FAQ

See how Qimage Ultimate compares to the retired Lite, Pro, and Studio here.

Online Help and PDF:

The online help file is located here.  A PDF version is also available here.

Video Learning Center:

Visit the Video Learning Center for access to many short instructional how-to videos.

Email support:

We offer excellent software support via email.  Simply send us a support email and you'll get a response directly from the program author!  You will normally receive a response within 12-24 hours.

Qimage forum:

Check Mike Chaney's Tech Corner for forums related to Qimage.  This is a great place to get support and submit ideas for future versions.

System requirements for Qimage Ultimate:

Qimage Ultimate will run on any Windows based system including 32 and 64 bit versions of XP, Vista, and Windows 7.  But don't take our word for it: download the 14 day trial and give it a spin!

We do not offer a Mac version:

We do not currently have plans for a Mac version.  If you like, you can download the 14 day trial and give it a try under Fusion or Parallels.

Upgrades:

When you register Qimage Ultimate, you get access to all upgrades free for the first year.  After the first year, additional yearly upgrades may be purchased for $19.99.  Our $19.99 is treated as a "membership" to access the upgrade/download area for a full year.  That means the fees are not additive: if you choose not to upgrade for 3 years, you can still pay $19.99 and get a year of access to upgrades from that point.  You never have to pay more to "catch up"!  Note, however, that since the one year membership is treated as an extended download service where you can access all upgrades during that time, it is your responsibility to download the upgrades while your registration (membership to the download area) is still active: you decide what you need.  Information about the latest upgrades is always displayed on the top menu bar when you open Qimage Ultimate.  We do not send retroactive updates for users who no longer have access to downloads so please update and make a backup of what you need while your registration is still active and you still have access to the downloads.

What happens when my registration expires?:

Your registration that includes a membership to download new versions expires after one year and can be renewed (for an additional year w/each renewal) for $19.99.  Note that while your registration and your ability to download updates expires, the version you are using will never expire or quit working.  You may use whatever version you have for as long as you like, and only renew your registration when you see new features that you want/need.  This means you will never have to pay exorbitant fees to upgrade because your version is "too old", but you must back up your software to ensure you retain a copy: we cannot expend the resources for each customer to look up your expiration date, find the version that was online when it expired, and send that old version to a customer with an expired registration.  It is your responsibility to back up your software.  In the event you lose the software and need to download it again, you will need to renew your registration in order to do so.

Supported raw photo formats:

Qimage can handle raw formats from most digital cameras.  To see if your camera is supported, check the bottom of this page.

Qimage vs Qimage Ultimate
Mini FAQ

Q: Could you better explain the Qimage Ultimate upgrade policy?

A: We want Qimage Ultimate to have a sustainable future and fast paced development.  We can't do that with free lifetime upgrades but we can do it cost effectively.  With Qimage Ultimate, you get a full year of upgrades, and there will be many of them as we are on a fast track to many new innovations.  After the first year (from the date of purchase), getting another full year of upgrades is just $19.99.  Bottom line: you get a free year of upgrades and then you can obtain any and all upgrades for the nominal fee of $19.99/yr.  That fee is considered a "membership" to download upgrades for a full year: it is not additive so you can come back after 3 years and just pay $19.99 to get a full year of upgrades starting from that date.  The fact that Qimage Ultimate is truly new software in addition to the nominal upgrade fee is what will allow us to move forward with new innovations in Qimage Ultimate much faster than ever before!  Of course, we need your support for that, and we thank you for considering Qimage Ultimate!

Q: Why has Qimage been "split"?

A: Actually, it hasn't been split.  Qimage Ultimate is a brand new product that, while designed to look familiar and take advantage of a decade of Qimage evolution, is largely rewritten underneath.  The majority of the code in Qimage Ultimate is new or has been significantly modified.  After a review of our business plan, we came to the realization that "Qimage" has become a catch-all term for anything and everything we do.  Qimage and it's original free-lifetime-upgrade policy were introduced in 1998 and have been actively developed and supported for 14 years.  Due to our level of support and commitment, customers have come to expect that anything we do related to photo printing software must be included in Qimage and provided for free.  Fast forward to 2010 when we released Qimage Ultimate.  It is a more competitive marketplace and we realize that we can't continue to work for free, lumping everything we do under the umbrella of "Qimage".  To adapt and survive in the marketplace of 2010+, we must offer a new product with new goals and new upgrade policies more reasonable for the current and future marketplace.  Qimage Ultimate is our platform for fast paced development of a new product that is well underway and will, over the coming months, quickly evolve into something much more than the Qimage of the past.  Such development comes at a cost, both for us and for customers who want to embark with us on this bold new journey.  We know that our users enjoy being part of an evolving project as they've always been given a unique opportunity to influence the course of development.  We hope you'll join us on this journey, now well underway with the introduction of Qimage Ultimate.

Q: How do the futures of Qimage and Qimage Ultimate compare?

A: While many companies would have simply revoked the free-lifetime-upgrade policy years ago by dropping the product entirely and calling the new one by a different name, we will continue to support the now-retired Qimage Lite, Pro, and Studio editions to extend usability into the future.  The retired Qimage Lite, Pro, and Studio will still be available on the website for download/purchase, but since they are retired products no longer in development, we cannot guarantee compatibility with future operating systems and cameras like we do with Qimage Ultimate.  We think some of our existing users will appreciate that and actually desire it, as they feel Qimage does what they need already.  In contrast, we believe many users will benefit from the new innovations found in Qimage Ultimate along with its refined user interface.  It should also be noted that we do not have unlimited resources so we are working on a fast track with Qimage Ultimate to add some great new features and performance improvements.

Q: What's the bottom line?  Do I need Qimage Ultimate?

A: Honestly, it depends on how you use Qimage.  If you are just a casual user who uses Qimage infrequently and you don't need all the latest quality improvements (such as the more accurate color management engine and halo free DFS sharpening) or new features (like tone targeted sharpening or raw HDR) or access to the latest camera raw formats, you may be happy with the Lite, Pro, or Studio edition you are using and we are happy to help keep that "healthy" and up to date for you!  If you are more of a "power user" or you use Qimage professionally, you may want to take advantage of Qimage Ultimate and its bright future.

Q: Can I get a discount on Qimage Ultimate as an existing Qimage user?

A: We are not offering monetary (pricing) discounts due to the Ultimate project being a new project with new resources involved and the fact that Lite, Pro, and Studio were offered at ridiculously cheap prices with always-free updates for more than 12 years before being retired.  We do, however, now include much more than what was included with Qimage Studio for the same price as the old/retired Studio Edition.  For example, all 70+ camera (raw) profiles are included in the installation of the registered version, giving you maximum color accuracy right out of the box!  Add to that the new halo-free DFS sharpening, an updated color management engine, and Qimage Ultimate truly delivers ultimate photographic printing!

Q: Can I install Qimage Ultimate to try it without it affecting my existing Qimage?

A: Yes!  We've designed the install such that Qimage Ultimate installs as what it really is: a new program.  If you are running Qimage, Qimage Ultimate will pick up all your existing Qimage settings but it will appear as a new icon called "Qimage Ultimate" on your desktop and in your Windows program group.  Even if you decide to uninstall Qimage Ultimate (either the demo or full version), you can do so without affecting Qimage Lite, Pro, or Studio.