January 2008

Vertus donates Fluid Mask 3 to International Student-Teacher Photo Competition

“Licenses Donated as Prizes in International Contest by Photo Imaging Education Association; Winners to Gain Access to Powerful, Accurate Capabilities of Fluid Mask 3”

PMA 2008, Booth #T155, Las Vegas – January 31, 2008 – Vertus, the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation, announced today that it has donated 27 copies of its critically-acclaimed masking program, Fluid Mask 3, to this year’s winners of the Photo Imaging Education Association’s (PIEA) 2008 PIEA International Student-Teacher Photo Competition.  An initiative of the Photo Marketing Association, the competition has become one of the most renowned and actively sponsored student contests in the world.  The exhibitors, stemming from 1,309 participants and representing nine countries, will share in more than $159,000 worth of valuable prizes.  Vertus is proud to donate copies of the software for each first and grand prize winner, including one copy per winning school.

The student and teacher winners hail from middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities in Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, India, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.  The competition consists of three age groups for students, along with a category for faculty, and is the only student photo exhibition that has consistently traveled internationally for three years.

“It is our great pleasure to participate in such an excellent contest that rewards and encourages students to feed their imagination,” said James Carr-Jones, president and CEO of Vertus.  “Fluid Mask 3 has become known for helping professional photographers, image editors, and graphic designers to unlock their creativity, and we were thrilled to be able to make this contribution to a new generation of artists and photographers.  The work that comes from these students, with such a broad range of influences and cultures, is truly impressive.”

Fluid Mask 3 is the top-rated digital imaging tool used for removing objects from their backgrounds by adapting complex algorithms that mimic the way the human eye and brain see edges and objects.  The software identifies the outline of the various colors, textures and shades, and separates them into individual puzzle-like pieces.  Through the use of this technology, Fluid Mask 3 enables the fastest and most accurate cut-outs on the market, expediting workflow and opening the user to new heights of creativity, layout and design.

The award-wining images will be unveiled at the PMA 2008 International Convention on January 31 – February 2, in Las Vegas, NV.  For further details on the competition including a complete list of award winners and sponsors, please visit the Photo Marketing Association’s website at the following address: http://pieapma.org/contest/.

Bling! It now lets Mac users transform product images and boost eBay sales

“See, Click and Transform: Latest Version of Bling! It Grants Individuals and Small Businesses Operating Mac Systems the Confidence and Credibility to Compete on the Global Market and Raise Sales, Click-Through-Rates and Sell Stagnant Inventory.”

Macworld Expo 2008, Booth #W-4231, SAN FRANCISCO – January 15, 2008 – Vertus, the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation, today unveiled the Macintosh-compatible version of Bling! It, its recently released deep-graphic image-editing tool that quickly and easily transforms product shots to create maximum online sales impact.  Since its initial launch, Bling! It users, even those without any prior image editing experience, have found that the software helps raise the achieved sales price of their products and increases the click-through-rate over standard thumbnail images.  By giving product images a “shot-in-the-studio” look and feel, Bling! It creates images which attract more attention from buyers, helping sellers achieve higher prices for their products and move previously stagnant inventory.  The software is available for live demonstrations throughout Macworld Expo 2008, January 15-18, in the Vertus booth #W-4231. 

By combining complex technology with easy-to-use tools, Bling! It empowers any user to strengthen and embellish product images thanks to capabilities previously available only to seasoned image editing professionals.  With Bling! It, Mac users can unlock their creative potential without having to master complex and intimidating image editing programs such as Photoshop.  With just a few clicks and the guidance of Bling! It’s intuitive balloon tips, users can seamlessly replace a standard image background with a more appealing backdrop and add features such as drop shadowing, highlight effects and logos.  The sheer speed realized with Bling! It enables even the novice user to produce product images up to four times faster than with any previously available solutions.

“Bling! It enables anyone to create high quality product shots capable of competing with studio-shot professional product images.  We’ve received numerous comments from customers that have “Blinged” their product shots, that they have realized as much as a 20% increase in their achieved product price,” said James Carr-Jones, president and CEO of Vertus.  “With businesses of all sizes and industries offering products through e-commerce outlets, the entrepreneur that makes the best impression online ultimately generates the most sales.  Bling! It enables even the most casual seller to optimize potential revenue and increase profits by making products truly stand out from the ever-growing crowd without the need to master Photoshop or other complicated imaging programs.”

