CLOSE WINDOW Frequently Asked Questions My company currently uses an outside professional photographer. Will Photosimile be able to save us money? I am currently building a website. Can I use Photosimile to create images for my website? Is Photosimile easy to set up or do I need to be an engineer? What is the maximum object size that can fit inside of the Photosimile light box? I don't know anything about color management or photography; can I still use Photosimile? Can I run the Photosimile software on my laptop? Can I use a LCD monitor with the Photosimile system? It would be nice to have a color accurate printout of the items I photograph. Can the Photosimile do that? I already have a digital camera. Can I use it with the Photosimile software and light box? Are the bulbs used in the Photosimile system special and where can I purchase replacement light bulbs? What if I have something that I need to take a picture of, but it won't fit in the light box? Can I use the Photosimile for 3D imaging? Does Photosimile use the RAW image data from the camera? With Photosimile, can I really obtain more accurate color? With Photosimile, can I really send the pictures I take to others and have them view them in accurate color on their monitor? Can I take side shots with Photosimile? Who do I call if I need help or a replacement part? Do I have to use the color management features? Does the Photosimile have batch saving and batch image resizing capabilities? My company currently uses an outside professional photographer. Will Photosimile be able to save us money? Yes. Unless you're shooting poster-sized images or covers, the argument of a huge initial investment in photography equipment doesn't fly anymore. Stop paying setup fees. Stop arranging schedules and lead times with your photographer and BEGIN taking your own pictures quickly and economically, in-house. The Photosimile lighting system allows anyone, regardless of their experience, to take professional quality photographs. The more pictures you take, the more you'll save. Besides, the satisfaction of doing it yourself will be very rewarding. back to top I am currently building a website. Can I use Photosimile to create images for my site? Yes, this is one of the most common uses. Images captured using the Photosimile lighting system are high- resolution images that can be used for websites, printed materials, presentations, product catalogs and much, much more. back to top Is Photosimile easy to set up or do I need to be an engineer? It's really simple. The Photosimile lighting system comes pre-assembled so all you have to do is install the lights and mount the camera. If you are using it with your computer you will also need to install some software and connect the light box to your PC via USB. We offer full technical support to help you whenever you need us. back to top What is the maximum object size that can fit inside of the Photosimile light box? We currently offer two sizes of Photosimile light boxes - Photosimile 100 and 200. For top shots using Photosimile 100 the size is 17" x 17" for side shots it's 16" x 16" x 13" For top shots using Photosimile 200 its 16" x 23", for side shots it's 20" x 20" x 20". back to top I don't know anything about color management or photography; can I still use Photosimile? Of course you can. 90% of professional photography is getting the lighting right. With Photosimile, the photography lighting is always correct for eliminating shadows. Regarding color management, the monitor and printer calibration wizards will guide you step-by-step through the set up process. Once completed, the color management happens automatically, behind the scenes. back to top Can I run the Photosimile software on my laptop? Yes. The only thing you have to double check is that the laptop has two open USB ports. back to top Can I use a LCD monitor with the Photosimile system? Yes, you can use both a CRT, LCD or a laptop monitor with the Photosimile system. For optimal color, however we recommend using a CRT monitor. back to top It would be nice to have a color accurate printout of the items I photograph. Can the Photosimile do that? Yes it can. The Photosimile Printer Calibration Utility consists of five steps that can be used to calibrate any type of printer for more accurate color results. In fact, your company can use the Photosimile software to calibrate all local and networked printers to obtain color consistent output from monitor to printer. back to top I already have a digital camera. Can I use it with the Photosimile software and light box? You can use any digital camera with the light box, but in order to use the Photosimile software you will need to have a compatible digital camera. The list of compatible cameras is on www.ortery.com. While using Photosimile with a non-compatible camera provides shadow-free images, using it with a compatible digital camera allows you to use the Photosimile software and save a lot of time.back to top Are the bulbs used in the Photosimile system special and where can I purchase replacement light bulbs? The bulbs used in the Photosimile systems are daylight fluorescent bulbs and they emit light at 6,500 degrees Kelvin to approximate sunlight. Six bulbs come with Photosimile 100 and each bulb lasts 12,000 hours. Eight bulbs come with the Photosimile 200 package (two sets) and they last roughly 10,000 hours each. If more bulbs are needed, they can be purchased from Ortery or by contacting Philips directly. In both cases, the bulbs cost about $10 each. back to top What if I have something that I need to take a picture of, but it won't fit in the light box? The Photosimile software has an Advanced Mode that allows the user to keep the camera tethered to the light box and software while taking pictures outside the light box. So, simply place the item near the light box, potentially arrange some external lighting, and use the Photosimile software to take the picture. back to top Can I use the Photosimile for 3D imaging? The lighting environment inside the Photosimile light box is ideal for spinning objects in a single plane. While the Photosimile software does not have the functionality to stitch the images together, turntables and software packages for creating rotating images can be purchased separately. Many turntables fit inside of the light box (the turntable needs to be less than 19.5" in diameter) and Photosimile can be used to take the high-quality images used by another program to stitch the images together.back to top Does Photosimile use the RAW image data from the camera? We plan on implementing this capability in the future. Currently, pictures taken with the Photosimile are high-resolution JPG files that can be saved in TIFF, JPG and EBX file formats.back to top With Photosimile, can I really obtain more accurate color? Yes. Through ICC profiling, Photosimile can take into consideration how each device (digital camera, monitor and printer) in your workflow sees and expresses color. Once this information is obtained, color fidelity and consistent color output can be improved and maintained. back to top With Photosimile, can I really send the pictures I take to others and have them view them in accurate color on their monitor? Yes. When you use the send feature to send images from the Photosimile Image Creation software in the .ebx file format, the email opened by the recipients will contain instructions on how to download the Photosimile Image Viewing software. Once downloaded, this software will guide the recipient through a visual monitor calibration process before opening the images in the viewer. When viewed, the images will closely match the colors on the photographer's monitor.back to top Can I take side shots with Photosimile? Yes. As you know, the camera can be mounted in the top of the box for taking vertical photographs but you can also take pictures through the open front door. In fact, each Photosimile package comes with a tripod for take side shots from various angles through the front door.back to top Who can I call if I need help or a replacement part? The Photosimile package comes with a one-year warranty and free technical support Monday thru Friday 8:30 and 5:30 PST. Call 1-949-859-5580 or for our international customers please visit www.ortery.com to obtain the contact information of the Ortery representative nearest you.back to top Do I have to use the color management features? While the system comes with everything you need to color manage your workflow from digital camera to printer, you do not have to use these features. Photosimile will still allow you to take shadow-free pictures that are perfect for websites, presentations, product catalogs or for communicating up and down the supply chain with suppliers and resellers. back to top Does the Photosimile have batch saving and batch image resizing capabilities? Yes it does. We realized that many of our customers were taking tens of pictures at a time and that they wanted the ability to save them all with a specific size, file format and resolution into a single folder. It's a huge time saver, so we added this feature immediately. back to top   CLOSE WINDOW