ARE YOUR MOBILE PHOTOS SAFE + SECURE?

You probably already know that your computer’s hard drive isn’t the ideal location for your beloved images. For one, hard drives routinely crash, sending the data stored on them into dark oblivion. Furthermore, pictures stored locally often get very little eyeball time, and in today’s easy media-sharing environment, there’s no reason your photos should be collecting digital dust.

 

 

 

 

WHY DO YOU NEED A CLOUD STORAGE FOR PHOTOS?

Photo cloud storage is an online storage model in which data (photos) is saved on numerous servers distributed over the network. In other words, these are highly reliable servers that store photo and video files in a virtual environment that is protected from equipment failure, phone loss, or environment dangers. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can access your photos on the cloud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BACK-UP IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA!

While you may keep a copy of your photo files on a personal computer, laptop, phone or tablet – you never know when something may go wrong and wipe out decades worth of images. When you sync your mobile device with your cloud service – you’ll be able to view, share and access the images from multiple devices.

 

SHARED ACCESS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

If a group of people enjoy viewing and accessing each other’s images, consider sharing your cloud storage account. This allows authorized users to add photos of their own and view images from others in the group. Family shared accounts are very common for this purpose. Create folders for special events and members of the group to help sort and organize your photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELIMINATE MOBILE PHOTO CLUTTER.

We all have those images of receipts, movie tickets or duplicate shots of the same event. In the new year, spend a little time cleaning up those unnecessary shots and getting them off your system. Here’s how:

  • Slowly work your way through your image library and eliminate shots you don’t want to keep.
  • Your goal is to curate your collection and keep only the best of the best shots that are meaningful enough to keep.
  •  Work on image de-cluttering while you’re in line at the airport, waiting in the carpool lane, on vacation or killing time surfing the web.
  •  Make sure facial recognition is set up properly on your device so you can better sort images in the future.
  • Create and label folders or albums with dates, themes or subject matter. Doing this today, will be well worth the effort when it comes time to gather images for that graduation montage or a wedding video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REMEMBER TO SHARE, ENJOY AND PRINT!

Today’s mobile photos have very high image quality – meaning they make great-looking prints. Recent phone model cameras can produce print sizes 16×20″ and larger!

WHY EVERY FAMILY SHOULD PRESERVE THEIR HISTORY.

In 50 years, will you be able to reminisce? Will your grandchildren know if they’ve inherited your good looks? Will you be able to show them your childhood home? The answer to these questions is largely dependent on how you store and archive printed images today. After all, we’re not simply talking about pictures and home movies. We’re talking about your childhood, your wedding day, your entire family history – your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO MORE CLUTTER

Storing a digital version of your memories takes far less space in your home. Plus, no more digging through closets and flipping through albums looking for a single photo! Archived images are easily searchable in their digital state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PEACE OF MIND

Aging photo albums, boxes of prints and home movies are at risk for deterioration, misplacement and destruction in their current state. Archiving is also insurance for loss due to water damage, fire and other environmental hazards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONVENIENT ENJOYMENT

Once your photos and home movies are digitized, the files can easily be viewed on almost any device.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONE LESS FAMILY BATTLE

Each and every family member can have their very own digital copy of the files. This is especially helpful in the case of a divorce or death in the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PASS IT ON

The digital files can easily be shared with family members around the world. Email specific files and store your new digital library in the cloud so that others can access them. For redundancy, we recommend ordering multiple copies of the digitized images for children, grandchildren or siblings.

 

WHAT’S YOUR PHOTO MANAGEMENT STRATEGY?

Make a plan for your story. How do you plan to preserve all the meaningful events in your life? If you don’t have one, don’t worry. We provide tools, training and assistance so you can tell your story for generations to come. We’ll pair your lifestyle needs with the right photo management solutions, making it easy to keep up with your collection as it grows. Archiving is an important but never-ending process, and The Print Refinery is here to help you preserve your family’s history for future generations to enjoy and remember.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Just a few more weeks to go! Are you ready?

