Format Pixel

Format Pixel is a new Flash-based online application that allows you to create 'page' based presentations, and to create your own online magazines, brochures, catalogues, portfolios and so on. Using the formatpixel online editor you can design page based projects, layout text, upload your own images, add interactivity and customise their appearance.

In my earlier post of February 16, 2007 I introduced Latitudes magazine, an attractive Italian travel "webzine", which is in all probability created by a similar program.

It's a very elegant way of presenting one's portfolio, however it's not as easy as it looks to set it up. I tried the free trial and was unsuccessful in changing image sizes once these were placed on pages. There's no guidance on the website that I could find. Maybe someone will test it and be more successful than I was.

Format Pixel offers a free trial version which allows the uploading of only 512k (which is an anorexic limit as it isn't enough to upload a high resolution image which this application really requires), and there are other paying versions starting from about $30 a year for 5 mb to $80 for 20 mb. Users are given their own URL to showcase their projects.

Although the application certainly produces beautiful results, I think that photographers will not bother with it. It's expensive, and there are other products available. My guess is that this business model will not survive a year.

Here's a sample.

The main website is: Format Pixel