For anyone interested in generating supplemental income online or through auction sites like eBay or Amazon, Bling! It provides the ability to create professional quality product shots that rival or surpass the competition.  From the occasional eBay user to the small business looking to improve its website images and competes with larger rivals, Bling! It can improve product images making them standout from the competition, often helping to sell previously stagnant inventory.

"I recently downloaded the software and have been working on my images non-stop since then,” said eBay India Power Seller Runa Laila, who operates the eBay store Hypnosis, which specializes in Indian clothing and jewelry. “In a rather short period of time, I am already seeing some of my items which were stuck with me for quite a long time getting sold off immediately upon uploading some beautiful photos recreated with the help of Bling! It."

Bling! It Features

Bling! It identifies and traces the key edges within an image to extract the product from its background, making this once complicated task as easy as painting by numbers.  Users can select from a variety of professional backgrounds available in the Bling! It library or customize one, optimize the shot with a few clicks on the easy-to-use tools menu, and the new professional product image is complete.  Bling! It also automatically optimizes an image size, resolution and data weight (kilobytes), for an e-commerce site or preset online auction sites.

With Bling! It’s “Paint Away Viewer” feature, users see their product shot evolving in real-time.  As the product is extracted and set into the new background, users are able to visualize the final image as it is created.  The “Paint Away Viewer” also shows real-time edits, as users employ various image optimization tools available with Bling! It.  With these tools, users can:

Sharpen product appearance without hiding a product’s characteristic imperfections
Add drop shadows to provide a depth-of-field to the image
Use the “Highlight Brush” to lift the image highlights to create a “shot-in-the-studio” feel
Enhance product resolution independently from the background to make the product really stand out
Embed a logo to make product shots even more professional
Adjust the edge blending between the product and the background to preserve the warm feeling of a sweater or the furry softness of a teddy bear
Customize the position, size and rotation of the product relative to the new background with the easy-to-use handling points
Optimize the final image for use on various preset e-commerce sites such as eBay or Amazon

Bling! It was created as a cost effective alternative for the online seller and small business.  With a suggested retail price of $49.95, the software is affordable for even the most casual user.

Bling! It can be purchased at http://www.blingit.us.

System Requirements

Previously available for PC use only, the latest version of Bling! It is now available for the Macintosh operating systems.  Minimum requirements are:

PowerPC® G4 or G5 or Intel® processor
Mac OS X v.10.3.9, or 10.4.9 or later
512MB of RAM
250MB of available hard-disk space

December 2007

The National Magazine Company selects Vertus' Fluid Mask 3 to optimize production workflow and creativity

“Many of the World’s Largest Print Publications to Improve Images Using Powerful Masking Tool”

BOSTON, MA & LONDON, ENGLAND – December 3, 2007 – Vertus, the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation, today announced that the National Magazine Company, one of the foremost luxury consumer magazine publishers in the United Kingdom, has purchased a site license for Vertus’ Fluid Mask 3 that will allow every designer on staff to access the program, strengthening their image editing toolbox and optimizing workflow, quality and efficiency.  The award-winning software will assist the National Magazine Company’s photographers and artists by enabling them to quickly and easily create the most seamless cut-outs on the market, resulting in less time spent editing images and more time focused on the overall publication.

The National Magazine Company, which currently publishes 19 magazines in the UK, including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire and Cosmopolitan, maintains a rigorous publication schedule and plans to deploy Fluid Mask 3 to help ease the production staff’s workload.  Established in 1910, the National Magazine Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, the parent company of Hearst Magazines, and reaches over 13.5 million readers every year.  Because of its extraordinary reach, the publishing house requires the utmost creativity and skill from every member of the production team, and it is constantly seeking the best tools to help improve the teams’ efficiency.

“We’re very excited to expand our use of Fluid Mask 3 throughout our production process.  We evaluated all the masking tools on the market and found Fluid Mask 3 to be the most intuitive, giving quick, accurate results on complex images,” said Sean Briggs, group publishing systems manager for the National Magazine Company.  “We have been testing the program’s capabilities since its initial launch, and it truly helps to unlock our staff members’ creativity and perfect their execution.  It has taken us a long way towards simplifying once complex, graphic reproduction tasks.  The improvements to our workflow have meant that we realize the return on our investment for each installation of Fluid Mask 3 very quickly.”