 

That’s right! There’s still a bit of time for you’re to create adorable photo gifts and prints for your friends and family. Not sure what to gift? Here are a few solutions to help you choose.

 

 

The Gather Box

Our #1 MOST MEANINGFUL gift idea! The Gather Box is an easy way to have family photos, home movies and keepsakes digitized for use on today’s technology. Here are our favorite ways to gift it:

  1. Wrap the empty box and allow the recipient to fill it with vintage photos and memorabilia. Instructions for filling the box are included.
  2. You fill the box with meaningful photos and keepsakes for the recipient. Allow them to add some of their own items as well.
  3. Plan ahead (at least 3 weeks before Christmas) and have a box full of family treasures digitized for the recipient (or the entire family)!

 

Prints

Give the gift of prints! Select a series of your favorite mobile snapshots and make fun-sized prints to package as a set. Tie a bow around them and you’re all set! Print sets can be ready for pick up in as fast as 1-day!

Ornaments

Start a new tradition and gift personalized ornaments to everyone in the fam. Children especially enjoy having their very own special ornaments and it’s fun to reminisce when decorating the tree each year.

Sending Holiday Cheer!

 

Tradition starts with you — time to start planning your holiday cards! Who knew you could send a hug through the mail in the form of a holiday card? Don’t let creating the perfect card quickly fall off your radar – time to start making your plan now! Use these tips and suggestions for a killer holiday card:

– Invest in having a professional photograph taken of your family, kids or pets. Trust us, you’ll appreciate having that image in 10 years.

– If you’re sending cards on a budget, plan a time to get a great shot with your mobile phone camera. Add a subtle overall filter or lighting enhancement to give everyone a fresh look. If that fails, a well done selfie can work!

– Splurge a little on the card style. Try something new like foil imprinting, a uniquely shaped die-cut card or upgrade to textured cardstock. Your card is sure to stand out with any of these options.

– Order an extra 6-12 cards for the unexpected. You never know who you’ll receive cards from and it’s always a nice gesture to return the hello with a card of your own.

 

– Missed the Christmas and Hanukkah window? Send a Happy New Year style instead!

 

This year, resist the urge to order from an impersonal online source – try us instead! We have thousands of stunning designs to choose from and graphic experts to help you customize the perfect card the way you want it.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

In our digital age of ephemeral tweets, posts and emails, handwritten thank you notes have become a bit of a lost art. For that reason, they are incredibly impactful and sentimental ways to show customer appreciation. Nothing sounds more dull and impersonal than “thank you for your business.” So remember to keep your messages authentic, specific and individualized. Here are some additional tips and creative ideas:

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

  1. Include package inserts.

Exceed your customers’ expectations and include a little pleasant surprise with their thank you note. Some examples are discounts/coupons for a future purchase, car decals and stickers, magnets or flyers.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

  1. Provide free gifts or samples.

Not only will they delight your customers, free samples allow you to showcase something that the customer hasn’t tried yet. Free gifts like promotional branded items spread brand awareness and add perceived value. Try to personalize the gift or sample for each customer and pick items that complement the purchase.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

  1. Create personal connections.

Video helps you stand out in the social media crowd by attracting likes and shares. In fact, 93% of businesses using video report it’s landed them a new customer. With the help of some pretty cool apps, you can create quick and personalized videos to thank your customers and engage them on social media. You can even use a QR code generator to send a barcode for the customer to simply scan and watch your video. Best of all, most of this can be done from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet!

  • Animoto – Create impressive videos in minutes with the drag-and-drop video maker.
  • Bonjoro – Boost customer engagement with perfectly timed personal videos.
  • Vidyard – Increase sales and delight your customer with an online video platform for your business.

 

Making your customer appreciation memorable is all about the finer details. The Print Refinery helps you create stunning marketing impressions that extend your customer relationships beyond the initial sale. When you lead with an attitude of gratitude, your team, brand and culture reflects it – and loyal customers always follow!