Collagewall Labs Support

To purchase parts as a wholesale customer, visit the Collagewall Labs store page.

Offering Collagewall displays

Your lab can sell and produce Collagewall displays. We provide the parts and expertise!

On this page you can:

  1. Get an overview of layouts, panel sizes, and picture styles

  2. Find out about Purchasing Parts

  3. See pricing and calculate your production costs on the Pricing section

  4. See how to assemble Collagewall orders on the Production section

  5. Learn how to integrate with Photo Finale or ROES

  6. See how to list your lab on our "Where to Buy" page in Marketing section

  7. Understand what we expect from partners on the Guidelines section

  8. Download marketing images and text from Content section

New! If your lab uses Photo Finale software, you have the option to fulfill the orders yourself (best for large volumes) or have Dan's Camera City do it (best for low volumes). Learn about Photo Finale's "Collagewall Displays" Bundle

Overview

Review Collagewall overview for labs (PDF) for a visual introduction to the system.

Layouts

Choose one or more of the following sets to offer to your customers.

Layout Set F View
  • Our most popular rectangular and non-rectangular layouts, updated in 2018
  • Offered by PhotoFinale labs, Miller's, Mpix
    Layout Set G View
    • Set A (Bay Photo's original set) + Set F
    • Offered by Bay Photo Lab (starting in 2018)

    Five panel sizes

    Only certain panel sizes permitted for Collagewall displays:

    • 5 x 5
    • 5 x 11
    • 5 x 17
    • 11 x 11
    • 11 x 17

    The side dimensions are exact-size:

    • 5 ± 1/32"
    • 11 ± 1/32"
    • 17 ± 1/32"

    Collagewall parts should not be used with any other size panels.

    Two picture styles

    Currently, we encourage a limited number of panel styles:

    1. Metal: Dye sublimation printing on high-gloss .045" aluminum panels with 1/8" radius corners. 
    2. "Hardboard": Lustre silver-halide prints mounted on black-edged, 1/8" thick hardboard (traditional) or 3mm black plastic hardboard (new in 2021)

    Purchasing parts

    You purchase Collagewall parts from us and panels from other suppliers. 

    Collagewall parts

    Visit the Collagewall Labs store page. There you can order:

    • CWP149: Back Sheets (Case of 200)
    • CWP102: Grid Paper (36" x 500' roll)
    • CWP148: Push-in Pegs (Case of 1000)
    • CWP136: Foam Spacer Strips (Case of 200)
    • CWP104: Peg Counter

    Metal panels

    We recommend gloss white ChromaLuxe panels, which they stock in Collagewall sizes:

    • 5x5": 4294
    • 5x11": 4295
    • 5x17": 4296
    • 11x11": 4297
    • 11x17": 4287

    Most of ChromaLuxe distributors can offer those panels. Here is a list of distributors that specialize in the photo market:

    Hardboard panels

    Up until 2021, we were recommending black-edged hardboard panels supplied by United Industries. But major issues in the U.S. wooden hardboard supply chain has led them, and other photo supply companies, to discontinue wooden hardboard / "masonite" photo mounting boards.

    We are now recommending their "3mm black ULTRABoard PVC" substrate. Here are the Item Numbers:

    • 5x5": MK3MMBCN-00002
    • 5x11": MK3MMBCN-00004
    • 5x17": MK3MMBCF-00004
    • 11x11": MK3MMBCF-00005
    • 11x17": MK3MMBCF-00009

    Contact Kent Baker or Marcus Palmer at United Industries to get the latest pricing.

    Inventory Calculators

    Pricing

    Cost calculators

    What sort of margins should we expect? To estimate the profitability of Collagewall displays, use this spreadsheet: Collagewall cost calculator (Excel)

    • Fill-in the yellow highlighted cells with your actual cost figures.
    • There are two worksheets: metal and hardboard.

