Resolution and Print Size

Pete291

Hello, newbie here

I note that a picture that is 16" across and 72 ppi will fit on the screen, but one that is 20" and 240 ppi (my customary setting) is way too big for the screen when I click on "Original".

I get the feeling Smugmug wants us to upload pictures in the 240 ppi range, but is there a way to specify the size you want the viewer to see for each photo so no photo overruns the screen?

Or is it best to upload small (72 ppi) resolutions and replace it with a 240 ppi using "proof and retouch" when a customer orders a print? When I upload a 240 ppi for a pending sale, will viewers see the 240 ppi, or the old 72 ppi?

Thanks

pdphoto.smugmug.com

jfriend

Pete291 wrote:

Hello, newbie here

I note that a picture that is 16" across and 72 ppi will fit on the screen, but one that is 20" and 240 ppi (my customary setting) is way too big for the screen when I click on "Original".

I get the feeling Smugmug wants us to upload pictures in the 240 ppi range, but is there a way to specify the size you want the viewer to see for each photo so no photo overruns the screen?

Or is it best to upload small (72 ppi) resolutions and replace it with a 240 ppi using "proof and retouch" when a customer orders a print? When I upload a 240 ppi for a pending sale, will viewers see the 240 ppi, or the old 72 ppi?

Thanks

pdphoto.smugmug.com

The pixels per inch that is labeled on your images is just a label and is not used for anything by Smugmug. You should upload the original number of pixels from your image with no resizing at all. Those are the highest quality images you have and Smugmug will then be able to use the highest quality image as the source for printing and as a source for generating web sized images. Upon upload, they will automatically generate web viewing sizes for you that are the appropriate size for web viewing - you don't have to do anything special to make that happen and give your viewers an optimized viewing experience.

If you use the Smugmug viewing style, your images are automatically sized to fit the viewer's screen with no overrun. You don't have to do anything for this to happen. You can separately enable whether the viewer is even allowed to see the original-sized image or not (since if they can view it, they can also take it without paying).

"Original" images are not meant for web viewing, they are meant as a source for off-screen activities (printing, further editing, letting friends add to their own digital albums, etc...). The sizes that are meant for web viewing are generated automatically: S,M,L,XL,XL2,XL3.

Andy

To add to John's excellent post

You can see our resolution requirements here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/print-quality#minprintres
If the photos don't have large enough resolution, the print sizes are removed from the shopping cart to guarantee the best quality.

And:

http://wiki.smugmug.com/display/SmugMug/File+Preparation

Pete291

Andy wrote:

To add to John's excellent post

You can see our resolution requirements here:
http://www.smugmug.com/help/print-quality#minprintres
If the photos don't have large enough resolution, the print sizes are removed from the shopping cart to guarantee the best quality.

And:

http://wiki.smugmug.com/display/SmugMug/File+Preparation

OK, good answers, I think I'm getting it: don't do resampling.

Another question: Let's say I don't want my pictures to be cropped by purchasers ~ or cropped minimally if they must. Then should I resize (without resampling) one edge of my picture in Photoshop to match or nearly match the edge of one of the common sizes in your printing catalog at http://wwww.smugmug.com/prints/catalog2.mg? Or just leave it alone and change the customer cropping during the proof period if I must?

Yet another question: During the proof period should I add the 38 pixels around the edge using canvas resize so the trimmer will take off as little as possible?

Thanks

pdphoto.smugmug.com