ foam board
  • 2 pieces 30×40″ foam board (black)
  • paperclips & fishing line (for hanging) … a drill with small bit works well to make holes for hanging
  • the boxes are wrapped in wrapping  paper created on the APM kiosk (not included in download)…designs are available from Mrs. Grossman’s
  • 2 packs of plastic foam board hinges (sold next to the foam board in the handy office supply…you can also just use tape)
  • paper cutter or x-acto knife and straight edge

Jumbo Products

Flat Cards: for the flat cards, in real life are 4×8″…take one of the 20×30″ boards and cut into 3 10×20″ pieces.  Tape a third to each 20×30 piece, so you have 3 20×40″ pieces. Print files for the flat cards and spray adhesive them to the foam board.

Calendar: top and bottom are each 30×20″ … spray adhere prints to the foam board, then use fishing line to join the two halves…leave a space between.  We used some paper cutouts to mimic the wire bind.

Photo Book: If you do just one of these jumbo products, do the photo book…certainly won the most attention.  Each half is 40×30″, we printed 3 sheets of 74×24″ and folded them in half to look like 6 pages total.  We joined the two halves with plastic hinges, but they could also be taped.Start with the back set of pages, fold to one side and use packing tape to secure the page to the board along the fold.  Flip pages to the other side, repeat…do this with all the pages.  You can fan pages a bit, and with some strategically placed tape, create the page wrinkles.

More Jumbo Products

Folded Card: each face of the card is 20×30″…we printed the front and back, and one sheet inside, adhering each print to the foam with the adhesive. We used some foam board hinges to join the halves.

Notepad: Print 5 sheets of the notepad, staple together and tape across the top to the 20×30″ foam board. Print the black square file and fold over the top to mimic the top of the notepad.  We used wrapping paper (more like paper than photo) for this one, and for the pencil too.  Don’t forget to print out the pencil!  We cut out the tip and rolled it up and taped all edges, then stuffed with some paper towels for stability.

Wrapped Boxes: Graphics aren’t included in the download, but uses the APM Wrapping Paper product, printed out enough times to wrap a large box.

Have fun! Send us a picture of your jumbo display when you have it up!

(posted by Rachel)


‘Tis the Season for Lots of 4×8 Cards!!

October 28, 2009

Christmas & Holiday Flat Cards

Need a boost of 4×8/8×4 card designs for your APM kiosks? We have a whole new pack of them! Over 100 exclusive designs for just $99 when you order by November 13th…delivered electronically! Price after that is $129. You need to have Folio and v7.0+ on your kiosk(s) for these cards.

>>> View the catalog to see all the designs. <<<

Download posters and bag stuffers to customize, a counter catalog to print, and a whole folder of premade sample cards to print and show off at lucidiom.com/marketing.

Ready to order? Contact your sales rep or send us an email!

(posted by Rachel)


Ants Marching…to your Photo Finale Picnik Wall?

August 7, 2009

Advertise Picnik!  It brings users to your Photo Finale site.  Picnik is where you are brought when you click Edit Photo on your Photo Finale site…you can add text and stickers, change colors, apply filters, crop, rotate, remove red eye, add frames…really endless combinations of creative tools.  Here’s a cheap and effective display idea sure to draw attention, and boost your online orders and memberships.

1. Print out original and Picnik’d photos and a few Picnik logos on 12×18 on the EQ printer…tape them up on the wall.
2. Print out 20 cartoon ants on your EQ printer…if you’re feeling fancy, sure go ahead and cut them out.  Tape them in a path to your Picnik!
3. Be sure to put up a sign with your website, pricing, directions, etc.

12×18 prints on the EQ printer are cheap for you to make, and very impressive. Picnik’d photos look great as 12×18 EQ prints…consider a special promotion for this product!  A staff contest to generate more Picnik’d art is also a great way to fill a wall!

You can create the same Picnik wall in your store that I made in the office…I have posted all the photos (before and after), logos, and even the ants! on the marketing page of lucidiom.com: http://www.lucidiom.com/support/tools_kits.aspx

(posted by Rachel)


My Custom Thank You Notes

November 11, 2008

My son Joseph and I were recently given two beautiful gifts from friends–a cute little yellow and green striped hand-knitted sweater and an adorable orange pumpkin hat (it even has a green stem coming out of the top!!).  Well, a standard thank you note wouldn’t do (even though I have a load of thank you notes leftover from my wedding a few years ago that I would love to get rid of!).  So I turned to the APM.  (What else, I work at Lucidiom, right?!)  Well, I will post them so you can see how cute they turned out.  I even made a matching envelope for the one for the pumpkin hat.  Have you ever gotten a thank you note thanking you for a thank you note???  Just wait…

Thank You Note (Pumpkin Hat)

Thank You Note (Pumpkin Hat)

 

Thank You Note (Sweater)

Thank You Note (Sweater)

(posted by Rachel)


Red Eye Pictures On Purpose?!

September 11, 2008

You bet!  With a red eye photo you can identify retinoblastoma, which is a highly malignant childhood eye cancer affecting infants and children up to age 5.  It can spread to the brain if left untreated, causing blindness and even death.  I have done this a few times with my son ever since I read about it.

Red Eye Pictures

Red Eye Pictures...looks normal!

I’m sure everyone knows how to take a red eye photo–working in a lab, I know I explained how NOT to do it often enough!  Dim room, flash close to the camera…of course when you are trying to get a red eye shot, you can’t.  The flash can make the tumor(s) visible in photographs, appearing as a white hue rather than seeing the typical red eye effect of a normal, healthy eye.  You know when eyes are different angles the reflection back can differ in each eye, but this is pretty distinctive. Here are some sites I found with more info, and some samples…

(posted by Rachel)


My Real Life Test of Photo Gift Wrap

September 4, 2008

So we have a pretty cool new product for the APM–gift wrap!  My dad’s birthday was last month and what better test?  So I wrapped up a notepad and a calendar (also APM products) and the John Adams DVD set…this is what it looked like all packaged:

Here is my dad opening the card:

And, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the opening of the gifts.  After he opened the notepad and calendar, he said he was going to bring them to work and make the guy the next office over (who has his grandkid’s photos all over the office) jealous.  Then, my dad actually saved the wrapping paper.  Seriously.  Only my mother will really appreciate the magnitude of this action, as she is always the one trying to save gift wrap and bows and being made fun of for it by my dad.  He got a kick out of the whole idea, and it really made a nice presentation.  Remember, this is my family, they are pretty used to me bringing home stuff with photos on it so it takes a lot to wow them!

Anyway, it was a great success, and I have a feeling everyone will be expecting custom wrapped gifts after this!

(posted by Rachel)