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ImageKind Launches Beta Service
First of its Kind Web 2.0 Site Allows Photographers and Digital Artists to Upload, Produce or Sell Fine Art Prints
SEATTLE, WA, August 2, 2006 - - ImageKind.com, a Web site that offers users the ability to upload high resolution imagery and have it professionally printed, framed, mounted and sold, has launched in beta.
More than 250 artists have already set up galleries. Founder and CEO Kelly Smith said, "Relatively new print on demand technologies allow us to make affordable fine art prints that we can offer to the mass market. Unlike a photo printing service, the output from our systems are nearly indistinguishable from artwork that costs tens of thousands of dollars. We're simply offering a powerful self-service system via the internet that make shopping and selling artwork more efficient and fun."
In an nutshell, ImageKind makes it easy for digital artists and photographers to build free professional galleries and sell high-quality, canvas, framed artwork within the context of a viral, social community.
ImageKind is compelling to photographers and digital artists for several reasons:
- There’s nothing like it today. Think of it as a convergence of a photo community like Flickr with a social shopping experience of CafePress.
- ImageKind prints use the same technology and are virtually indistinguishable from museum prints that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
- Photographers and artists can set up their own ImageKind gallery free of charge.
- Gallery owners can mark up the cost of their prints as they see fit and keep all profit from the sale.
- ImageKind does not require any rights or exclusivity agreements.
- Artists’ images are safe from unauthorized use as they can never be downloaded. Only low resolution previews are displayed on the site.
- Viral community features ensure a vibrant, growing network.
- The site is extremely well designed and easy to use, utilizing the latest Web 2.0 features.
- Artists earn money on mattes, frames and shipping bought with their art, for more profit.
To recap, ImageKind makes it easy for photographers and digital artists to sell framed prints, without having to maintain any inventory, billing mechanisms or ecommerce solutions. Plus, ImageKind can do all of the marketing to a large, global network of customers. And coming soon, ImageKind will be delivering features that allow digital artists to sell their framed prints from their own Web site or blog.
ImageKind was conceived and developed by Curious Office, a Web 2.0 seed stage investment and software development lab.
About ImageKind
ImageKind is the child of both online and offline expertise and actually started off as the first of several incubation projects. Two long time friends based in Seattle, Washington started a small incubation company called Curious Office in January 2006 with a goal to develop innovative new online platforms at the cross-roads of social media and online commerce. Art has been the language of humanity since the beginning of time, and the goal was to develop a fresh new online experience that allowed both consumers and professional artists a new outlet for sharing, creating and buying actual wall art from digital files. The founders combine more than 15 years experience with leading software companies in areas of marketing, sales and product management with 20 years experience running one of the nation’s largest art and framing retail chains.
Contact: Andy Boyer, ImageKind, +1-206-264-1446 or andy@curiousoffice.com.
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