256SOF Help Center
Welcome. These articles cover everything you need to get started: creating your first event, building galleries, uploading your photos and distributing them to your guests. They are organized by topic, from the simplest to the most advanced.
1. Getting to know 256SOF
What is 256SOF, in two sentences?
256SOF is a photo distribution platform built for events. You shoot, you distribute, your guests get their images within seconds through a QR code, and your clients approve their selection, all while the event is still happening.
What are the three services?
The platform brings together three uses, which work on their own or together:
- PhotoCall: the live individual gallery, distributed to each guest through a personal QR code.
- Live!: real-time event reporting, with shared galleries that cover the event as a whole (keynote, atmosphere, highlights).
- Proofing: structured client selection, with a quota, a deadline and an export ready for post-production.
What is the difference between WebLight and 256SOF.t?
These are the two delivery platforms. You pick one depending on the context:
- WebLight: the 100% browser-based interface, no installation. You open it from a smartphone or a laptop. Ideal in the field and for light shoots. Available on every plan.
- 256SOF.t: the desktop application for demanding setups (hot folder, thermal printing, remote display, Stream Deck). Available from the Pro plan onward.
How do I get to my workspace?
Your management workspace is the /mon-espace/ portal. There you will find your dashboard, your events, your galleries, proofing, your downloads, your clients, your branding and your account. Everything happens in the portal: you never need to go through a separate technical interface.
2. Events
How do I create an event?
From the portal, go to Events then New event (/mon-espace/evenements/new/). Fill in:
- the name of the event,
- the date,
- the type (PhotoCall or Proofing),
- the associated client.
Confirm: the event is created and becomes the container for your galleries.
PhotoCall or Proofing: which type should I choose?
The event type determines the mode of its galleries.
- Choose PhotoCall to distribute galleries that guests view and download (individual galleries or shared Live! galleries).
- Choose Proofing when your client needs to select photos within a defined frame. Additional fields then appear: quota (number of selectable photos), deadline (cutoff date) and validity period.
A PhotoCall event and a Proofing event do not mix: a proofing gallery will not display on a public gallery route, and the other way around. This is a safeguard, not a limitation.
What is the event code?
Each event receives a short code (five characters) at creation, unique and permanent. It is used to build the links and QR codes of your galleries. It never changes, even if you rename the event. There is nothing specific for you to do with it: it is generated automatically.
Can I edit or delete an event?
Yes, from Events, by opening the event’s page (/mon-espace/evenements/edit/{id}/). You can adjust its name, date and settings. This page is also where you launch WebLight and export the event CSV.
3. Galleries
How do I create a gallery?
From the portal, go to Galleries then New gallery (/mon-espace/galeries/new/). Fill in:
- the title of the gallery,
- the event it belongs to (required),
- the status: Draft or Published.
Once confirmed, you land directly on the gallery’s edit page, with its link, its QR code and its statistics.
Tip: if you click New gallery from a specific event, that event is pre-selected for you. You can always choose a different one from the list.
Why is choosing an event mandatory?
A gallery always lives inside an event: the event carries the code, the client and the context. A gallery with no event would have no valid link to distribute. If you do not have any event yet, the form invites you to create one first, with a direct link to creation.
Draft or Published: what is the difference?
- Draft: the gallery exists in your workspace but is not accessible on the guest side. Handy for preparing ahead of time.
- Published: the gallery is accessible through its link and its QR code.
You switch from one to the other at any time from the gallery’s page.
Where do I get a gallery’s link and QR code?
On the gallery’s edit page. There you will find the public link, the QR code, the embed shortcode and a copy button. From WebLight, you can also copy the link, share it directly (text message, messaging app, email) or download the QR code as a PNG image.
How are galleries numbered?
Galleries are numbered in order, within their event. This numbering is tied to the original event, so be sure to choose the right event at creation.
I have reached my gallery quota, what should I do?
The number of galleries depends on your plan. If you reach the limit, a clear message tells you at the moment of creation. You can delete galleries that are no longer needed, or move your subscription up (from the Starter plan to the Agency plan).
4. WebLight: upload and distribute your photos
What is WebLight for?
