Friday, April 8, 2011

Fast, Fast, Fast

Uploaded many photos lately? As camera makers crank up the megapixels (the number of dots per image), each photo gobbles more megabytes of memory. The more "mega" the photo, the longer it takes to upload.

Ironically, you often don't need that extra resolution for printing. When you upload a huge photo to a typical site, the software has to squash it down again to make it fit the page.

At RocketLife, we took a different approach. RocketLife works directly with the photos on your computer. Your initial layout appears within seconds. You can drag photos around, apply effects, try new themes, and enjoy all kinds of creative experimentation instantly. Only when you're done designing do you upload your project for printing — at just the right size.


Fast, fast, fast. This luggage tag uses the Cars theme, a placeable graphic, and two text boxes with transparency. (Click to enlarge.)

Of course, high-megapixel photos do have advantages. They give you more room for cropping, for example. When you're photographing your child on the far side of the soccer field and want to fill the frame, it's easier to take a high-megapixel photo and crop it later than wrestle with a huge telephoto lens. Taking high-res photos also makes sense for archival purposes. The extra data will likely be useful with future printing and display technologies.

When you're in a creative mood, though, speed matters. That's also why we don't require passwords or logins. Simply add your photos and start creating. (See How To Make a Photo Book in 3 Minutes with RocketLife.)

Don't wait to get creative!