Photo File Size

FloridaGuy

I just signed up for a Pro account with SmugMug. I have created a very simple site to start with. I edit and crop all my images to 8x10 size. This is because I do alot of model shots and they require 8x10 for their portfolio's. If I upload these files to my site will that cause a problem with people trying to purchase larger size prints? Should I be uploading the non-croped file to my site instead?

photostuff

I do not think it is possible to provide prints larger than the largest resolution image that you have uploaded to smugmug. It would not be in your best interest either since it would introduce artifact into the image in the process of enlargement. For an 8 X 10, the minimum resolution would need to be 750x935 pixels for smugmug.

JMurray

Since you have a Pro account, when you are setting your prices for the different sizes and papers, you can type in "0" for all the sizes larger than 8"x10". It will prevent your customers from being able to order those sizes.

In the same manner, you can keep people from ordering 4x6's if you don't want them to be doing their own creative cropping in the shopping cart.

jfriend

FloridaGuy wrote:

I just signed up for a Pro account with SmugMug. I have created a very simple site to start with. I edit and crop all my images to 8x10 size. This is because I do alot of model shots and they require 8x10 for their portfolio's. If I upload these files to my site will that cause a problem with people trying to purchase larger size prints? Should I be uploading the non-croped file to my site instead?

The best thing to do to enable the ordering of larger prints is to NOT resample your image at all so that it has the same number of pixels as it came out of the camera. Smugmug (and the printers it uses) only care about the number of pixels. They don't care whether the image is labeled 8x10 or 16x20.

If you want to change the aspect ratio of your image from what your camera products (which is probably 2:3) to 8:10, then you can do that by chopping off a few pixels from the long end of your image, but do not let your image editing program change the other pixels.

That will still enable your customers to order larger prints. Of course, if they want to order a 20x30, then that will have yet a different aspect ratio than the 8:10 aspect ratio that you uploaded so the image will have to be cropped again to fit the 20x30 print (this time off the shorter side).

So, as you can see, there is no single image that you can upload that will match perfectly with all print sizes without some cropping because the different print sizes are all different aspect ratios.

The way most pros deal with this is they upload a full resolution photo initially that has some extra room around the edges (is not tightly cropped) and they configure the gallery for "proof delay". Then, when someone orders a print of any size, you (the pro) have the ability to check the crop on the order and adjust it optimally for that print size before the order is printed. Since every print size requires a different crop, it's best that you tweak this the way you want the image to be just like you would if you were printing it in your own darkroom.