PLEASE NOTE:
The majority of the contents in this guide apply to both StudioPlus Spectra AND myStratus Desktop.
In most cases, instructions referring to "Spectra" also apply to myStratus Desktop.

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Home > Digital Workflow > Workflow How To's > Electronic Delivery
Electronic Delivery


Do you have products you deliver electronically to your clients? Electronic delivery is now built right into Spectra and myStratus Desktop, using your online Stratus Drive storage. Just a click or two to upload the images and email your client the download link - and you're done!

Here are just a few ways you can use this new feature:

  • Deliver clients a link to view and download their individual images online.
  • Deliver hi-res versions of specific ordered images to a client.
  • Deliver hi-res versions of all the retouched images for a session.
  • Provide your clients with a low-res version of all their sessions images, including your watermark and automatic image correction and skin smoothing applied by the Perfectly Clear plugin.
  • Provide a single low-res image for a client to use on Facebook.
  • Deliver a low-res, watermarked copy of a selected yearbook image for your clients to proof and approve.
How many of these things are you already doing in one way or another? Well, it just got easier!

HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU!

"What is Stratus Drive?"

Each StudioPlus product (Spectra and myStratus) includes an integrated Stratus Drive account with 5 GB free online storage. Your software can use this online storage to store HTML email graphics, attachments, images for electronic delivery, and more. If you need more than 5 GB, more can easily be added. For more information, look at the Stratus Drive page on our website.


Watch this video or following the instructions below to learn how to set up and use the electronic delivery features in Spectra/myStratus Desktop.

 

Setting up Electronic Delivery Purge Settings

Before you start uploading images for electronic delivery, you should take a look at your purge settings in Spectra/myStratus. Your purge settings determine how long files should remain on your Stratus Drive before automatically being purged. Because storage can quickly get out of hand, these settings are important in maintaining just the files you need and not taking up storage space with those you don't. For instance, let your clients know their electronic delivery link to download their images will expire in 30 Days! Follow these steps to set up your purge settings for electronic delivery files:

  1. In Spectra/myStratus Desktop go to Maintenance > Preferences > Company (Studio) Preferences and open the Digital tab. See also: Company (Studio) Preferences - Digital

  2. Scroll to the bottom of the Digital tab to the Stratus Drive Purge Settings section.

  3. Enter the number of days electronic delivery zip files should be stored on your Stratus Drive before being purged. Note: Files will be purged automatically.

  4. Click OK to save your preferences.

Delivering Electronic Files Manually

Follow these steps to upload a zip file of images for a client to download:

  1. Open a session, invoice, or production order. (Or, select a session or production order on the Workflow hub.)

  2. Open the Online tab of the ribbon and click Deliver Electronically.

  3. Click either the File(s) or Folder(s) option and browse to the location.

  4. Choose your file(s) or folder(s) and click Open.

  5. The software will create a single zip file and upload it to your Stratus Drive online storage.

  6. A link to the online zip file will be created. The link will be pasted to the Status Notes of the current record (see image below), copied to your clipboard, and stored as a merge field (along with the expiration date) for the current record.

  7. Paste the link from your clipboard directly into a client email or use the merge fields in a form letter or HTML email. The name of the new merge fields are "Electronic Delivery Link" and "Electronic Delivery Expiration Date." Note: Only the most recent link will be available to be merged into a form letter or HTML email.

Automating Electronic Delivery

Here is a great example how electronic delivery can be easily integrated into your production process.
  1. Create items in your price list for digital delivery, such as "Digital 8X10."  Set the Vendor for these items to something like "Electronic Delivery." 

  2. Create a Render Profile called "Electronic Delivery" for final ordered products. Choose the "Electronic Delivery" vendor and then be sure to check the "Upload images to Stratus Drive" check-box in the profile. 

  3. Optionally, check the box(es) Send email/SMS text after uploading to have the profile automatically send an email to the client after the images are uploaded. Create a new HTML email, stating something like "Here is the link to download the images you recently purchased.  _____  This link will expire on _____." (Inserting the appropriate electronic delivery merge fields.)

  4. ATTENTION!

    When creating the Form Letter/HTML email you'll send clients for their electronic delivery, make sure you have the correct Data Type set up! If you'll be sending an email with the Ordered Images
    , those are rendered from an Invoice record and should have the Invoice Data Type and use the Invoice - Electronic Delivery Link. If it's a general Session Images render profile, those are rendered from the Session record and should have the Session Data Type and use the Session - Electronic Delivery Link merge field. See also: HTML Email Builder & Form Letter Builder

  5. When a client orders digital products, these products can be easily rendered out from either the invoice or production order and be automatically zipped and uploaded. The HTML email can then be sent to the client with a link to download their images.

Creating an Online Image Gallery

Aside from just sending a link for clients to download a zip file for their images, you can also set up Electronic Delivery to email clients a link to a mobile friendly Image Gallery where they can view and download individual images.



On the Delivery Options tab of your electronic delivery Render Profile, select the option for Stratus Drive (Individual Image Files) to create the online gallery instead of a zip file. From the online gallery, clients can see open an individual image, zoom in, view full screen, download images, and even share to their social media sites.



See also: Rendering Images


See also


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