Fluid Mask 3 is the top-rated digital imaging tool used for removing objects from their backgrounds by adapting complex algorithms that mimic the way the human eye and brain see edges and objects.  The software identifies the outline of the various colors, textures and shades, and separates them into individual puzzle-like pieces.  Through the use of this technology, Fluid Mask 3 enables the fastest and most accurate cut-outs on the market, expediting workflow and opening the user to new heights of creativity, layout and design.

“We are excited to deliver these licenses to the National Magazine Company, especially knowing that that the organization put Fluid Mask through such meticulous testing,” said James Carr-Jones, president and CEO of Vertus.  “With the addition of Fluid Mask 3 to its production tool kit, we are confident that the National Magazine Company will realize improvements in its production process, both in terms of the accuracy of editing and the time saved in completing projects.”

Fluid Mask 3 is currently available for Windows XP & Vista, Mac Intel, and Power PC 10.3.9 and upwards.  The program retails for $239, and is available for purchase at Vertus’ website: http://www.vertustech.com.

For a full demonstration of the software, please contact Gemma Howells, channel sales manager for Vertus (gemma@vertustech.com).

Additional User Testimonials

"Having evaluated nearly all of the major masking products on the market for the past several years, this is the first to give users a powerful yet easy-to-use tool that produces fantastic results when working with a wide variety of subject material."
Bob Bousfield, Application Specialist, National Magazine Co. Ltd.

“Fluid Mask is the only masking tool I turn to when working with complex cut-outs.  It can even do my messy hair!”
James Naylor, Application Specialist, National Magazine Co. Ltd.

“I've found that Fluid Mask 3 makes it so much quicker to cut out the multitude of photos we take in the studio. They're nice and clean and so it literally takes minutes.”
Graham Taylor, Designer, Runner's World, National Magazine Co. Ltd.

November 2007

Transform product images and boost online sales with new Bling! It web shot optimizer from Vertus

“See, Click and Transform: Bling! It Grants Individuals and Small Businesses the Confidence and Credibility to Compete on the Global Market “

BOSTON, MA – November 6, 2007 – Vertus, the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation, today announced the launch of Bling! It, a deep-graphic image editing tool that quickly and easily transforms product shots to create maximum online sales impact. 

By combining complex technology with easy-to-use tools, Bling! It empowers any user to strengthen and embellish product images, giving them a “shot-in-the-studio” look and feel, thanks to capabilities previously available only to seasoned image editing professionals.  With just a few clicks and the guidance of Bling! It’s intuitive balloon tips, users can seamlessly replace a standard image background with a more appealing backdrop and add features such as drop shadowing, highlight effects and logos.  The sheer speed realized with Bling! It enables even the novice user to produce product images up to four times faster than with any previously available solutions.

For anyone interested in generating supplemental income online or through auction sites like eBay or Amazon, Bling! It provides the ability to create professional quality product shots that rival or surpass the competition.  From the occasional eBay user to the small business looking to improve its website images and competes with larger rivals, Bling! It can improve product images making them standout from the competition.

Bling! It identifies and traces the key edges within an image to extract the product from its background, making this once complicated task as easy as painting by numbers.  Users can select from a variety of professional backgrounds available in the Bling! It library or customize one, optimize the shot with a few clicks on the easy-to-use tools menu, and the new professional product image is complete.  Bling! It also automatically optimizes an image size, resolution and data weight (kilobytes), for an e-commerce site or preset online auction sites.

“For the first time, anyone can create high quality product shots capable of competing with studio-shot professional product images.  With businesses of all sizes and industries offering products through e-commerce outlets, and more than four million product images being uploaded everyday to eBay alone, the seller that makes the best impression online ultimately generates the most sales,” said James Carr-Jones, president and CEO of Vertus.  “Bling! It enables even the most casual seller to optimize potential revenue and increase profits by making products truly stand out from the ever-growing crowd.”

