Setting up Your Digital Workflow in Spectra

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Studio Preferences

Begin setting up your digital workflow by opening Maintenance > Preferences > Studio Preferences.

Digital Tab

Open the Digital page in Studio Preferences.

Studio Preferences – Digital Tab

• Image Numbers - Select how you want Spectra to assign image numbers based on the filename. See the following chart for examples:

• Default Preview Images - Enter the maximum size, DPI, and quality for your preview images. We recommend a maximum size of 1000-1200, DPI of 72, and quality of 90-100.

• Options - Decide if detail notes should be included when printing the client's image detail sheet. You can also decide when Spectra should create the session image folders, either when a new session is created, when a session is saved, or never. We recommend including the detail notes printouts and using Spectra to automatically create the session image folders.

• Image Paths - Define the following image folder paths:

• Raw - This folder will store the raw files from your camera.

• Hi-Res - This folder will store the untouched hi-res (JPEG or TIFF) files, either from your camera or converted from your raw files.

• Previews - This folder will store the low-res preview files that Spectra creates for presentations, for printing on contact/image detail sheets, and for upload to InSpiredByYou.com.

• Retouched - This folder will be used to store the retouched JPEG or TIFF files. When you open an image for editing (in Photoshop) from Spectra, Spectra will create a copy of the hi-res image and then save the edited image in the retouched folder.

• Rendered - This folder will be used to store any rendered images that will be used for production.

Give some thought to how you are currently storing (or how you will begin to store) your image files. Here’s our recommendation: First, select a shared drive that all your workstations have access to – we'll call it the ‘S’ drive. Next, create a folder for your images and label it ‘Images.’ For each session, Spectra will automatically create a folder for each session (named with the session number) within this folder. For example:

S:\Images\10001\
S:\Images\10002\
S:\Images\10003\

Next, Spectra will create five sub-folders for each session—one for your Raw files, one for your Hi-Res image files, one for Preview files, one for Retouched images, and finally, one for any Rendered images. You can create additional sub-folders, if desired. For each session, here’s an example of the sub-folder structure:

S:\Images\10001\Raw\
S:\Images\10001\HiRes\
S:\Images\10001\Previews\
S:\Images\10001\Retouched\
S:\Images\10001\Rendered\

If you follow this recommendation, your preferences should be set up as follows:

• Watermark Options - Choose text or graphics to use as a watermark for uploaded images and proof sheet print outs. Also set the opacity.

• Invoice Image Options - Set up Spectra to check the number of images selected for a package against the minimum and maximum number allowed for the package as set up in Price List - Package Maintenance. Spectra can also check for blank image numbers.

• Sales Presentation Background Color - Allows you to set the color of the background used for the sales presentation screen.

• Developed RAW Files - Choose the file format, DPI, and max size for your developed RAW files.

Slideshow Tab

Now click the Slideshow tab in Studio Preferences to set up your default slideshow options.

• Set a specific transition length or choose to have Spectra automatically adjust the transitions based on the length of the music.

• Add any title slides you want to show at the beginning or end of your slideshows. The slides need to be JPGs, can be any size, and should have a black background. You can have up to four title slides at the beginning and up to two slides at the end.

• Add music, either a CD track from a CD that you have in the CD drive or an MP3 or WAV file you have on the computer.

The settings you select on this tab will be the default settings for every slideshow. You can change and customize the slideshow settings for each slideshow.

Studio Preferences – Slideshow Tab

Click OK to save and close the Studio Preferences window.

Image Sizes

Spectra can be used to project actual image sizes during your sales presentations. If you will be using this feature, set up the following:

Image Sizes

Go to Maintenance > Digital > Image Sizes to set up the image sizes you will use. For more information on how to set up these shortcuts, see the "Image Sizes" topic in the "Spectra Maintenance" chapter.

Calibrate Your Projector

• With a tape measure handy, set up the computer and projector in your presentation room.

• With Spectra projected on the wall screen, select Maintenance > Preferences > Workstation Preferences.

• Open the Digital tab and click Calibrate Projector.

• Measure the projected black box and enter the corresponding measurements in the proper boxes in Spectra. If you used inches when setting up your image sizes, then enter inches for these measurements. Likewise, if you used centimeters for your image sizes, use centimeters here as well.

Session Statuses

In order to effectively track your digital workflow in Spectra, you'll be using your session statuses to move your sessions from one workflow stage to the next.

Open Maintenance > Session > Session Statuses. Make sure each session status that you want included in the digital workflow is associated with a Digital Workflow stage. Select each status and click Modify to make changes.

Here's one example of how session statuses can be associated with Spectra's digital workflow stages:

Production Statuses

If you're tracking production orders through Spectra, then set up your production statuses to coordinate with your workflow stages as well.

Go to Maintenance > Production > Production Statuses. Make sure each production status you want included in the digital workflow is associated with one of the Digital Workflow production stages – Retouch Images or Produce Images. Select each status and click Modify to make changes.

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