Print / File sizes

gregt1310

I am currently a standard user, but will probably "Go Pro" here very soon. I have looked at the various links regarding the print / file size and I am still a little confused. I understand that one needs to upload the largest file size for a particular print. What I can't seem to grasp is that is I want to offer 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. Don't these all have a different aspect ratio? If I upload the largest file to accomodate the 8x10, will the other sizes lose something in the translation?

Please help me to understand this.

Thanks,
Greg

Andy

gregt1310 wrote:

I am currently a standard user, but will probably "Go Pro" here very soon. I have looked at the various links regarding the print / file size and I am still a little confused. I understand that one needs to upload the largest file size for a particular print. What I can't seem to grasp is that is I want to offer 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. Don't these all have a different aspect ratio? If I upload the largest file to accomodate the 8x10, will the other sizes lose something in the translation?

Please help me to understand this.

Thanks,
Greg

Hi Greg, upload files that are at least 1000px by 800px and you'll be fine. Typically, you upload your full-size files, don't resize, downrez, or anything. If you are uploading large amounts of photos and upload time is an issue for you, you can compress your proofs at JPG level 7 or 8, making the files smaller, and then reupload upon order, a less-compressed file. That's explained here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/proof-retouch-replace

I hope this helps, holler back with any more questions at all!

OH - WELCOME to Dgrin!

gregt1310

Thanks for the quick response Andy. I think I understand it now.

Keep up the good work.

Greg

SteveM

gregt1310 wrote:

I am currently a standard user, but will probably "Go Pro" here very soon. I have looked at the various links regarding the print / file size and I am still a little confused. I understand that one needs to upload the largest file size for a particular print. What I can't seem to grasp is that is I want to offer 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. Don't these all have a different aspect ratio? If I upload the largest file to accomodate the 8x10, will the other sizes lose something in the translation?

Please help me to understand this.

Thanks,
Greg

You're very right, something is going to be lost in the translation, but fortunately it's not very much. I can't speak for the rest of the community, but what a lot of us do is produce a pleasant crop at 4x6 (the tallest, thinnest of the ratios in portrait view) and leave a little extra room above and below the main point of interest, then the respective crops that will occur, 5x7, 8x10, will shave a tad off the top and bottom, but not significantly. You can see the effects of this in the shopping cart when you go to place an order for a 4x6 aspect ratio photo in a different size and take note of the crop option, or if you use CS2, crop at 4x6, then recrop at 8x10 just to get an idea of what an ordered 8x10 might look like. The only other way to do it, would be upload 3+ versions of the same photo cropped the way you directly intend them to be, label them and hope the customer purchases the one you intended (never happens!) for the respective print sizes. I think you'll find that with a little forethough and a 4x6 standard crop, all print sizes will come out rather pleasing. And if all else fails, there's always the Smugmug guarantee where they will modify and reprint if the results are not what you intended. Viva Le Smugmug!

Steve
http://www.downriverphotography.com

daroof

Automate or batch the resizing?
I do upload hundreds of photos following an event. I need a way to simulate what I have done before in PS Elements 2: File>Automate and save from one folder (originals) to another--but with them at JPEG Quality 7. Elements does not have a slider scale for JPEG Quality within the Automate function. It has only pixel dimensions and resolutions, which I learned in a most painful manner, must not be altered between thumbnail and replacement images.

Because I don't necessarily open each of my hundreds of event image files in Elements--I cull out bad shots in Nikon View (similar to iPhoto but much faster and smoother), and only edit in Elements to straighten images--it is a phenominal expense in time and keystrokes to resave each file individually.

Someone, please tell me there is an easier way! I am hopeful there may be some kind of free plug in or who knows what. Fearful, though, that since every file is different, what I am asking is impossible. ??

Thanks thanks thanks!

Andy wrote:

Hi Greg, upload files that are at least 1000px by 800px and you'll be fine. Typically, you upload your full-size files, don't resize, downrez, or anything. If you are uploading large amounts of photos and upload time is an issue for you, you can compress your proofs at JPG level 7 or 8, making the files smaller, and then reupload upon order, a less-compressed file. That's explained here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/proof-retouch-replace

I hope this helps, holler back with any more questions at all!

OH - WELCOME to Dgrin!

Dna

daroof wrote:

Someone, please tell me there is an easier way! I am hopeful there may be some kind of free plug in or who knows what. Fearful, though, that since every file is different, what I am asking is impossible. ??

Thanks thanks thanks!

I use Breezebrowser to do proof shots. It can resize and alter jpeg compression as well as sharpening etc. All batch mode and into a different directory.

Dna

daroof

Breezebrowser
Thanks, I'll look for it!

Dna wrote:

I use Breezebrowser to do proof shots. It can resize and alter jpeg compression as well as sharpening etc. All batch mode and into a different directory.

Dna

dogwood

viewfinder vs. actual print

SteveM wrote:

... leave a little extra room above and below the main point of interest...

Also keep in mind many DSLR's already do this for you a little bit. In other words, what you see in the viewfinder when you shoot often is slightly less (95-percent on my 20D if I remember correctly) than what the image sensor is capturing.

This is not the case on all cameras, however. But I'd imagine (and I have to imagine since I don't have one yet) that on DSLR's in the 12+ megapixel range it would be much easier to shoot a bit wider than intended to account for possible printing crop.