{"id":541,"date":"2014-04-04T12:48:39","date_gmt":"2014-04-04T19:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=541"},"modified":"2017-05-24T14:23:40","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T20:23:40","slug":"how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/useful-things\/how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Is my photo good enough? Resolution tips for print jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_550\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4x5.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-550\" data-attachment-id=\"550\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/useful-things\/how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough\/4x5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4x5.jpg?fit=1200%2C1500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1200,1500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"4&amp;#215;5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This is a 4&amp;#215;5&amp;#8243; image at 300 pixels per inch. In other words, 1200 x 1500 pixels. If you click on the image, you will see how large a 1\/4 page magazine photo looks in a web browser.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4x5.jpg?fit=584%2C730&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" wp-image-550 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4x5.jpg?resize=584%2C730\" alt=\"This is a 4x5&quot; image at 300 ppi. In other words, 1200 x 1500 pixels. If you click on the image, you will see how large a 1\/4 page magazine photo looks in a web browser.\" width=\"584\" height=\"730\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-550\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is a 4&#215;5&#8243; image at 300 pixels per inch. In other words, 1200 x 1500 pixels. If you click on the image, you will see how large a 1\/4 page magazine photo looks in a web browser.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>These tips can help you avoid delays and quality problems in print publications.<\/p>\n<h1>What is High Res?<\/h1>\n<p>High Res means <em>High Resolution<\/em>. Basically, resolution is the density of the pixels in a digital image. The more pixels, the higher the definition of the photo.<\/p>\n<h2>Common resolution needs:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Web<\/strong> and monitors: Roughly <strong>100 ppi<\/strong> at display size. (72 to 96)<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Newspapers<\/strong>: <strong>200 ppi<\/strong> at ACTUAL SIZE*<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>Magazines,<\/strong> brochures, etc.: <strong>300 ppi<\/strong> at ACTUAL SIZE*<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>Large format<\/strong> displays (such as billboards): <strong>100 ppi<\/strong> at ACTUAL SIZE*<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<address><em>*Meaning the final size you want to print it. Note how high quality printing requires about 3 times as much resolution as web display! That&#8217;s why pictures you grab off the web rarely work for print. If it looks <strong>giant<\/strong> on your web browser, it might be OK for printing.<\/em><\/address>\n<h1>Bigger is better!<\/h1>\n<p>For printed publications, always use the highest resolution <em>(biggest) <\/em>original file possible. You can tell higher resolution images by their<em> bigger file sizes.<\/em> Any image file less than 1MB will probably not be much use for high quality printing <em>(unless it&#8217;s going to be very tiny). <\/em>Don&#8217;t try to scale or touch up a low res photo. Send it to your designer for evaluation and they&#8217;ll be able to tell you if it&#8217;s useable.<em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Common file sizes for jpgs:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A small head shot<\/strong> (1.5 x 1.75&#8243;) needs to be at least 450 x 525 pixels.<br \/>\n<em>If your file size is less than about <strong>850K<\/strong>, it may not be big enough.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>A 4&#215;6 photo<\/strong> (1\/4 page) needs to\u00a0be at least 1200 x 1800 pixels.<br \/>\n<em>If your file size is less than <strong>2MB,<\/strong> it may not be big enough.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>A full magazine page<\/strong> (10&#215;12&#8243;) needs to\u00a0be at least 3000 x 3600 pixels.<br \/>\n<em>If your file size is less than <strong>6-7MB,<\/strong> it may not be big enough.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h1>Note: The file sizes above mean the size AFTER cropping&#8230;<\/h1>\n<p>Don&#8217;t crop your photo\u2014designers like to have cropping options. However, keep in mind that if you send a photo for a head shot, you <em>don&#8217;t get to count the background<\/em> as part of its size. If the person&#8217;s head only takes up 1\/3 of your jpg, your jpg would need to be 3 times bigger than the guidelines above. (Get it?)