For those of you who have never heard of Pixieset, get excited. For those who already use it, I strongly recommend reading this to find out all that Pixieset can offer you. In a nutshell the website allows photographers to share large files with clients for a monthly fee. But unlike other file sharing sites, there are many more features that make it superior. This is the site that I personally use to deliver photos to clients and I have nothing but good things to say about it. In this article I will go over all the amazing features Pixieset has to offer. I will also try to explain how it sets itself apart and exhibits your work in the best light.
The Basic Overview of Pixieset
Like I said in the intro, the main goal of Pixieset is to store and deliver photos to clients. Its as simple as uploading files to the site, setting your cover photo, and sending the photos using an email. Although there is no free options like you would have with Dropbox, Piexieset is fairly affordable. Plans start as low as $10 per month for 10 GB of space and go all the way up to 1,000 GB for $50. I personally have the “pro” plan which offers 250 GB of storage for $30 a month. This has been more than enough space and well worth the price for me.
The best thing about Pixieset is the layout. When files are uploaded they are automatically situated in a very aesthetically pleasing way. Especially if there is a nice mixture of landscape and portraits oriented photographs. It looks so much nicer than just sending over files through your average file sharing site. You can organize photos into different sub files too, which is a very nice asset for wedding photographers. The layout was definitely the goal of the creative team when they were designing this site. Its clean and simple and everything you want in a website that is exhibiting your work.
This is what your clients see when you send them their files.
Selling Photos Through Pixieset
Another great aspect of Pixieset is that you can sell your photos directly from the site. This option is totally customizable through the website so you have full control over almost every part of the process. After setting your prices, you simply add in the applicable sales tax, shipping options and payment method. There are massive options for different types of prints and sizes, so your clients will be able to find exactly what they need. Since Pixieset is a website designed for photographers, they offer exceptional printing quality that can not be beat.
Sample of what a pricing sheet looks like.
Delivering Photos
Pixieset is very user friendly for both the photographer and your clients. After your files have been edited and exported you simply create a new folder on Pixieset. You then upload your images and wait for them to fully finish. I recommend that you try to shoot a nice mixture of portrait and landscape to make the page pop. Once everything is done uploading, you pick a photo that looks good as a cover photo and represents the shoot well. The next thing that I always do is to hit the preview button in the bottom left hand corner. This gives you an idea of what your client will see. If for some reason there is a weird clump of photos or the cover photo is cropped weirdly, you can make changes before you send it.
At this point you have the option to put photos up for sale. If you choose to do this just make sure to let your clients know that they can go to your store if they want to make any purchases. When its time to send the photos you simply add any emails, a brief message, and set a security pin number if you choose. The pin is a really nice feature that only allows people with the pin to see the photos. Since the photos are sent using url, it allows anyone to view the photos. By adding in a pin it adds a level of security that only people with the url are allowed to see. Just be sure to send the pin code with the files or your client won’t be able to view the photos.
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Downloading
People have a lot of options on the receiving end of Pixieset as well. When someone gets the email that their photos are ready to view it takes them to the Pixieset page. You can then immediately view all of the photos. There is an option to either download the entire files, sub files, or individual images. When you go to download files it gives you file size options which is nice if you are only uploading to say Facebook. One thing that seems to get over looked and that I tell everyone I send files to is the “original” file size options. Even when the files are downloaded in the high resolution option, the photographs can sometimes get a little pixelated. With the original option you get the exact size file that the photographer uploaded. This is a great option for large prints.
Pixieset Perks
There are so many cool advantage to using Pixieset. First of all you have the ability to set expiration dates on each of your sets. Therefor you can let your client know that they can only download for the next 3 months and then delete files to free up space. Its also really nice to have original files online. Its just one more safety check incase your computer crashes or your hard drive gets destroyed. If you do sell online, the money gets deposited into your bank account within three days. You don’t have to wait for a check to come at the end of the month. Lastly its such a professional and up to date way to share photos with clients. Gone are the days of sending clients CD’s or flash drives of files.
The home screen when you log onto your Pixieset account.
Conclusion
Pixieset is an incredibly easy way to share your photographs. The best part about it is that its easy for all parties involved. Your clients are going to love seeing their images laid out for them and the ease of downloading files. You are going to love how great your photos look and how easy it is to manage and sell your work. As someone who uses and loves Pixieset, I recommend that you give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
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