WebLight is the 256SOF web uploader. From a plain browser, on a smartphone or a computer, you upload your photos, create galleries, track your quotas and share the links with your guests. No installation required.
How do I launch WebLight?
Open your event’s page (/mon-espace/evenements/edit/{id}/), export section, and click the WebLight button. The interface opens, already tied to your event. If the event does not have any gallery yet, WebLight creates one automatically so you can upload right away.
Good to know: WebLight access relies on a temporary token (a session of about 45 minutes). If the page expires, simply relaunch WebLight from the event page.
How do I upload photos?
Drag and drop your files into the upload area, or click to select them. Photos are prepared in the browser then sent. You track progress file by file. You can keep working while the upload runs.
Can I control how photos are sent?
Yes. A settings panel lets you adjust quality, format and the number of simultaneous uploads depending on your connection and your hardware. These preferences are remembered on your device.
How do I shoot directly from my smartphone?
On mobile or tablet, WebLight offers a capture button that opens the native camera. The photo goes straight into the upload queue. Burst mode lets you take shots in a row without going back through the menu.
How do I manage my photos after uploading?
From WebLight, open Manage photos. You see the thumbnails of each gallery and you can:
- move photos to another gallery in the same event,
- hide or show photos again,
- delete photos.
Deleting sends the photo to the trash, recoverable for 30 days.
How do I work across several galleries in WebLight?
A selector at the top of the interface lets you switch from one gallery to another, with the photo count per gallery. You can also create a new gallery in one click, without leaving WebLight.
How do I share a gallery from the field?
In the WebLight QR area, you have three options: copy the link, share it through your phone’s native menu (messaging app, email, social networks), or download the QR code as a PNG to print or display it.
5. Proofing
How does proofing work?
Proofing gives your client a dedicated space to select their favorite photos within a frame you define: a photo quota and a deadline. The client ticks their choices, the selection is saved as they go, then they submit it.
Where do I set the quota and the deadline?
On the page of a Proofing event. The quota, deadline date and validity period fields appear automatically when the event is in proofing mode.
How do I get the client’s selection?
From the portal, in Proofing, you track the state of each gallery (validated, in progress, never opened) and you export the selections. The export is ready for post-production. You can export a specific gallery or all the galleries of an event.
Can the client start on their phone and finish on their computer?
Yes. Continuity across devices is built in: the client can pick up their selection where they left off. Access stays governed by the link you sent them.
6. Guest side and client side
How does a guest access their photos?
They scan their QR code, or open the link you sent them. Their gallery shows up on their phone within seconds. No account to create, no app to install.
Do I need to collect emails or create accounts for guests?
No. Access happens through a QR code or a link. No mandatory email, no facial recognition, no biometric data on the guest side.
Can the guest download their photos?
Yes, from their gallery, depending on what you published. The photographer always keeps control over what gets distributed: only selected and published images are visible.
7. Privacy and data
Is 256SOF GDPR compliant?
The platform is built around the privacy by design principle: no mandatory email on the guest side, no facial recognition, no biometric data, no marketing cookie, no third-party tracker. Statistics are anonymous and aggregated.
Can I use my statistics without a tracker?
Yes. Your dashboard and the per-gallery stats (opens, downloads) rely on aggregated, anonymous measurements. You steer your activity without tracking your guests.
8. Quick troubleshooting
My gallery does not show up on the guest side
Check that its status is set to Published and not Draft, and that you are distributing the right link (the one from the gallery page or the one generated by WebLight).
The WebLight button stops responding
The WebLight session is temporary. Close the tab and relaunch WebLight from the event’s page to get a fresh access.
I cannot find a photo anymore
If you deleted it recently through photo management, it is in the trash and recoverable for 30 days.
I cannot create a new gallery
You have most likely reached your plan’s quota. Delete galleries you no longer need, or move your subscription up.
A photo shows up in the wrong gallery
From WebLight, open Manage photos, select the photo and move it to the right gallery in the same event.
Need help?
If a situation is not covered here, use Contact support from your dashboard. Where possible, include the name of your event and your gallery: it helps us answer you faster.