Now that, my friend, is one very loaded question indeed!

In developing PickPic 3, we've reconstructed every aspect of the system from the ground up. That includes the gallery capabilities, checkout process, PickPic Web Manager control panel, and even the logo! At one point we were keeping track of all of the additions and changes, but as more and more things went under the knife, we gave up at around 200.

Of all the enhancements though, if we had to point to one of the biggest, it would certainly be PickPic 3's 100% dynamic approach. See, in earlier versions of PickPic, you used a special program to generate your gallery files. In PickPic 3, gallery pages are generated by the server dynamically — meaning a page only exists as long as someone is viewing it in their web browser.

What does that mean for you? For starters, it means you can quickly add a new image to a gallery (or delete one instead) and the system won't even so much as cough. It'll instantly recognize the change and just go about acting as if nothing ever happened.

This may not seem important on the surface, but we believe it makes all the difference in the world!

Previous versions of PickPic used components based on third party products that Lickity Pixel licensed. As our user-base expanded and our dreams of proofing nirvana stretched to the heavens, we became increasingly irritated by the limitations we were constantly pushing up against. That's because third party systems just aren't designed for the unique demands of photographers.

So after some false starts that resulted in careful consideration of our options, we took some crazy pills, rolled up our sleeves, and set out to create the opposite of everything that's out there. That means that unlike systems such as the Skooks Kart (parts of which are based on a product called Pinnacle Cart), PickPic 3 is a powerful proofing purebred. In addition to being built for the future, you can be assured that you'll never have to wait for bug fixes or enhancements to flow through a separate third party, or that your cart system might get shut down suddenly because Company A has changed or scuttled their licensing agreement with Company B.

A fully-functional demo of PickPic 3's gallery and shopping cart system is available here. Please keep in mind that some features have been disabled or may not be available due to the nature of a live simulation.

Due to the competitive nature of web development, we do not provide access to a fully-functional demo of the PickPic Web Manager control panel.

Let's face it: Part of the fun of having this much power at your fingertips is the coolness factor in your clients believing that their proofing experience is something you had custom-built. Therefore, we do not place our branding anywhere that your clients can see, except in the source code and on certain help screens. No "Powered by PickPic" footers, and no active links back to our site. Why would we want to spoil the fun?

PickPic 3 has been designed to take full advantage of the technologies included within so-called modern web browsers. Like with other web sites delivering cutting-edge features, it is possible that there could be various compatibility issues that affect a very small percentage of your clients, particularly if they're visiting your site with an older web browser.

PickPic 3 is being tested within the following web browsers:

Because PickPic requires professional installation on your web server, we do not offer a trial version for numerous logistical reasons.

We fully respect the privacy of our users, and we certainly don't feel the need to broadcast to the world who uses PickPic. Needless to say, we've been doing this since May 2004 and have amassed a client base that spans the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. If you keep your eyes open wide though, you might even see what some of 'em have to say about us. (Hint for the blissfully unaware: Look to the right.)

Absolutely — though please keep in mind that PickPic is currently only available in English. To answer that question though, at last count we have clients in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and Germany.

In the future, we may need certain features or upgrades tested beyond the Lickity Pixel labs. We'll always ask you if you're interested, and we'll never pass off to you something that might knowingly compromise the security of your installation.

That is absolutely true!

With PickPic 3, image galleries are now dynamically generated by sophisticated web server technologies, whereas in previous versions of PickPic a separate third-party application named iView MediaPro was employed to do all of the heavy lifting.

Now you can use any program you want to create the single set of web images you'll be uploading.

No, PickPic 3 is a host-it-yourself solution, meaning you use your own web hosting account.

No, Lickity Pixel does not provide lab services and PickPic is entirely lab-independent.

First of all, it's important to keep in mind that only low-resolution, "web-friendly" images are stored on your web hosting account. In order to get images to your lab for printing, PickPic would need to access the high-res files on your hard drive and facilitate a transfer. Although not possible via PickPic directly, it could certainly be done through other means.