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_544\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-544\" data-attachment-id=\"544\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/useful-things\/how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough\/mug-shot\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg?fit=450%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"450,525\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"mug-shot\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;For a 1.5&amp;#215;1.75&amp;#8243; mug shot, you need at least 450&amp;#215;525 pixels, and your minimum jpg file size will be about 800K&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;For a 1.5&amp;#215;1.75&amp;#8243; mug shot, you need at least 450&amp;#215;525 pixels, and your minimum jpg file size will be about 800K&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg?fit=450%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-544 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg?resize=257%2C300\" alt=\"For a 1.5x1.75&quot; mug shot, you need at least 450x525 pixels, and your minimum jpg file size will be about 800K\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg?resize=257%2C300&amp;ssl=1 257w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">For a 1.5&#8243; x 1.75&#8243; mugshot at 300 dpi, you need at least 450 x 525 pixels. Your minimum jpg file size will be about 800K<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_545\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-545\" data-attachment-id=\"545\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/useful-things\/how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough\/mug-shot2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg?fit=450%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"450,525\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"mug-shot2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This picture may be 1.5 x 1.75&amp;#8243; at 300 dpi, but her face is only .5&amp;#8243; x .5&amp;#8243;, so it&amp;#8217;s too small.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg?fit=450%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-545\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg?resize=257%2C300\" alt=\"This picture may be 1.5 x 1.75&quot; at 300 dpi, but her face is only .5&quot; x .5&quot;, so it's too small.\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg?resize=257%2C300&amp;ssl=1 257w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/mug-shot2.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This picture may be 1.5 x 1.75&#8243; at 300 dpi, but her face is only .5&#8243; x .5&#8243;, so it&#8217;s too small.<\/p><\/div>\n<h1>What should I do if my photo is too small?<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li>Take a new photo using your camera&#8217;s highest setting.<br \/>\n(2 megapixel or up is OK for a 1\/4 page photo, unless it&#8217;s a poor quality camera.)<\/li>\n<li>If it&#8217;s a head shot, DO get the person&#8217;s full head and torso.<\/li>\n<li>Try to use a plain background without a lot of distracting elements.<\/li>\n<li>DO NOT include extra people, puppies, horses, props, hats, sunglasses, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Try to use natural light (not a flash). Shoot in indirect light, such as outside on a cloudy day or out of the bright sun, or inside near a big window (<em>but not in front of it<\/em>). (The photographer&#8217;s back or side should be to the window.) If you notice the subject is squinting, or there are shadows or mottling across their face, find a better spot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>300 ppi is the magic number for high quality printing<\/h1>\n<p>Designers: To figure if an image is high enough quality for a given use, divide the actual pixel width and height (found under Image Size in Photoshop) by the ppi needed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For example, your image is 3000 pixels wide and you want to print it in a magazine.<\/li>\n<li>You need 300 pixels per inch for quality magazine printing.<\/li>\n<li>Divide 3000 (actual pixels) by 300 (ppi needed) = 10&#8243;. <em>That&#8217;s your limit.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>The 3000px image will look OK if printed up to 10\u201d wide in a magazine.<br \/>\n(Of course you can fudge 10% or so&#8230;)<\/li>\n<li>Had you needed a 20\u201d photo at 300ppi, this image wouldn&#8217;t be big enough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Final tip:<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Don&#8217;t take low resolution photos!<\/strong> You can easily <em>downsize<\/em> images for the web, but you can never <em>upsize<\/em> a photo if you want to use it in print.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c  no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These tips can help you avoid delays and quality problems in print publications. What is High Res? High Res means High Resolution. Basically, resolution is the density of the pixels in a digital image. The more pixels, the higher the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/useful-things\/how-can-i-tell-if-my-photo-is-good-enough\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":567,"parent":538,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-541","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P3ndCG-8J","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1685,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/541\/revisions\/1685"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodwerks.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}