Dr. Don's Buttons / buttonsonline.com presents:   A question about how to do photo buttons on location

Q. I am interested in making Photo Buttons at fairs and flea markets and for special events. My problem is finding the equipment needed to do this type of on the spot production. I tried to use a Polaroid picture but the chemicals inside make this impossible. I believe what I need is some kind of composite camera and special color printer. Any help would be appreciated. Harry Bragdon / Button Graphics   A. Harry, I've never done it myself, but if I were to, what I believe I would look into would be one of the new digital camera set-ups. If you have a laptop computer and a fast color inkjet printer (an Epson 800 would be good), you could do fast and easy photo buttons, right on the spot. Last year some friends and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and while down there we had dinner at one of the "Americanized" Mexican restaurants. Shortly after ordering our food, an employee came around with a digital camera, took our photo, and then about 10-15 minutes later he came back around with our photo (obviously printed out on an inkjet printer) mounted to a piece of photo board. We paid $5.00 for it and were happy with what we had. I think there are two keys to doing the type of work you are looking to do. Making the process fast, and easy. Can you keep the people there long enough for you to finish the button, and is it easy enough for you to transport your equipment, set it up, and use it on location. I don't know if this helps you any, but I think this is a great question for our help board. Thanks for asking. So, guys and gals, do any of you have any suggestions that can help Harry do photo buttons on location. Response: I was just on your website again and would like to respond to a Q&A section question on doing photo buttons on location. Actually, I've given this some thought as I may be doing this at an Expo I'll be exhibiting at the end of this month. I will connect a 8mm camcorder to the parallel [printer] port of my laptop computer via something called Snappy. Snappy is a video digitizer that allows you to "play" video images (at 30 frames per second) on a desktop or laptop PC via their software. You can then take a "snapshot" of a video image (creating a still image), save it, and then manipulate it in Photodeluxe (which comes with Snappy) or any other image editing program. I prefer Paint Shop Pro. My idea is to set up this equipment in my exhibit booth, and then have my subject posed in front of my camcorder. In taking the snapshot, I would then move it to a pre-made template in Print Artist (bypassing any editing), set it in place, then print it on my Alps 1000 dry ink printer using special paper cut into quarters. All that's left is to make the 3" button using Dr. Don's equipment, and presto! It's done! Shouldn't take more than five minutes! In my case I've already got 12 Zodiac templates designed so that once I set the Snappy image in place in Print Artist, I only have to add the individual's name and birthday and then print. Now, this is all theory at this point, but since my Expo is coming up in 24 days, I will be experimenting to see if this will really work for me this way. If you've got a laptop and camcorder (VHS, 8mm or hi-8), all you need is Snappy (costs about $100). Good luck!   Earl Johnson, Jr.     Dr Don: Thanks for the tips, Earl and good luck with your endeavor.