But we have a general policy around the Lickity Pixel lair: To not introduce a feature until we've done it in a way that brings something new and innovative to the table.

In this case, we've taken a long look at what others have done or promised to do, and we're not particularly interested in unleashing what amounts to be just another glorified FTP program. We have our sights set on something far cooler.

But that's where another policy steps in: Our firm position to not talk about as-of-yet unreleased products. Darned, pesky policies!

We're always on the lookout for sweet new features that can simplify or enhance the PickPic experience. Shuffle on over to the Contact page and submit a feature request. Do it quick before you forget! And make sure you specify under "Subject" that it's a feature suggestion. That way, it ends up in the hands of PickPic's programmers, as opposed to Troy, who might hurl himself out his office window at the very thought of another upgrade cycle.

Um... so how long have you been a certified loon? PickPic was designed to simplify your life — not feed your sick masochistic tendencies!

We were actually the first host-it-yourself solution to deliver realtime previewing of black & white, sepia, and borders. Just prepare a single set of web-ready images in any graphics program you'd like and let PickPic 3 do the rest. It'll generate the various real time previews as they're needed, and only when they're needed.

—Which gives you more time to eat bugs, or see if you can hit Microsoft Word's file size limit by typing "redrum" a hundred million times.

Ever since we debuted version 2, you've been able to offer custom borders. Okay — we know what you're thinking: "Huh, what?! PickPic 2? That's so 2005!"

And you'd be right. Which is why we've totally dared to amp up the cool factor!

In PickPic 3, you can not only offer custom borders, but you're in total control of the toning options you offer and exactly how they look! Feel like adjusting the stock sepia? No problem! Wanna create a palladium, cyanotype, or selenium? Knock yourself out!

And what's best — do it all with the ease of Photoshop-like controls.

If you've been around the web block a few times, you've probably figured out that protecting images online is a hard one. The web simply wasn't designed with it in mind. And even if it were, a person could always resort to any number of other means, including screenshots and the like. Your very best protection is to add a persistent watermark to your images using Photoshop, iView MediaPro, or any number of other means.

That said, we were the first to offer what we like to refer to as "that annoying copyright symbol or logo that pops up when you try to drag an image." It's certainly not 100% protection, but it's a simple solution that will remind your clients that you are the legal owner of the images, while avoiding the mistake of alienating them by making it appear as if you question their true motives. Which, of course, is exactly what you're doing. (Don't worry, your secret's safe with us.)

Yes, with the introduction of PickPic 3 it's now possible to not only securely capture your clients' payment info and store it for manual processing, but also have the system submit payments automatically via what's called a gateway account. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages though, so carefully consider which is the best approach for you.

Currently we're only offering what we call "Standard Custom" installations, which is one that includes all of PickPic 3's features and is based on the default PickPic 3 design, but includes logo integration and color alterations of your choice.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

We do not currently accept gold bullion, S&H Green Stamps, or third-party-endorsed, out-of-state payroll checks. (Okay, we might consider the gold.)

If you'd like to pay for PickPic 3 in installments, we're more than willing to work with you on that, but we will not be able to release the installation to you until you've paid in full.

Under normal conditions, PickPic 3 installations generally take somewhere in the range of 10-15 business days.

Please keep in mind that it's sometimes very difficult (nay, impossible) to forecast an exact completion date, due to unforeseen server incompatibilities and other technical issues. One thing you can be assured of though: We'll stay in constant touch with you throughout all phases of the process so that you'll never feel left out in the dark.

Outside of involving a third party to provide logos, color codes, and other installation-related info, we have a strict policy of only working directly with the photographer or their studio during the installation process. It's our experience that in doing so, miscommunication is kept to a minimum because there's no "middle man" in the mix.

Don't worry though... we promise that your experience with us won't drain your creative juices and leave you a complete technofreak.

Unfortunately, no. Hosts have wildly different account configurations. For example, WestHost's hosting accounts are set up in such a way that PickPic installations can be performed without any contact with their support department. There are, however, many hosts who have far more restrictive environments that limit what exactly can be done without their direct intervention.

