How to crop/size images for sale on Smugmug

Melhopper21

Hi, I'm new photography and Smugmug. I primarily photograph motocross and use Smugmug as a way to share may images with the those I photograph and others in the motocross community. However, I've received several request from people wanting to purchase prints. I currently have the feature turned off because through trial and error I'm still learning about cropping and sizing images for print myself. I currently use Cord Camera for all my prints and have had issues prints. They've either been cropped to tight for the print size I order, or they print with no cropping which leaves white strips on both sides of my print. I'm very worried about offering the prints for sale because I don't want anyone to get a bad print. I'm shooting with a Canon 30D and typically crop and resize the images before loading them to Smugmug. Sorry for the long winded question, the bottom line is, what is the best size I should save my images as after I crop them etc...to use on Smugmug that will still allow people that want to order prints in different sizes the ability to do so without getting a bad print?

Thanks,
Melissa

Andy

Melhopper21 wrote:

Hi, I'm new photography and Smugmug. I primarily photograph motocross and use Smugmug as a way to share may images with the those I photograph and others in the motocross community. However, I've received several request from people wanting to purchase prints. I currently have the feature turned off because through trial and error I'm still learning about cropping and sizing images for print myself. I currently use Cord Camera for all my prints and have had issues prints. They've either been cropped to tight for the print size I order, or they print with no cropping which leaves white strips on both sides of my print. I'm very worried about offering the prints for sale because I don't want anyone to get a bad print. I'm shooting with a Canon 30D and typically crop and resize the images before loading them to Smugmug. Sorry for the long winded question, the bottom line is, what is the best size I should save my images as after I crop them etc...to use on Smugmug that will still allow people that want to order prints in different sizes the ability to do so without getting a bad print?

Thanks,
Melissa

Hi Melissa, and welcome to Dgrin and SmugMug! I'm your House Pro and I will help you tonight.

#1 - don't resize. Shoot with your 30D, and upload the full size files. Reason? You can get any print we have if you do so, here's our print resolution guide:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/print-quality

Cropping? the customer does it
http://www.smugmug.com/help/digital-prints

and we even have a video to help, too:
http://www.smugmug.com/demos/help/order2/

So my best advice, is to leave some breathing room, especially if you think folks will want 5x7s and 8x10s. Here's why:
http://www.smugmug.com/prints/5x7-prints
http://www.smugmug.com/prints/8x10-prints

So step back, and/or zoom out a bit, and don't be afraid of some cropping, this is how you can have the most variety of sizes from one file.

I hope this helps, and if I can be of more service, just holler. Oh and see the great links in my sig, especially the Pro FAST START