Following the recent webinar covering the Problem Reporter, I decided to cover the problems that happen AFTER the Reporter. First you might encounter problems exporting. Once you get those resolved, you need to send your order. Should be easy enough, and usually it is, but sometimes you can have problems there too. Since we don’t have 24 hour support coverage, we thought it might be helpful to post some tips on how to resolve some of those issues too. Now when you go to send your order at 5AM, you might be able to help yourself before you even need us to help you!

Problem #1: Photojunction Crashes While Creating the Order Bundle
This is a memory issue. Try restarting your computer and not having other applications open. Yes, this means I am saying stop working in Lightroom for a minute and give Photojunction a moment of your time.

Problem #2: TCP Error 102
This has to do with permission problems on the Queensberry side. Pause the upload and wait about 15 minutes. Try again.

Problem #3: TCP Error 103
Usually this means that you didn’t follow all the tips in the Exporting Problems post. Most specifically number one. There is a naming issue somewhere. When it comes to folder names, computer operating systems have progressed to the point where there seem to be no rules. The internet has not. Check your order bundle. If there are funny characters in any of the folder or files names, take them out. Try the upload again.

Problem #4: TCP Error 530
Your username or password is wrong. To verify this information go to the Photojunction Preferences (Options in the Edit menu in Windows, or the Photojunction menu on Mac) and click the supplier tab. Be sure your username is entered under the supplier username and that your FTP information is filled in below. Queensberry users – these pieces are case sensitive! Delete the username, then type it in again. You should do the same with the password.  Save the preferences and try the upload again.

Problem #5: TCP Error 550
This is typically another naming issue, but a bit easier to fix. Something may have just went wrong on the server. Try to upload the project as a Full Re-Upload. This will re-create folders on the server for the order. To do a full re-upload, click on the Uploads tab of the Project Browser and choose the appropriate project. Click the Reupload Button along the bottom of the window.

If none of these help, take a screen shot of the error you are receiving. It always helps us determine what the issue might be.

Angelique

We just had a webinar covering the Problem Reporter. Hopefully it helped clarify some questions you all had.I’m going to talk about problems that can occur after this step.

There are two ways to export your printable files from Photojunction. You can do it through Photojunction Direct (if you just need JPGs) or you can use Photoshop (required if you need layered PSDs). If you choose to use Photoshop, the process is no longer completely controlled by Photojunction and this means that, unfortunately, we can’t control everything that happens.

Last year Danny posted some tips to avoid these problems on the forum. It seemed like a good time to revisit these tips and maybe add a few more. Even if you aren’t receiving script errors in Photoshop, some of these tips might help you save a bit of time too!

#1 – Keep It Simple
Just because the computer will allow you to name your folders anything you want, doesn’t mean you should. Resist the urge to use characters you couldn’t use 10 years ago. I’m looking at you, question mark, comma, apostrophe, slash, and colon!  And any of your little friends too! Following this rule will save you headache all over the place.

#2 – Open Photoshop First
This is especially helpful for a slower computer or if you have more than one version of Photoshop installed on your machine. Make sure you don’t have any files open in Photoshop though! Just the application itself. If you receive an error when exporting and you had Photoshop open first, try closing it and letting Photojunction launch it.

#3 – Close Other Programs
The scripting (communication) that is happening between Photojunction and Photoshop is pretty hefty. On top of that your computer is opening all those High Res files, cropping, moving, resizing, etc. This can be very memory intensive. A restart before an export can never hurt your speed either. This will help clear up the memory so it is really only worrying about the export.

#4 – Step Away
Set up your export to go BEFORE your next coffee break. Or just use it as a good excuse for a break. Photoshop likes to be a shining star. It is not a fan of running in the background. If you are trying to do other things on the computer at the same time, this could cause some communication issues between Photoshop and Photojunction and one of them may get confused. It is sort of like trying to have a conversation while someone in standing between you and your mate reciting poetry. Completely distracting, how could you deal with that?

And since you can’t do anything at the same time as the export anyway, did you follow tip #3?

#5 – Replace the Image
Sometimes things look right in Photojunction, but the tiniest thing might be funky. If your export seems to go to a certain point and ALWAYS has a problem at the same spot of the album, try replacing those images on the layout and going to the export again. To save yourself a bit of headache, try to only export the layout that you just replaced the images on. As odd as it sounds, this has fixed 95% of the times I have received an error in Photoshop.

Still having issues? We can certainly try to help. Please take a screenshot of the error message you receive so we can try and decipher exactly what is going on.

Angelique

I like to think I am a power user for Photojunction. Every now and then, however, I feel like I get smacked in the face with “How did I never know this before?!” One of my favorite things about Photojunction might be the seemingly endless possibilities. Properly trained in Graphic Design, I despise having to use a mouse. I prefer using a tablet whenever available, but I also work on a laptop quite a bit, so I have adjusted to my trackpad as well. Not quite as accurate as my stylus, I still find I am better with a trackpad than a mouse.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Apple recently release the Magic Trackpad. The Apple geek that I am, we bought one almost immediately. It is the perfect compromise for our desktop. I no longer need to pull my tablet out for simple things, and I can avoid using a mouse. Thanks to the tips on the box, we learned even more tricks for our laptops, that we did not know were possible.

This extends to Photojunction. The more I use the trackpad, the more I accidentally learn.

And so, my tips and tricks for today:

Did you know…. using two fingers on your trackpad (same as you would to scroll in a window), you can swipe over an aperture on an album layout and adjust the crop/zoom? I am finding it to be far more accurate than using the slider. On a current Wacom Intuos table you can use the wheel to do this as well.

Next… (and this one I didn’t find, Danny told me) building on editing the crop/zoom on the layout, you can hold the command key and move the image within the aperture.

Go ahead. Try both. It’s awesome.

Angelique

Shortly after the iPad was announced, Nigel posted about wanting to run Photojunction on it. While that hasn’t happened (yet), the iPad has become quite a popular tool for photographers.

Personally, I like to use it to present final album designs to clients. Photojunction makes creating and editing layouts so simple, that sitting there with a client flicking through their spreads takes the mystery out of knowing exactly what they’ll end up with.

There are so many presentation options within Photojunction, but here’s a few that work with the iPad…

1. Slideshows

Want an album slideshow to fit perfectly on your iPad so you can present it to your clients? Choose the Computer (Projector) size from the Slideshow movie size presets. They’re the same exact dimensions as the iPad. Easy enough right? Imagine pre-designing the album and having the slideshow playing on the iPad when your client comes in to view their proofs.

2. Proofs

Would you rather your clients could flip through the pages of their album design at their own speed, while you take notes of any changes they may want to make? When you export Proof Layouts in Photojunction (Album menu > Export > Proof layouts) choose 1024 as your export size (the second option on the drop down list).

Add the proofs to your iPhoto library (or whatever you have set up to sync with your iPad) and you are on your way!

3. albumexposure

This is my personal favorite. We made an excellent decision when we joined forces with albumexposure, and they made sure it wasn’t long before albumexposure was iPad compatible.

All the great albumexposure features you’re used to on your computer are available when you access an album design via your iPad browser. Clients can view, comment and submit their album comments or approvals using the iPad. albumexposure and Photojuntion will do their thing and your clients’ comments will be available for you to view back in Photojunction.
Of course, this particular method does require an internet connection

So what’s your favorite way to present albums to clients? Leave a comment below, we’d love to know.

Cheers, Angelique