The best place to start is to review our requirements. Drop your host a note and see if they meet each item on the list. If they do, it's very likely (but not a guarantee) that PickPic 3 will run as expected. Then, during your actual installation, we'll conduct additional tests to see if there are any serious incompatibilities. We'll make every effort we can to accommodate your hosting environment, but it's important to keep in mind that installations may take longer than normal on certain servers, and that in the end some may just not work out with the system.

Should that occur, we will either help you choose another host, or refund your payment. If you need us to actually stage the hosting move for you, additional charges may apply.

No. Due to the complex nature of the system, professional installation by Lickity Pixel is required.

Yes, though we don't recommend you attempt to change the interface yourself until we've released some additional enhancements later this year. Even then, you'll need knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, and the Smarty template system.

Due to the complexity of PickPic 3's source code, we do not allow modifications to anything but the template files unless you've cleared them with us first and received permission in writing.

Unlike proofing services such as Pictage, DigiLabs, and PhotoReflect, PickPic does not offer order fulfillment, nor does it host your images for you. You're 100% in charge of both, a combination that allows you to bypass the hefty fees that proofing services tend to apply.

Outside of that, a great deal of care and thought has gone into the design of the interface, and we're always improving it. A matter of fact, with version 3, we rewrote the entire underpinnings of the system from the ground up to support future extensibility. PickPic isn't going anywhere — and it's just going to get better!

If you've been following along from the top, we've already talked a bit about this up above under the question, "Why should it be important to me that so much of PickPic 3 is developed from the ground up by Lickity Pixel?" Many of those points apply here, considering parts of Skooks Kart are based upon a third party shopping cart system. We know from firsthand experience how limiting that approach can eventually prove to be.

In terms of visual design, feature-set, and usability, we believe the strengths of PickPic will be abundantly clear if you simply take a look at the two systems side-by-side.

Of course, we would recommend a third party, specifically PickPic. But beyond the most obvious reason (duh, you're at pickpic.com), there are other considerations to think about.

The resources needed for continual development of an online proofing system of the magnitude of PickPic is expensive business — not to mention the support burden that exists at times. It's a very serious commitment on the part of a developer to offer this kind of app, and pledge to carry it forward with feature updates and bug fixes.

Most web designers will not have those resources, nor will they possess the experience needed to manage such an endeavor.

And then there's the very serious question of whether or not it's wise to rely on your web designer for something as mission-critical like proofing, especially should you hire a new designer in the future. Will you get the same level of support for your proofing as you did when you were a design client? Or will the designer relegate you to their low-priority list? We'd like to think they'd be ethical about it, but our experience on this front has not been the most encouraging.

On May 12, 2005, it was discovered that Skooks Designs was providing some clients an online proofing system that contained both cosmetic similarities, as well as direct verbatim passages of code from PickPic. (One line even contained my own name in it.)

We alerted Brian Crouch of the infringement and he immediately agreed to remove the code in question, citing contractors as to blame. We took him at his word, fully expecting an immediate response based upon his assurances.

On September 20, 2005, we discovered rather accidentally that the code was still included in his installations. After seeking legal counsel, we took steps to notify those clients of Skooks Designs that were affected, asking for their cooperation in removing the code should we not get immediate results from Mr. Crouch.

After numerous exchanges with Mr. Crouch that were far from pleasant and only served to worsen the situation, he finally removed the code on October 24, 2005 — more than 5 months after it was first noticed and reported.

We, of course, reserve the right to legally revisit this issue at any time in the future, in accordance with the statute of limitations for copyright infringement cases.

Of course! But as you can imagine after reading the previous answer, we will require you to take special precautions.

For one, we will ask that you do not allow any representative from Skooks Designs access to the hosting account that you have PickPic installed on. This is due to the simple fact that anyone with direct access to the server can view PickPic source code, and could therefore incorporate it elsewhere.

If you have a situation where Skooks Designs handles the ongoing maintenance of your primary web site, we will present some alternative approaches so that you can savor a slice of PickPic pie while we enjoy peace-of-mind that our intellectual property and the resources that contributed to its creation are being guarded as much as possible.

