Sooner or later you may find yourself in need of tech support and if you do here are a few tips to make that process go smoother.

First, go to the source. No one knows your software better than the people who made it. Facebook is great if you have a question on how to do something or locate a setting. But if you have a real problem and need real help, email us at [email protected]. I know Darkroom is closed on weekends but we have a soft spot for those in need so we keep an eye on email. If you can wait until Monday say so, but if your gig starts in an hour, let us know.

Second, know your gear; what versions of software and windows you are running, and the camera and printer you use. All of these are important so know the answers before you contact us. Be sure to answer any additional questions we have; if we ask 3 questions in an email, please answer all 3 not just the first one. All of those details are important.

Next, have basic spare gear. By now you should know how I feel about back up gear, but at a minimum you must have a few extra cables. A bad USB cable can cause a lot of issues, only costs a few bucks, and could keep you from having to refund hundreds. You can get them on Amazon.com for around $5.00.

Another thing, if you have multiple booths run by attendants, train them well and give them our support email ([email protected]). Valuable time is lost while they contact the owner and the owner contacts us and we have to get info about the problem third hand. It is best if we deal with the person onsite.

Last, be honest with us. If you deleted a bunch of files from outside Booth and then had issues, tell us. If you just downloaded that cute hello kitty graphic off the web, added it to a template, and then crashed, we need to know. We are gonna figure it out eventually so you might as well tell us up front and save a lot of time. We won’t judge you and we aren’t your momma so we can’t send you to your room, but details like these can help us resolve your situation faster. The more details the better.

No one wants to keep you up and running more than we do, so know we are here to help.

Happy Boothing!

– Wally