Sizing paradox w/downloads

Allen42

I want to be able to sell very low-res photos that are suitable for use on the web. (no bigger than SM's medium size)

However, I also want people to be able to order any of the merchandise.

If I upload 2000+ pix/side photos, they can buy these downloads cheaper and then print them themselves at home, which is fine for them.

I can't figure out a good way to accomplish this.

Ideas?

jfriend

Allen42 wrote:

I want to be able to sell very low-res photos that are suitable for use on the web. (no bigger than SM's medium size)

However, I also want people to be able to order any of the merchandise.

If I upload 2000+ pix/side photos, they can buy these downloads cheaper and then print them themselves at home, which is fine for them.

I can't figure out a good way to accomplish this.

Ideas?

Do you realize that there are three sizes of digital downloads you can offer and separately price:

1 Megapixel
4 Megapixel
Original

Each have have it's own price or not be offered. See the help page on this topic for more info.

Steve Knight Photo

Please correct me if I have misunderstood the original post. I think that Allen42 wants to be able to sell digital downloads at a resolultion/total pixel size that will be good enough for some applications(MySpace, Facebook or screensavers), but not large enough that someone can make decent sized prints. A one megapixel file can print larger than an 8" x10". For example, on my site I have a picture cropped to 1.03 MP and the cart allows up to a 20" x 30" print to be selected!!! This is one of the reasons that I have been asking (begging) for an optional digital proof and a "web resolution" choice for Pro and Power users. It would allow us to replace the image with a smaller size and/or apply a discrete watermark and sell it at a reasonable price. As I have said in an earlier post not having this option and selling digital downloads is like giving away the store. If the customer wants the larger download sizes than they are priced accordingly. Currently I do sell some digital downloads, but only if a customer contacts me directly. I resize the photo to the customer's need and price point and put it in an unlisted, password protected gallery for downloading.

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com

jfriend

Steve Knight Photo wrote:

Please correct me if I have misunderstood the original post. I think that Allen42 wants to be able to sell digital downloads at a resolultion/total pixel size that will be good enough for some applications(MySpace, Facebook or screensavers), but not large enough that someone can make decent sized prints. A one megapixel file can print larger than an 8" x10". For example, on my site I have a picture cropped to 1.03 MP and the cart allows up to a 20" x 30" print to be selected!!! This is one of the reasons that I have been asking (begging) for an optional digital proof and a "web resolution" choice for Pro and Power users. It would allow us to replace the image with a smaller size and/or apply a discrete watermark and sell it at a reasonable price. As I have said in an earlier post not having this option and selling digital downloads is like giving away the store. If the customer wants the larger download sizes than they are priced accordingly. Currently I do sell some digital downloads, but only if a customer contacts me directly. I resize the photo to the customer's need and price point and put it in an unlisted, password protected gallery for downloading.

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com

It is hard to tell exactly what the OP means by his post which is why I pointed him at the facts in case he doesn't have all those. The only way to sell a digital download for something smaller than 1 Megapixel is to upload smaller than that as an original and then price the original. If you also wanted to sell prints, you'd have to put those in a separate gallery (with higher res uploads) and link the two together in the gallery description.

Andy

Steve Knight Photo wrote:

A one megapixel file can print larger than an 8" x10". For example, on my site I have a picture cropped to 1.03 MP and the cart allows up to a 20" x 30" print to be selected!!!

Show me said file please. 20x30 requires 1280x1920 pixels which is 2.4 megapixels

Steve Knight Photo

Andy wrote:

Show me said file please. 20x30 requires 1280x1920 pixels which is 2.4 megapixels

Sorry folks I read the wrong line It prints up to a 16" x 24" Still a large print from a pretty small file! The link to the picture is:http://steveknight.smugmug.com/gallery/5899500_QG8ZK/1/369783033_NxJh6#369784236_M6Y3u

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com

jwalkeroh

Steve Knight Photo wrote:

Sorry folks I read the wrong line It prints up to a 16" x 24" Still a large print from a pretty small file! The link to the picture is:http://steveknight.smugmug.com/gallery/5899500_QG8ZK/1/369783033_NxJh6#369784236_M6Y3u

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com

Check that photo again. It now appears that you can purchase a 20x30 metallic (new option since your last post). Wonder if there's a bug in the cart for the new products?

jfriend

Steve Knight Photo wrote:

Sorry folks I read the wrong line It prints up to a 16" x 24" Still a large print from a pretty small file! The link to the picture is:http://steveknight.smugmug.com/gallery/5899500_QG8ZK/1/369783033_NxJh6#369784236_M6Y3u

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com

Steve, I looked at your gallery and you have some nice shots.

I'm wondering why, when you've fully watermarked your images, are you limiting the display copies to the Medium size. I would think you are losing sales because people can barely see the photos and certainly can't judge their quality at such a small size. With the tastefully done, but fairly comprehensive watermark, you shouldn't have a theft problem because nobody could make prints by stealing screen shots. I personally would never order an enlargement of something I can't see a large enough size to verify it's a decent quality in-focus, sharp image.

Is there a reason you are keeping the display copies so small? Have you considered that you might sell more if you let people see better display sizes?

jfriend

jwalkeroh wrote:

Check that photo again. It now appears that you can purchase a 20x30 metallic (new option since your last post). Wonder if there's a bug in the cart for the new products?

Yes, and the price looks off too because the 20x30 metallic ($32.01) costs less than even an 11x14 ($44.00).

Allen42

jfriend wrote:

It is hard to tell exactly what the OP means by his post which is why I pointed him at the facts in case he doesn't have all those. The only way to sell a digital download for something smaller than 1 Megapixel is to upload smaller than that as an original and then price the original. If you also wanted to sell prints, you'd have to put those in a separate gallery (with higher res uploads) and link the two together in the gallery description.

Sorry, I lost track of this thread.

I mean exactly what Steve read, and what I said. SmugMug's Medium size on the web is about as big as I want to get, perhaps no larger than 500 pixels per side. I guess I'm asking for an Extra-Small download size that is 250k, at best.


Also, I do use the proofing option, and would like to nominate some changes to proofing screen: I'd like to see the filename, pixel dimensions, and file size of each photo. That will readily tell me if that file is suitable for printing, needs replaced, etc.

Steve Knight Photo

jfriend wrote:

Yes, and the price looks off too because the 20x30 metallic ($32.01) costs less than even an 11x14 ($44.00).

Thanks for the heads up! I guess there is a bug because I am not aware that I set a price for 20" x 30" metallic. Currrently, I don't sell that size in any finish. I will make the change in the rest of my galleries.

jfriend: Thank you for the compliments . As for keeping my maximum display at medium, I have had a lot of my visitors make browser cache grabs of my images watermarked or not! Please take a look at my latest "What's New" link. Some people seem to think that even if you are in the business of SELLING photos that there is nothing wrong with stealing them for their use. In a way, this goes back to the original posting by Allen42. Certain people will take full advantage of any opening that they can find. Last week someone I know proudly displayed copies of my watermarked photos to me and didn't understand why I wasn't happy! I put in too much work to put up images for people to acquire without paying! What are the odds of getting a sale out of that person?

Sorry for the rant. Once again, I fully support Allen42's request.

Steve
www.steveknightphoto.com