File Size and DPI……
Think of a digital file as a bucket of sand. Each sand grain is one byte of information (or Dot).
If you have a sandbox that is say, 8×10 inches, then the bucket of sand will cover that box to a depth of 300 grains (or DPI) if the sandbox is say, 16×20, then the same bucket may only cover the box to a depth of 72 grains (or DPI).
The important thing is not the DPI, but, HOW BIG IS THE BUCKET…or How big is the File?
So when your designer says……. ”This picture is only 72 DPI and I need 300 DPI” the question that you need to ask is, ”How big is the file that you need?”
The designer should then tell you a figure in Megabytes (MB), (If they cant, then they probably do not know what they are doing….) which you can compare to the original file size…….. Which is the file size given when the picture is opened in a application like Photoshop……
(The File size that you see alongside the JPEG symbol or file icon is the compressed size, and is usually around 700k-2mb….. this is NOT the proper file size, you need to open the picture to get the correct figure.)
If you then find you still need a bigger file size, give us a call! However its worth checking the file that we have provided……. virtually all of our current work is provided at a file size in excess of 20mb. Which is sufficient for all but the very largest applications.
If you need your pictures at different file sizes for different applications, or in different file formats, (Such as TIFF or JPEG) then we can see up your library to automatically provide these options. Just call Abi on our picture desk to have this added functionality applied to your account.
If you know in advance of a shoot commencing that you will need file sizes in excess of 24mb, then it is best to tell us in the job sheet or briefing form.
See our pictures in the their best light…..
All of the photography from Page One is produced on “colour profiled” monitors.
In order to be able to see our pictures as they are meant to be seen, you need to be viewing them on a “profiled” monitor.
To do this, a small device, called a spider, is used to measure how your monitor reproduces colour and light, which the computer then remembers… this is called the “profile” for your computer.
When you open a picture in picture editing software (such as photoshop), the software will look at the “profile” for your monitor stored in your computers memory, and then look at the “profile” that the picture has been saved with, and then make very subtle adjustments to the picture, whilst it is opening it, to display it as close as possible to the way that the photographer intended.
So, if you want to see the picture in the best light, it is important to get your monitor profiled.
Talk to your IT department about this, or for more help on this matter, call us at Page One.
Getting your pictures….
Did you know that you can both download and email your pictures off of our website?
If the settings on your computer or network are preventing you from downloading pictures to your desktop, try emailing them to yourself instead. Simply select the “send as Email” option on the preview page, then click “Attach original file”, and fill in the email address you want to send the picture too. This can be yourself, or any other address.
If you need a different file size, or even a different format, we can easily upgrade your account to allow you to specify the size or format of picture you wish to download straight from the server… Contact us in the office for more information.