    Displays

    All Collagewall displays have historically been priced per square foot to make ordering simple. The retail MSRPs are (in USD):

    • $48/sq ft for Collagewall metal displays
    • $38/sq ft for Collagewall hardboard displays

    UPDATE 2018: We are no longer enforcing this restriction and will work with labs that want to have more flexible pricing. Email support@collagewall.com to request a spreadsheet the shows how our partners are pricing displays (and individual panels). 

    Production

    Once you're producing Collagewall displays, train your staff with these links.

    What the customer experience should be

    If you haven't already, make sure to see how end-users install a display (Slideshow)

    Assembling an order

    Watch how you assemble Collagewall orders (Video)

    In the video you'll see how to:

    • Attach panels to 12x18" back sheets (CWP119)
    • Tear and fold grid paper (CWP102)
    • Add foam spacers (CWP136)
    • Use the peg counter (CWP104)
    • Wrap painters tape around the foam strip!

     

    Printing instruction sheets

    For any of the Layouts, you can access all the instruction sheet PDFs or link to specific ones by substituting the layout number in the URL like this: https://wallcollages.com/template_instruction_sheets/37.pdf

    Using oversized prints

    Because Collagewall panels are exact-sized, you will need to print images slightly oversized – by 1/8" or 1/4".

    Alternatively, you can gang-up multiple prints on a 12x18" sheet, like some labs do.

    Using 12x18 prints

    To streamline high-volume production, some labs group images together into 12x18 sheets like these: Sample 1 and Sample 2

    Since back sheets are also 12x18", this is a natural way to organize prints.

    To make it easy to place hardboard panels on these 12x18" sheets, we offer a special jig.

    • To purchase: Collagewall® 12x18 Production Jig
    • To see how it works, contact us and ask for "using the 12x18 jig" slideshow.
    • If you have the jig and need to assemble it, contact us and ask for "preparing the 12x18 jig" slideshow.

    Integrating with Photo Finale

    Photo Finale is a consumer ordering website that retailers customize with their brand and products. Products retailers offer on their Photo Finale site include prints, books, cards, calendars, gifts…and now, Collagewall displays!

    Two ways to sell Collagewall displays

    You have option to:

    1. Have Dan's Camera City produce the product and ship directly to your customers, or
    2. Produce the product yourself and purchase the Collagewall hanging system parts from us directly (large volume labs only)

      Getting started

      Working with Photo Finale is the best way to get started: Learn about Photo Finale's "Collagewall Displays" Bundle

      Integrating with Softworks ROES

      We offer labs a customized ROES template file/catalog that they can import into their product catalog using the ROES Template Tool.

      We've done most of the coding to automatically generate the XML file. With input from you, we can generate exactly what you need.

      Getting started

      1. Review all the pages of the Collagewall lab support site: home, sample kit, pricing, production, etc.
      2. Email support telling us you want to offer Collagewall displays using Softworks ROES.
      3. Based on your preferences, we can prepare a custom XML catalog file. For now, you can download a sample version: ROES Catalog Set A (XML) or ROES Catalog Set C (XML). For a description of these two layouts sets, see the Production section. 
      4. Launch ROES Template Tool and open the file.
      5. Modify pricing, add options, etc.
      6. Create the necessary DP2 product files.

      More efficient production with 12x18 sheets

      To streamline production, it's possible to have your system group images together into 12x18 sheets like these: Sample 1 and Sample 2.

      Contact us if you'd like to work with us to figure out this advanced integration.

      What do we expect from our partners?

      Guidelines

      Collagewall Brand Promise

      Collagewall radically simplifies how people design, buy, install and use multi-panel displays.

      This brand promise means that:

      • Collagewall displays are easy to design, install and update.
      • Collagewall panels fit all Collagewall grids and accessories, no matter where they were made.
      • Collagewall panels you buy in 5-10 years will match panels you buy today.

      Partner Guidelines

      We expect our partners to help us keep that promise to customers.

      In order to give customers a consistent, positive experience with Collagewall displays, we expect all partners to follow these guidelines:

      • Only certain panel sizes are supported. See production.
      • Many layouts are available. See production.
      • Panel styles are limited. See production.
      • These are always called “Collagewall® displays”
      • Only official parts (our back sheets, grid paper, pegs, etc.) may be used to make Collagewall displays.
      • Terms are used consistently. See content.

