Getting started with pixnub

Setup and prerequisites:

Scratch disk

Get a 2TB scratch disk for running Pixnub batches. While batching, a lot of space can used up and you want your batches to run as smoothly as possible. Also, keeping your batching disk separate than your operating disk will be better for you computer’s health in the long term.

You can find them for around $150 USD.

Ensure to uncheck the system disk so the system won’t use it first and deplete this space before switching to your chosen scratch disk.

Turn off “auto show home screen”

There is a bug in Photoshop that stops Pixnub when it’s running when this is checked on. 

Turn on “Use Graphics Processor”

Face detection on plugins such as Face Crop and Sports Photo Automation won’t run without this. This will also give optimal performance. 

Ensure photoshop is up to date

We keep all of our plugins up to date with the newest Photoshop releases. All of our plugins will work with the newest version. However, you can find the current Photoshop version requirements for each plugin here: https://pixnub.com/software-downloads/

computer spec recommendations

Note: These are the optimal specs for Photoshop to run. We can’t quote exact specs… But this will give you a general overview. You may need higher specs when running larger volume batches and/or using large template files.

The most important things for batching with Pixnub are the scratch disk (having a separated dedicated scratch disk) and the GPU.

You can run on Mac or Windows perfectly fine and both are good options.

In general, for GPU intensive operation (plugins that use face detection such as Face Crop and SPA), Windows is faster. For CPU intensive operation (all plugins that utilize batching), the Mac is faster.

For spec recommendations:

RAM

  • Windows: 16GB Minimum, 32GB Preferred
  • Mac: 8GB, 16GB Preferred (Less is needed than Windows since their swap disk usage is good so it doesn’t use as much RAM)

CPU

  • Windows: Intel i7 or i9, AMD Ryzen 7, Ryzen 9
  • Mac: M4 Chip, M3 Chip

You can test how your system will run using our trial mode if you don’t have Pixnub already.

Our computer pick for the best for professional quality, good speed, and budget friendly:

 

Apple Mac mini with M4 Chip ($599 USD)

  • Apple M4 10-Core Chip
  • 16GB Unified RAM | 256GB SSD
  • 10-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
  • Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.3

How to Install Pixnub Plugins

Download the plugin(s)

Open it from your downloads

Click “Ok”

Go to Plugins and open the plugin

Done!

Other Notes

Copy and Pasting While Batching

DO NOT use the copy and paste function while running.

EZ Composites uses this function while running and can interfere with your batch since the computer uses the same clipboard amongst all programs.

sRGB Color Format

sRGB is the standard color profile and is designed to ensure that colors are represented accurately and consistently across different platforms. 

This is what printing companies use.

It’s best to ensure that all files you’re working with are using the same color format. Also, templates must be sRGB when using Pixnub.

You can use our FREE sRGB converter plugin to quickly check and convert any color profiles to sRGB.

 

CSV UTF-8 Settings

The data files must be saved using the UTF-8 character set.

If UTF-8 isn’t used then EZ Composites will not import non-English characters. For example, names such as Núñez and Gómez won’t import correctly. 

You choose the UTF-8 character set when exporting the data from Excel or whatever spreadsheet program you are using.

File Format Brief Overview

JPG – Standard to send to photo labs, most common image format

TIFF – transparent background, better for professional use, scanning, and print options

WEBP – transparent background, lossy and lossless compression, smaller size, best for the web

PNG – transparent background, compatible for web, more universal than .WEBP

PSD – Editable common Photoshop file (under 2GB)

PSB – Editable large Photoshop file (over 2GB)

Best Results with Image Extract 👣

For best results when shooting with feet placement mats and using Image Extract for extractions, use an all white floor or mat with a white foot placement mat with light grey footprints (or another color, as long as they are similar). Essentially, make the subject (the person and/or person with sports equipment) contrast against the floor and the mat so Photoshop doesn’t think that it’s a part of the subject.

(Image Extraction relies on the Select Subject function).

Congratulations! 🎉

You are now ready to start utilizing Pixnub for your new workflow. 🖥️

You can find all our tutorials and documentation here for all our plugins, templates, and tools for Photoshop. 👈 

Tech Support and Trouble Shooting 🛠️

Tech Support Forum 💬 

You may be able to find your issue by searching the forum. If not, please make a a new post in the appropriate forum group. Please do not email for tech support unless asked. This is how we keep organized. Also, it creates a database that we and other users can refer to later for future tech support.

Facebook Group 👥

You can also ask for support or post about other related topics in our Pixnub User Facebook Group here.

Upgrading Accounts, License Key Issues, and Other Support 🔑 

Send an email at support@pixnub.com

Diagnostics Mode for Sports Photo Automation ⚙️

Before posting in the Facebook group or Tech Support Forum, please check the diagnostics mode checkout and see if there are any setup errors that you may have missed when setting up your CSV file and/or template.

 

What can Pixnub do?

Webinar overview of the flagship Pixnub plugins (Sports Photo Automation, EZ Team Builder, Face Crop, and EZ Composites).

The first half shows sports compositing and the second half shows face detection cropping and class composites. So if you only do school or shorts, you can watch just the half that you need.