ZBE Streamlines Photographer-to-Photo-Lab Workflow

The ZBE Chromira wide-format digital photographic printer is currently used in more than 100 photo labs in the US. To make it easier for photographers to order output from these labs, ZBE has released WorkStream Digital Studio software.

After a Chromira lab has distributed the WorkStream software to the photographers who routinely submit images for output, the photographer doesn't have to leave the comfort of his or her own studio to order prints.

Photographers can enter all information concerning the manipulation of the photo, create an order and send it to the lab for printing. Photographers can efficiently transfer precisely prepared, cropped, and edited images and the accompanying order via the Internet or CD to the imaging lab. All aspects of the order can be entered into the program, including image color corrections, cropping and composition, retouching, and product selection. WorkStream automatically generates an order archive and database for the studio and the orders prepared in WorkStream transfer seamlessly to the photo lab for automated production through WorkStream IA (Imaging Automation).

At the lab or digital imaging bureau, WorkStream IA manages the orders and the print production process including order creation and entry, scanning, color correction, cropping, retouching, scheduling and printing.

WorkStream is compatible with both the Chromira 30 and 50 large-format, high-resolution digital RA-4 photographic printers as well as the Fuji Frontier digital mini-labs. (ZBE Inc.: 805-685-2348, www.zbe.com)