PickPic 3 doesn't run from your own computer, instead working its magic from your web hosting server.

To harness the power of PickPic 3, your web hosting account must meet all of the technical requirements listed here.

Yes, WestHost. Their accounts are feature-packed and competitively priced, with performance and support that's commonly ranked among the very best in the industry.

Your BluDomain site itself can absolutely co-exist with your PickPic installation, no problem. The only complication to consider is if you use their hosting services. We cannot at this time guarantee full compatibility because none of our mutual clients use BluDomain's hosting.

Here's why: The BluDomain base hosting package is not currently designed for the demands of online proofing. You'll need to bump your package up to at least 4GB of disk space and also add a personal SSL certificate. In the past, that's been a bit pricey compared to other hosting options out there. Definitely check with them on it first though, since pricing can obviously change.

As a comparison point, it's good to note here that many hosting companies now offer 20GB or more of disk space in the $120/year price range, with personal SSL certificates being very low-cost as well ($15/year).

BluDomain will configure your site at any third-party hosting company that meets their own requirements. They can do it at the time you first launch your site, or at a later date (in the latter scenario though, they charge a one-time fee to cover the work it takes for them to perform a reconfiguration).

We do not perform installations on liveBooks' or BIG Folio's own servers due to the fact their hosting accounts are currently incompatible.

A perfectly viable solution to this situation is explained in the next answer.

Yes, you do!

In this case, you could purchase an alternative domain name ($8-$10/year) and set that up at a second web hosting company that is compatible with PickPic. So Domain A would be your main site and Domain B would be your proofing site. A simple link between the two sites would then act as a bridge, making the experience pretty close to transparent for your clients.

You'll use what's called an FTP (file transfer protocol) program. There are dozens out there for both Mac and Windows, and outside of their initial configuration, they're generally very easy to use.

On the Mac, we recommend Transmit. For Windows, maybe try SmartFTP.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol that allows encrypted transmission of data over the Internet. In pure layman's terms, it's what creates the little padlock in your web browser.

To take advantage of SSL, you must have special files installed on your server that have been "signed" by a Certificate Authority like Go Daddy, Thawte, or VeriSign. These files are known as secure (or digital) certificates, providing your server the ability to securely communicate with your clients's web browser.

A shared SSL certificate is something that many commercial web hosts now offer free of charge with their hosting packages, and is basically a single certificate that all accounts on the server share.

We do not recommend using a shared SSL certificate with PickPic for two reasons: 1) Performance is usually much slower than with a personal SSL certificate; and 2) Some of PickPic's image security features will not work correctly with many hosts' shared SSL implementations.

A personal certificate is one that has been obtained in your own domain name from a Certificate Authority like Go Daddy, Thawte, or VeriSign.

Pricing is where it gets interesting. SSL certificates are perhaps the most overpriced web-related commodity. It's not unusual to see certificates range in price from $200-$400/year. Ouch!

What's more — that very often doesn't even include installation! Double ouch!!

It doesn't have to be that way though. Most of our clients use Go Daddy's Standard SSL, which is available for around $15/year. The key is to make sure your host supports third party certificates (i.e., from a company other than themselves). If they do, you can usually get by pretty cheap!

If your web hosting company supports third party personal certificates (i.e., certificates that they themselves do not sell), we recommend Go Daddy's Standard SSL, which is available for around $15/year.

Definitely check with your hosting company that they support the Go Daddy certificates, and also ask them if your clients will see any browser errors when the certificate is in use.

PickPic users are currently entitled to free updates through the remainder of the integer-version run. For example, if you purchase PickPic 3, you will get free updates through version 3.99 should that many updates be released. Updates may include new features, as well as performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Users will qualify for special upgrade pricing any time a whole number upgrade is released (usually no sooner than 18-24 months apart).

Along the way, new capabilities may be released as separately-installed plug-ins. In those cases, additional charges may apply.

No. We have adopted a strict "no comment" policy regarding integer-version updates. We may nod sheepishly and say something's in the works, but beyond that, our lips our sealed.