Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Disks for clients  (Read 8700 times)

JB Rasor

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 157
    • JB Rasor
Disks for clients
« on: October 01, 2013, 03:57:18 am »

Hello all,

I launched my photography business several months ago and things have been going well. I try to steer most of my clients to a digital download option for the final images.
However, quite a few of my clients are requesting hard copy disks, which is understandable, but I want to provide a professional product.
Any advice on creating professional looking disks? Something that can be easily outsourced and shipped, or made in studio? Good software for printing labels?
Any thoughts would be great!

Thanks all,
JB
Logged

Colorado David

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1178
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2013, 06:20:53 am »

Several of the Epson printers come with a tray for printing directly on discs.  They also come with software for designing the labels.  Buy the printable discs and avoid trying to save a few cents on their purchase.  I can't remember the printable discs we buy right off the top of my head, but the printable surface quality is very high allowing very crisp printing and a smear-proof surface.

Colorado David

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1178
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2013, 10:51:10 am »

The discs are JVC White Watershield.

JB Rasor

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 157
    • JB Rasor
Re:
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2013, 02:17:05 pm »

Thanks. I'll check out that package.
Logged

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2013, 02:34:55 pm »

Have you considered branded USB sticks instead? Last week a creative director happened to show me one he'd got from a photographer (who had also sent him a small Blurb book of the assignment). I imagine it was pretty inexpensive and it looked good.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2013, 06:35:23 pm by johnbeardy »
Logged

alatreille

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 428
    • Between the Buildings
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2013, 04:47:57 pm »

Hi JB.

Have you considered some very professional and sexy looking packaging - a simple DVD sleeve you can print in house with a shoot name/client on it.  Customize it per shoot.

Provide a gold archival DVD inside....

Simple, effective, customizable, with a little more work at your end to make the DVD case.

send me a pm if you'd like to know more.

Cheers

Andrew
Logged
Architectural Photographer
http://www.andrewlatreille.com

kaelaria

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2223
    • http://www.bgpictures.com
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2013, 05:03:44 pm »

I and most in my area went to custom USB drives a while ago, much more convenient, larger, faster and more universal than disc media.
Logged

JB Rasor

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 157
    • JB Rasor
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2013, 11:45:42 pm »

I think the custom USB drives would be the best way to go. Of course some clients still want a disk, but I can do that a la carte as it is requested. Anyone had any good results ordering USB drives in bulk?
Logged

Joe Towner

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1365
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2013, 02:00:29 am »

Lots of options, it depends on how fancy you want to go.  Here are a few I've scraped from Creative Live and some I've come across researching for others:

http://photoflashdrive.com
http://customusb.com
http://cfgear.com

Price can vary, and the quality of the flash does matter.  I've got a painfully slow 32gb usb drive that I want to throw out the window.  So a faster USB drive, with a name brand product (SanDisk/Kingston/Samsung/Corsair/etc) tends to work better.  I've seen too many of the novelty drives (bullet,cars) that die quickly.

Another reason to go USB instead of DVD - future support.  Client may have a Mac which seems to be 50/50 on internal dvd drives, but everyone has USB.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2013, 02:02:08 am by Joe Towner »
Logged
t: @PNWMF

barryfitzgerald

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 688
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2013, 03:45:14 pm »

I've had a number of USB drive failures myself so urge some caution here.
It's unlikely a CD or DVD will not be able to be used in the future, they are both universal in support (even if Apple are not using them much who cares)

Logged

Colorwave

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1006
    • Colorwave Imaging
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2013, 02:25:50 am »

What happens when your client winds up with a drawer full of branded, but not functionally labeled USB drives.  One nice thing about disks is that it is easy to have then clearly labeled and sorted in an archive.  A wedding photographer wouldn't be providing too many drives to the same client, but I have predominantly repeat clients.
Logged
-Ron H.
[url=http://colorwaveimaging.com

riddell

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
  • Pro photographer Hertfordshire
    • Commercial photographer London / Hertfordshire
Re: Disks for clients
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2013, 08:43:09 am »


As others have said easiest and cheapest way is just to buy printable discs and print them yourself. After all its only a disc, its not like the final print images where you do need that pro lab quality.

Paul.
www.photographybyriddell.co.uk
Pages: [1]   Go Up