Photospark

[*eng*]

Hey everyone
Have you had the email from Gracie re: Photospark? What do you think.
Gracie is there sample or trial? I like the sound of it, but would like to preview it.

[workingjo3]

I got the same email. Yes there is a trial!

http://www.photospark.com/site/download.php

From the screenshots it looks very close to Scrapbook max.

See screenshots at:

http://www.photospark.com/site/gallery.php

Jo

[pkdoll]

I haven't received the email yet, but in looking at the links above what is the purpose of this software? It looks pretty much the same as SBM, so why did they come out with another program so similar to the one they already have out? I think maybe I'm missing something here??

[workingjo3]

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Did you check out the content / templates / shapes?

I am a bit puzzled. Unless it has a way to sort / organize things better or is faster in loading templates, I have no clue.
Jo

[srussell]

Hi All,

Photospark is very similar to Scrapbook MAX! The target audience is to people who want to stuff with the photos that are not traditional "scrapbookers". The terminology is a little different ... i.e. "Clipart" instead of "Embellishment", etc.

The default layouts are also in different sizes "8.5 x 11 Tall" and 11 x8.5 Wide", buy you can also do other sizes as well. Some of the layouts may look familiar, as I was the designer of the first 30 in the content pack.

Download the trial and have some fun with it...

BTW, SBM templates are NOT tranfersable to Photospark, but you can use the templates and content from Photospark with the help of a converter program that is available.

http://www.photospark.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13

[spanielmom]

a bunch of the shapes are the same as SBM. I really think instead of calling it something different to appeal to non-scrapbookers, they should have spent the time marketing scrapbook max as easy to use for non-scrapbookers.

[workingjo3]

Hey Steve, I love your layouts. I own several of them already. So I am giving this a try.
Jo

[AmeliasMuma]

I've just downloaded the trial version and as far as I can see its the same program with a few changes in what they call things. If the content is different it might be worth getting the program at 50% off esp with the file converter that Steve kindly linked us.

[mh51]

I haven't received the email yet, but in looking at the links above what is the purpose of this software? It looks pretty much the same as SBM, so why did they come out with another program so similar to the one they already have out? I think maybe I'm missing something here??

Yes PKDoll......... I don't see the point in this 'other' software!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would make more sense to me to have improvements to the current version of SBM ie.

...ability to group & then resize that group
...flexible cropping tool
...eraser etc etc

[srussell]

a bunch of the shapes are the same as SBM. I really think instead of calling it something different to appeal to non-scrapbookers, they should have spent the time marketing scrapbook max as easy to use for non-scrapbookers.

Yes, you may be right, but part of the problem is the name of the product with "scrapbook" in it. There's a whole other market out there for photo layouts. Long before I did scrapbooking, I was writing photo layout programs under different names, the key word being "photo"

BTW, I would like to point out that you're getting about 75 prebuilt pages from 30 kits... At the introductory price ($19.97 + shipping), that's about $0.50/template. Can't beat that with a stick. Check out the gallery on the Photospark forum. http://www.photospark.com/gallery/

Also, BTW... I'm not making any money by promoting Photospark, I just help design content for it.

[thedogfather]

Yes, you may be right, but part of the problem is the name of the product with "scrapbook" in it. There's a whole other market out there for photo layouts. Long before I did scrapbooking, I was writing photo layout programs under different names, the key word being "photo"

BTW, I would like to point out that you're getting about 75 prebuilt pages from 30 kits... At the introductory price ($19.97 + shipping), that's about $0.50/template. Can't beat that with a stick. Check out the gallery on the Photospark forum. http://www.photospark.com/gallery/

Also, BTW... I'm not making any money by promoting Photospark, I just help design content for it.

Hi Steve
I agree with your comments as being involved in the UK with both card makers and trditional scrapbookers I have to say that scrapbooking in all guises here has been slow to take off.
My workshops on digital scrapbooking are not well attended (that may be down to me of course )but when I run digital photo workshops they are over booked.
I will certainly introduce 'Photospark' at my next session as PSE,PSP etc., have a steep learning curve for beginners.

[pkdoll]

I think I have a better understanding now. Now I make my scrapbook pages in SBM than I take them and put them in a different program to make a slide show and add animated clipart to them and such. So does spark have animated clip art too-or just regular clipart?? This way you are getting premade templates and clipart to make photo shows, whereas SBM is more for making scrapbook pages. Gotcha!!

[srussell]

I think I have a better understanding now. Now I make my scrapbook pages in SBM than I take them and put them in a different program to make a slide show and add animated clipart to them and such. So does spark have animated clip art too-or just regular clipart?? This way you are getting premade templates and clipart to make photo shows, whereas SBM is more for making scrapbook pages. Gotcha!!

No animated clipart at this time... But creating templates that are specifcally designed for say, NTSC or PAL video is a great idea.

[Desmond]

BTW, SBM templates are NOT tranfersable to Photospark, but you can use the templates and content from Photospark with the help of a converter program that is available.
http://www.photospark.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13

That's only 1/2 true ... by themselves, sbmax templates and booster packs are not compatible with photospark ... but they can be converted.

The tool I created (linked to from the above thread) automatically converts PhotoSpark content to Scrapbook MAX! -- but the actual converter can go both directions. If there's a demand for it, I can certainly create an automated tool that can transfer from SBMAX -> PhotoSpark. But for now, the important thing was to create an easy way for our SBMAX users to get the PhotoSpark content into sbmax.

Desmond.

[srussell]

Ok, wasn't aware of that... I can't be right ALL the time!