With Bling! It’s “Paint Away Viewer” feature, users see their product shot evolving in real-time.  As the product is extracted and set into the new background, users are able to visualize the final image as it is created.  The “Paint Away Viewer” also shows real-time edits, as users employ various image optimization tools available with Bling! It.  With these tools, users can:

Sharpen product appearance without hiding a product’s characteristic imperfections
Add drop shadows to provide a depth-of-field to the image
Use the “Highlight Brush” to lift the image highlights to create a “shot-in-the-studio” feel
Enhance product resolution independently from the background to make the product really stand out
Embed a logo to make product shots even more professional
Adjust the edge blending between the product and the background to preserve the warm feeling of a sweater or the furry softness of a teddy bear
Customize the position, size and rotation of the product relative to the new background with the easy-to-use handling points
Optimize the final image for use on various preset e-commerce sites such as eBay or Amazon

“More than $110,000 worth of product is selling every minute on eBay, and no matter what they are shopping for, buyers only buy if they have two things – security and confidence.  In order to gain a larger share of these sales, sellers need to provide potential buyers with that sense of security and confidence, and this starts with professional quality product photos,” said Janelle Elms, eBay University instructor and Visionaire of OSI Rock Stars.  “By providing consistency, branding, and professionalism to product images, a tool like Bling! It would give eBay sellers an advantage over their competition and help achieve that level of safety and trust that the buyers are looking for.”

Bling! It was created as a cost effective alternative for the online seller and small business.  With a suggested retail price of $49.95, the software is affordable for even the most casual user.

“It’s more important than ever for individuals and small businesses to supplement income through online sales opportunities,” said James Carr-Jones.  “Easy-to-use and completely affordable, even a user that makes as little as $100 selling products online can quickly return a profit on the investment of Bling! It.”

Bling! It is currently available for Windows XP or Vista, and a Mac version will follow shortly.  Bling! It can be purchased at www.blingit.us.

October 2007

Maximize creativity with the professionals choice for blending and masking: The New Fluid Mask 3

“Attendees are Invited to Visit the Vertus Booth at PhotoPlus Expo 2007 for Around the Clock Live Demonstrations of Fluid Mask 3, the Fastest and Most Accurate Masking Tool on the Market”

PhotoPlus Expo, New York City (Booth # 2008) – October 18, 2007 – Vertus, the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation, will be offering live demonstrations of the newest version of its award-winning image extraction software, Fluid Mask 3, throughout PhotoPlus Expo 2007 at booth #2008.  With improved blending capabilities, faster image processing speeds, and intuitive workflow advancements, Fluid Mask 3 empowers the endless creativity of today’s digital photographers and image editors.

Released in July 2007 for both Mac and Windows platforms, Fluid Mask 3 leverages a more effective edge detection system, along with an improved “Smart Blending” capability unique to the software to address the pressing challenge of quickly and easily separating problem images, such as human hair and tree leaves, from a background.  The user may invoke special hair blending algorithms, which, for the first time, automatically cut out tricky edges and difficult outlines, such as highlights and hair with wide color differences (e.g. black hair next to white hair against a grey background). A slider enables the user to seamlessly switch between “Smart Blending” and standard feather blending, to smooth out these most detailed edges.

While the all new blending capabilities make Fluid Mask 3 the most accurate masking tool on the market, the improved processing speeds and intuitive workflow tools make Fluid Mask 3, the quickest tool available as well.  With the unique combination of speed and accuracy only available from Fluid Mask 3, image editors and photographers are able to create the most realistic cut outs possible.

“Fluid Mask 3 is the most powerful masking tool available today.  The accuracy and speed with which this software separates difficult images takes image editing to a new level.  Based on experience and the feedback we have received, we are confident that Fluid Mask 3 is unrivaled in its abilities to perform these detailed functions accurately and efficiently,” said James Carr-Jones, president & CEO of Vertus.  “We’re thrilled to be able to demonstrate the pioneering power of Fluid Mask 3 at this year’s PhotoPlus Expo and invite attendees to come and speak with our representatives.  We expect people to be shocked and thrilled at how easy and fast the product can achieve professional results.”

Fluid Mask 3 is compatible with both Mac and PC users.  Normally priced at $239, Fluid Mask 3 will be available in the booth at a special PPE price of $199.

About Vertus
Vertus is the graphics and imaging software division of Heligon, a technology business specializing in image data interpretation.  Heligon's groundbreaking technology uses complex algorithms to mimic the way the eye and brain perform visual processing so that
complex shapes and colors can be recognized within images.  Heligon licenses its technology to market leaders in industries including design and graphics, printing and video. More information on Vertus can be found at: www.vertustech.com