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Parker Franklin Software
All Parker Franklin software is supplied to our client photographers absolutely free. Our software covers photo capture, pack creation, design of proof order forms, design of composite print templates, order entry, job uploading and sales reporting and management.

All this software may seem a little intimidating especially if you are not an experienced computer user. However we are always available to help. In particular if you want help designing your order forms or composite print layouts we will be very happy to help or even do it for you and at no charge!
 
  Free Integrated Software  
  One of the big problems for independent schools photographers is getting the maximum benefit from modern digital photography. This requires software and, unless you happen to be skilled in programming, software generally costs money! Typically there is no integration between the various programs that you may have already sourced and used and probably no integration with the systems of your chosen lab. Whilst some labs do offer software that integrates with their systems, there is usually an annual licence fee to be paid.

Parker Franklin strongly believe that providing a fully integrated suite of software to our client photographers helps both them and us work effectively and so we choose to provide that software completely free. 		 
     
  In House Development  
  All our software is developed in house so it has been designed specifically for the school and event photography business. It is not some piece of generic software that has been hobbled together to "do the job".

This also means that we can make modifications quickly responding to the requests of our clients. Many of the features now in the software are a direct result of suggestions and requests made by those clients.

We don't promise to implement every request but we will do our best to keep everyone happy. 		 
     
Software overview Use ProofLayout to design your own style of order forms and import this design into ProofStation Use CompositeLayout to design the layout to use if you are offering composite prints. ProofStation captures images and prints proof orders forms as you take them. It generates an event database that is sent to us. Use PackCoder to design and price your own sets of packs to offer to your customers. Use OrderGen to input your own orders to send to us if you are using our Return Only service. Otherwise we do all of this. For smaller events EventUpload can be used to upload the images and database to us by FTP. ScanCsv is one of our internal pieces of back end software that ensures everything that has been ordered has been packed and posted correctly. ImageProcessor is our main piece of back end software which manages event databases, orders, printing and reporting on sales. Not yet released - our new Sales Information Database (SID) will give you up to date information on all the orders we have received and processed for you.
The diagram above shows how all the components of our free software interact.
The descriptions below summarise the function of each component.
OK so it does look a little complicated but if you refer to it whilst reading the overviews below we trust it will all become clear. If not, just give a call and we can talk you through it. Contact us...

  ProofStation  
  ProofStation IconProofStation is the main program used by our client photographers. Essentially it captures and displays ProofStationthe images as they are taken, creating a Photo Capture (PHC) database.

ProofStation is fully configurable allowing it to easily handle individual portrait jobs, group (class or sport) jobs, combined jobs and SIMS.

It will generate proof order forms as the images are taken, using layouts set up by ProofLayout and packs and prices setup by PackCoder. Alternatively, if preferred, the proof order forms can be printed later. Read more...		  
     

  PackCoder  
  PackCoder IconPackCoder is a simple but very important program that allows PackCoderyou to create your own packs, give them prices and save them to a CSV (spreadsheet) file, that can later be loaded into each ProofStation job for which you want to use those packs and prices. The same file is loaded up to our web ordering site ensuring consistent pricing and pack naming.

You decide what you want in your packs not us! Read more...		  
     

  Compositelayout  
  CompositeLayout IconCompositeLayout creates layout files that control the automatic printing of CompoisteLayoutcomposite, rotational prints from all the images associated with a particular group (class). The beauty of this approach is that you only have to create the one layout, which is then used to produce all your composite prints from the whole event, no matter which image is chosen as the main one or how many images there are in any one group. Read more...  
     

  Back End Software  
  Back in our lab we have our own back end software called ImageProcessor for processing and printing your customers orders. This software is fully integrated into all our other programs giving us a highly automated system allowing us to keep our costs down and therefore keep our charges to you as low as possible. Read more...  
     

  ProofLayout  
  ProofLayout Icon ProofLayout allows you to control exactly how your order forms will look.

ProofLayout The positioning of the images, prices, barcodes etc. can be controlled to a very fine degree, allowing ProofStation to drop those components into spaces left in a pre-printed order form (of your own design).

You can even choose your own paper format - it does not have to be A4. You may, for example, produce your order forms on a dye sublimation printer and choose to make them 8"x6". It is entirely up to you; you are in control. Read More... 		 
     

  OrderGen  
  OrderGen Icon OrderGen Ordergen is for the input of orders received. If you are using our Full or Data Entry and Return services we do all of this, however if you want to process the orders yourself (our Return Only service) then this program allows you to easily enter your orders and email them to us as a CSV file (spreadsheet). Read more...  
     

  EventUpload  
  EventUpload Icon EventUpload is a simple little program that will automatically load your event database (with all the images to our web site. EventUpload It is purely for delivery to us using FTP; it does not make the images available for viewing and there are no links set up to any part of the database. We simply download the database and import it to our back end software.

Note: this mecahnism is generally only suitable for relatively small events, for larger events it is generally easier to post the database to us on a CD/DVD, as an event with a lot of images will take a very long time to upload! Read more...		  
     

  SID (Sales Information Database)  
  SID iconAlthough we might be taking orders directly from your customers (depending on your chosen service level), SID puts you firmly back in control with fully up to date information on everything we are doing with all of your orders. SID will allow you to monitor order status, sales and view statistics on those sales, view details of individual orders and generate reports that can be viewed and analysed in a spreadsheet. Read more...