high resolution cd

<p>I am preparing to give a high resolution cd to a customer. She wants to print in various sizes ranging from 4x6 to 11x14. The images are currently saved as 32x48 (72ppi). Using Photoshop 8, how do i need to resize and save the images to meet her needs or to "cover my butt"!? Thanks</p>

<p>Resolution is a fixed value, ppi has nothing to do with it. PPI are instructions telling a monitor or printer how many of the pixels to put in one inch. In you case, your <em>resolution</em> is 3456x2304. At 72 ppi this yields a print 48"x32".... however 72 ppi is low for a print. If you change the ppi without re-sampling the image to 300 ppi, you print size drop to 11.52"x7.68"... and the <em>resolution</em> of 3456x2304 never changed. You can have Photoshop up-rez an image, but it will be making up pixels that aren't there. You best option is to just give the client the full-size image (3456x2304) and let the printer worry about the PPI/DPI. That resolution is capable of an 11x14 provided the image was well shot to begin with.</p>

<p>Since the aspect ratios of the various standard print sizes vary, I suggest doing nothing. Let her crop and re-size to her heart's content.</p>

<p>In the short dimension, 11 inches at 300dpi means you need 3300 pixels. 2304 pixels and 11 inches means about 209 pixels per inch. This will probably print fine. However, your customer will have to prepare the image to meet the needs of her printer (personal or lab) which may or may not involve resizing and/or embedding a printer profile. Some labs want 254ppi, some 300ppi and others 402ppi depending on the machine.</p>

<p>The original image at 32″ x 48″ at 72ppi is enough for her to be able to print at those sizes with a slight amount of work by either herself or the photo lab.</p>

<p>Ideally the CD would contain crops at different aspect ratios, including 3:2, 7:5, 5:4 and 14:11 (probably labeled as 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14 to minimize confusion). Depending on how many images there are and how much you are charging this may not be practical. With enough images it might not fit on a single CD, either.</p>

<p>If you knew what resolution was optimal for a particular printer, you could downsample and/or upsample images meant to be printed at particular sizes. Since you do not, I suggest leaving all images at their current number of pixels (cropped images would be smaller in one dimension) and changing only the sizes in inches (letting the ppi be whatever it ends up).</p>

 

<p>72 dpi is the computer viewing standard. Epson printers usually want 360 while Canon ink jets want 300. Photo centers often have other specific requirements. I recommend that you find out where she will likely have them printed, then call or look online for the specific resolution that the place wants. Then set the files to that resolution.</p>

<p>Also reduce the files to 8x10 at 72 dpi and save those under a folder called "Email-Internet Files". She can use that folder to share online or via email without clogging the web with unnecessarily large files.</p>

<p>You can get batch shareware software to do all this for you if you don't already have something.</p>

<p>I was going to ask the same question, this is good to know!<br>

My photos are about the same size 2848x4272 with 72dpi and I'm giving my client the<br>

original size of the photos.</p>