ImageSnap

The financial dynamic of panoramic ceramic

A huge wall of ceramic photo tile can be a fantastic way to raise money for your church, school or other organization.

ImageSnap is currently working with a few customers who will be selling our 4.25" x 4.25" ceramic tiles, each imprinted with a photo of generous donors. The tiles will be set on an indoor wall as monuments for generations to come.

Here's the great part: ImageSnap sells these tiles at a special fund-raiser price of $4.99 each. Organizations can sell the photo tiles for up to $100 each, realizing a fantastic profit for their charity.

One of our customers is planning to sell between 5,000 and 10,000 pieces of tile at $50 each in an effort to raise at least $250,000 for a building fund.

The fund-raising program has several winning elements. The first winner is that the organization gets a high-quality, colorful wall for its building. Second, the tile is an easy sell; who wouldn't want to claim their place on the wall while giving to their favorite charity? Third, the organization can make a lot of money.

Please call or email ImageSnap if you would like more information on our fund-raising program. We'll help you turn our tile into a pile of cash.

And the winner is...

...ImageSnap.

I just learned from a local newspaper that ImageSnap has won its Bronze Award (third place) for best camera shop in Santa Cruz. In fact, ImageSnap does not sell cameras. We used to, about four years ago, when we had a retail store downtown. We don't sell film nor do we make photo prints, unless the prints are on tile, puzzles, mugs and a variety of other photo gifts that we sell.

Today, about 80% of our business arrives via the Internet. Regardless, I'm happy to accept the honor, and I wish to thank the person or persons who voted for ImageSnap.

Better late than never

I promised in November that ImageSnap would be adding more cutting boards before the holidays. Well, I finally did it – partially. ImageSnap has added one new cutting board, a handsome 12" round board with the same textured surface as our rectangle board. Find both boards in the Cutting Board category.

And while I was adding new products, today you'll also find a set of four glass coasters with cork backing. The coasters are made of tempered glass, and are 3.5" x 3.5". The image is printed on the back of the coasters so the image can't be scratched even with a heavy mug. Find these in the Coasters category.

A tote bag has been added also. The bag is made of 100% polyester duck. The bag measures 22" x 17", and your image can be up to a healthy 14" x 10". Securely stitched black nylon straps and a 3" pleated bottom are additional features. The tote bag is found in the new T-Shirts and Tote category.

A little rearranging

ImageSnap has added four new categories to its product categories today.

Within the new Coasters category you'll find our popular hardboard coasters and 4" x 4" glass tiles.

We've pulled the key fobs out of the Novelty Items category and put them in their own category, Key Fobs. ImageSnap also has added a Cutting Board category. Currently there is only one cutting board, but we will be adding more boards before the holidays.

And because of increased interest during the holiday season, ImageSnap has made a new category called Ornaments for our five two-sided ornaments.

Happy holidays!

Tile with a smile!

A prospective customer called me this morning interested in having us make her two tile murals.

She found us via Google, as many of our customers do.

"I've found several companies online that make tile," she said. "Why should I use ImageSnap?"

I told her that most of the other companies she found will make a single 6-inch-square tile with a gloss finish. I explained how ImageSnap makes seven different tile sizes with three choices of surface finish.

She seemed more comfortable about ImageSnap and started asking me questions about the tile mural she needed.

I had her email to me a photo of a tile mural that she was trying to match. I then snapped a photo of a tile mural I keep next to my desk, and sent it to her via email. After reviewing the photos, we decided that ImageSnap could supply what she was after.

Although most of our work comes to us via our Web site, we haven't neglected our strong tradition of customer service. It wins confidence and it wins customers.

If you're ever perusing our site and can't find answers to your questions, give us a call or send us an email. We'll respond immediately – with a smile!

Mother's Day Alert

OK. I know Mother's Day is a couple of months away, but for those of you who like to plan early, here's a list of gifts Mother might appreciate:

1) An 11 oz. mug
2) A set of 2"-square ceramic tiles
3) A key fob with your picture on it
4) A set of coasters
5) A glass cutting board
6) How about a luggage tag?
7) Jewelry box with inset ceramic tile

A short list for you to peruse. Start sorting through your images now.

Glass is in

A glass cutting board has been added to ImageSnap's product list. The cutting board can be found in the Glass Tile category.

The board measures approximately 8" x 12". It has a grain-like texture on the cutting surface. Because your images is printed on the back of the cutting board, there is no danger of harming the image while cutting on the board. The board comes with self-adhesive rubber feet.

Keep in mind that you don't have to actually use the board for cutting. It makes a great kitchen decorative item when sitting on a counter or hanging on the wall. The white coating on the back of the board makes your image pop. Read more about the glass cutting board at http://www.imagesnap.com/product_info.php?cPath=59&products_id=3054.

Successful transition year

ImageSnap's transition from a retail store to an Internet-powered business has been a big success. We moved last March 1 to more of a warehouse-type setting in the industrial area of Santa Cruz. We also put a lot of effort into building a database-driven Web site that can be used by other Web-based businesses as well to drive orders to ImageSnap.

We learned a great deal about the new Web site as our traffic grew during the holiday season. As the rush subsides, we'll now get to work implementing many user ideas, and fixing several problems we discovered.

Thank you to all of our customers who stuck with ImageSnap during the year. We hope to keep you as customers in 2007, and to add thousands of new customers as our ImageSnap.com Web site grows in power, reach and adds several new features.

Tile Truths

Ceramic tile is our most popular printed product. But there are some limitations about how and where it can be used. Following are a few guidelines.

Although we suggest that our tile be used for decorative purposes only, it has been installed in swimming pools, kitchens and baths, outdoor murals in shaded areas, and as design elements in custom furniture. It is suggested that all of our tile be kept out of direct sunlight. Tile left in direct sunlight could fade gradually over time.

Our ceramic tile has three finishes:

Gloss finish provides a brilliant canvas for best artwork and photo reproduction. Gloss finish is susceptible to scratches, and is not recommended for surfaces that require frequent cleaning.

Satin finish also enhances photos and artwork, but on a lustre surface rather than high-gloss. It is less susceptible to scratching than our gloss finish, but like the gloss finish, it is not recommended for surfaces that require frequent cleaning.

Hard finish is a highly resilient and scratch-resistant matte finish. We recommend its use on tabletops or for trivets, or for any surface that will have items placed on it.

Tumbled stone tile is a beautiful, natural tumbled stone that is great for displaying vintage-type images because of its flat matte finish and uneven texture and edges. The tile has a very durable surface. Apply a light overcoat of lacquer if it is to be used for tabletops, bartops, or in any wet application.

We print your image on the back of our glass tiles. Glass tile is available in two finishes: frosted tile allows you to see through the image, which results in a more subtle reproduction of your photo or artwork.

Opaque finish does not allow you to see through the image, but will reflect light from behind. Your photo or artwork will be easier to see on opaque glass tile than on the frosted glass tile.

Like ceramic tile, images printed on our glass tile may also fade if left in direct sunlight for long periods of time.

Pet ID Tags

Pet ID Tags is a new category on the ImageSnap home page. Five pet tags are included, one of which is the common dog tag that can be used by pets and humans, too.

The tags can be a colorful way to ID your pet, and a cute topper for a holiday gift.