Messengers are a powerful feature of DF Studio, allowing users to share assets with clients and collaborators without the need to grant direct access to the DF Studio account. A Messenger is delivered in the form of a secure link shared in an email message, and can be sent to a client, a coworker, or an approving party in order collaborate on asset workflows, share assets for review or download, or obtain approvals from recipients. It is recommended that accountholders use Messengers to communicate with outside parties to avoid giving those individuals direct access to the account.
The following workflow details the steps involved in sending a Messenger.
1. Select images in the workspace (or skip this step to share all images in the current Project or view).
2. Click the “Send” button in the toolbar at the bottom of the DF Studio interface to open the New Messenger overlay.
3. Specify the images to be included in the Messenger, or choose a LIVE Messenger to include all images, including images added in the future. (For more information, see LIVE Messengers Enable Real-Time Collaboration.)
4. Optionally, specify the arrangement of the Messenger images by clicking “Arrange Images” in the top bar of the New Messenger overlay. (The New Messenger overlay opens on the Options screen, since the default arrangement is preferred in most cases.)
5. If using the Arrange Images screen, images may be arranged using the Sort Images menu, or by dragging and dropping images into the preferred order. When the images are arranged as desired, click the “Next Step” button to proceed.
6. Name the Messenger, and set a date for its expiration. Click to send expiration reminders to recipients, if desired.
7. Customize the appearance and functionality of the Messenger. By default, the “Custom” Messenger style is selected, allowing for the selection of specific features and options to be available to the Messenger recipient. Pre-defined template choices are also available for specific Messenger functionality, such as inviting the recipient to update metadata on the assets, or sharing images for download. For details on these settings, see Messenger Templates and Configuration.
Responses from recipients of Approval Messengers will be displayed in Approvals View for the affected assets. Any recipients whose selections should not affect Approvals View should not be sent an Approval Messenger. Consider sending a View Only version (see step 10, below) or a Custom Messenger.
If downloading originals is enabled for assets with files in Cold Storage, the Messenger will be queued while the originals are restored to Active Storage, then delivered automatically once the restore is complete.
For Messengers that collect feedback from the recipient (such as approvals), the sender can specify whether to display existing information (such as edits or captions) in the recipient’s view, and whether to allow actions like commenting on images or forwarding the contents of the Messenger to an additional recipient.
If a Messenger recipient forwards a Messenger to an additional recipient, a new Edit will be created with that secondary recipient’s feedback. The primary recipient’s feedback is only shared with the original sender.
8. Modify the options for the Messenger as it will appear in the recipient’s web browser. Image previews can be watermarked for security (except in LIVE Messengers or Multi-Messengers). On many DF Studio accounts, a Messenger PIN can be required. See Messenger PIN for more information.
If Notes content exists in the Project or Collection, it can be attached in this section, or Conversations can be enabled. See Collaborate With Messenger Recipients for details.
For more information regarding these options, see Messenger Templates and Configuration.
9. Click the “Preview” button to view the Messenger as the recipient will see it according to the configurations that have been set. (The preview will open in a new web browser window.) When all of the configurations are complete, click the “Next Step” button.
10. Configure the settings for distributing the Messenger via email. Type recipients’ email addresses into the To field, separated by commas, or click on recipients in the Contacts list. A subject and brief introductory message can also be added to the Messenger delivery email. Each recipient will receive a unique link to access their individual Messenger by email.
Recipients listed in the Cc field will have access to a View Only version of the Messenger, and will not be able to adjust approvals or select levels.
Any new recipients added to a Messenger will be added to the Contacts list once the Messenger is sent. For more information about the Contacts list, see Manage Contacts and Groups.
10. Click the “Send” button to save the Messenger and queue it for delivery by email.