      Before starting to sell Collagewall displays, please review all the pages in this Lab Support section of our website.

      Please email us with feedback about what guidelines should be changed or clarified.

      Marketing

      Your lab can be listed on our Where to Buy page. Please email us these things:

      • Your logo in horizontal layout with name included as high-resolution alpha PNG image or vector image (PDF or SVG) 
      • The URL do which you want the link to go

      We will write the text describing your number of layouts, special offers, etc. 

      Content

      Here you can access all the photos, text and design work you need to describe and promote Collagewall products.

      Terms

      To avoid confusion for end-users, we require that all advertising and marketing copy be consistent. Highlights:

      • Our company name should be capitalized as "Collagewall" – not "CollageWall."
      • The "Collagewall™ hanging system" is used to create "Collagewall™ displays". They are not "Collagewalls" or "Collage Walls."
      • They are "push-in pegs" not "hanging pegs" or "push-pins."
      • "Grid paper" is cut down into a "paper templates" that you tape up on the wall.
      • In the grid, each 6" square area with a peg is a "cell." There are 4 cells per square foot.

      Legal notices for U.S.A

      All marketing content needs to include a notice at the bottom:

      "Collagewall" is a registered trademark of Collagewall Inc. U.S. Patent No. 8,333,026.

      And on each page or ad, the reader needs to see that "Collagewall" is a registered trademark. You can either:

      • Use ® with the name like this "Collagewall®" at least once, or
      • Include the above trademark/patent notice at the bottom on the page.

      Legal notices for Canada

      All marketing content needs to include a notice at the bottom:

      "Collagewall" is a trademark of Collagewall Inc.

      And on each page or ad, the reader needs to see that "Collagewall" is a trademark. You can either:

      • Use ™ with the name like this "Collagewall™" at least once, or
      • Include the above trademark/patent notice at the bottom on the page.

      Collagewall logo

      We don't require that lab partners use our logo, but you may. The ® should be left in.

      Erin Manning Video

      Erin Manning is a professional photographer, author, educator, and media personality. Television viewers know Erin best as the digital photography expert and host of DIY Network’s Telly Award-winning TV series The Whole Picture.

      Collagewall has licensed her video overview of our product for any of partner labs and distributors to use.

      Sample product page

      On request, we can show you a sample product page.

      The page includes:

      • Overview text with diagram of panel sizes
      • "Features" section with features and how it works
      • Sample display photos
      • "Layouts and Pricing" section as 4-column HTML with layout images

      You may copy the text and/or entire HTML for your own website.

      Overview slideshow

      The overview slideshow is a set of images designed to be shown as a slideshow, gallery or carousal on your website. They are 3:4 aspect ratio at a resolution matching an iPad Retina display. Scale them down as needed.

      These full-resolution images and Keynote source files are hosted by DropBox:

      The master Keynote file (Mac) is here in case you need to edit the captions or change the sequence of images. It also can be used to present the product in-store or at events.

      The fonts used in this Keynote file – Helvetica Neue 47 Light Condensed and 67 Medium Condensed – are in this folder as well. They should only be used for editing this one document and not used for other non-Collagewall projects.

      Picture style photos

      We have product shots for hardboard, metal and acrylic picture styles. On both red and white walls. Square cropped and uncropped. These full-resolution images are hosted by DropBox:

      Layout PDFs and images

      We have two versions of a printable "Layouts" sheet. See production explanation of the differences.

      For your website and other uses, we have the small, grey-box layout images for all the Collagewall layouts at:

      If you need larger versions of the layout images, we have a way to render them for you. Just ask.

      Sample display photos

      We have a small collection of sample Collagewall display images that we have permission to share with our lab partners. These full-resolution images are hosted by DropBox:

      Info images for ROES

      For the ROES catalog, we provide info images that you can use as-is or customize. So far, we have available just these files:

      Not finding something you need?

      Please email us to request other documents, images or text that will help you sell Collagewall displays.