Are you still using our legacy volume photography workflow software, LS Edit or Litebox? We know many businesses decided to retain our obsolete photography software when we launched its replacement back in 2018, but if you’ve still not upgraded, it’s time to make the switch to MaxLab high-volume photo management software and start benefiting from increased efficiency and productivity.
“I can’t believe I used to think that LS Edit was fast!”
Quote from a lab operator
Let’s be honest, LS Edit and Litebox are incompatible with the latest versions of MS Windows which is not only slowing you down, it heightens the risk of security breaches through cyber attacks, and we no longer support obsolete legacy software so if you hit a snag, unfortunately you’re on your own. But enough of the negatives; our advanced MaxLab bespoke digital imaging software offers a range of benefits that can elevate and help your business stay ahead of the curve in terms of efficiency, productivity, better security and compatibility with other new software releases.
But don’t just take our word for it, listen to a MaxLab user and what they have to say about the differences between the obsolete and current systems, then check out what we think are the many advantages of upgrading from legacy software to MaxLab and how it can help your business thrive.
LS Edit v MaxLab Client
When it comes to high-volume photography solutions, MaxLab Client surpasses its predecessors in numerous ways, offering a wider range of colour controls, an exhaustive number of data fields, and compatibility with the latest Windows operating systems. Read on to check out how MaxLab Client advancements will significantly improve your productivity, speed of correction and order creation.
Here’s a quick summary of MaxLab’s highlights to whet your appetite before we explore some of the key ones in a bit more detail:
PNG
System wide Backgrounds
Grouping and filtering on data
Crops are not lost when applying products
Cross order print jobs
Ad Hoc collections
Image versions
Better colour correction controls
Face Detection
Crop relative to face
Crop rules
Face count
Export tool
Data export - manipulate - import new data
Data fields not limited to 12
Multiple imports, runs in the background.
Tagging of images for searching
1-5 star rating
Select in 1st, nth or last in group
Sort desc in group
External Processing
PNG system-wide backgrounds
We’ve incorporated the ability to print or render from PNG images which allows us to seamlessly integrate system-wide backgrounds, enabling you to print any product with your preferred background choice.
Combined with data, you can create some amazing products like these magazine front covers which can be produced for bulk images, giving you the power to create bespoke products quickly and easily.
Grouping and filtering on data
One of the significant advancements in MaxLab over the obsolete version is the use of metadata to enable users to group or filter data based on a data set, such as class, which proves invaluable when creating class products like composites. In MaxLab, grouping these items is seamless and a becomes powerful tool for expediting tasks like creating class composites or establishing connections between groups and individual images. Plus you’re no longer limited to 12 text fields; in MaxLab you can have as many fields as you want, all named and managed by you.
Cross order print jobs
No longer are you restricted to images within a collection to include in an order. MaxLab volume photography workflow software allows the creation of orders from any image in any collection. This contributes to more effective order management and enhances overall efficiency in the production process as well as encouraging your creativity through new functionality, such as the journey product – a product created with an image of a child from every school year; we see this as a very powerful leavers product.
Image versions
MaxLab’s smooth integration with software such as Photoshop, means retouching is simple. After saving a retouched image, a fresh version is seamlessly incorporated into the collection and, although the original remains accessible via the right-click menu, only one image is displayed at a time. This enables users to switch between versions, allowing you to revert to a previous version and ensuring corrections remain non-destructive and easily reversible.
Better built-in image correction tools
Although MaxLab integrates seamlessly with retouching and photo editing software such as Photoshop, it includes inbuilt colour correction tools so there’s less need to step outside the MaxLab software, improving time efficiency and productivity. Colour correction features within the MaxLab platform include:
RGB Density and Contrast
Saturation
Shadows, Midtones and Highlights
Curves (with white, grey and black point picker)
Levels
White Balance
Face Detection
New to MaxLab, you can utilise our face detection capability to identify faces within the images and use this information to crop images based on the detected faces. You also have the option to establish customised crop rules to ensure consistency across multiple photographers and editors for all tasks.
Crop relative to face
Crop rules
Face count
Before auto cropping
After auto cropping
The face detection feature within MaxLab goes beyond just identifying faces; it also offers insightful image data including happiness, blink scores, smiling, and headcount.
The inclusion of headcount serves as a useful filter, allowing users to isolate specific images based on the number of faces detected. Whether sorting through family portraits or capturing individual portraits, the headcount filter streamlines the editing process, ensuring efficient and targeted adjustments to each image.
LS Printer v Production Agent
Production Agent boasts numerous advantages over our obsolete LS Print. A modern, user-friendly interface and compatibility with the latest Windows operating systems and advancements to improve production environment productivity and throughput:
Auto load balancing across printers – balance your workload across multiple printers or send specific products within a batch to a specific printer, automatically
One production agent can render multiple printers
Print to a multi-magazine printer with MaxLab
Layout Tool v Layout Designer
With features such as an undo button, auto alignment tools and flexible grids, Layout Designer makes designing layouts faster and easier than ever – a clear winner over our legacy Layout Tool. And with the ability to design once and reuse again, Layout Designer offers unparalleled efficiency.
Wysiwyg - What you see is what you get.
Undo button
Support for cut and paste
Layouts without a placeholder
Flexible layouts
One layout for multiple image counts
Irregular Grids
Dynamic Text
Rename a layout
Auto alignment tools
Auto Sizing tools
There are so many improvements and enhancements to Layout Designer over Layout Tools that it warrants its own blog where we’ll deep dive into all the amazing features and benefits that make it a game-changer. Watch this space to find out more!
LS Server v MaxLab Portal
Don’t be held back by LS Server’s limited product creation and database functions when MaxLab Portal offers a full suite of features that directly benefit all areas of your business (yes, really!). From customer service and office staff to production staff, everyone can benefit from MaxLab Portal’s amazing functionality. And the best part? It’s accessible via a web browser with everything hosted on your onsite server (no web browsers here!).
Production reporting.
Office tools.
Asset search
Order creation
Better error logging
Production batched
Job creation for QR and barcode tickets
GDPR tools
Order creating for office staff
Maintenance tools
Database backup scheduling
User logins
Built in API for other system and developers to integrate with MaxLab
Job creation for QR ticket creation and linking data
QR code Workflow
Exif Workflow
Delete products that are assigned to a job
If you’re still running our obsolete, end-of-life software please book a MaxLab Discovery Call today to find out how we can help you transition to MaxLab – either migrating your data or starting from scratch, with full system set-up and training to support your workflow, seamlessly.