How to prepare files for generic printing

[Kent Shafer]

<p>I took some pictures of a friend's dogs and now need to send her the files so she can have them printed herself - probably at Walmart or CVS or somewhere like that. I don't know what size or sizes. (I would prefer not to handle it this way but in this particular case feel I have to do what she wants.)</p>

<p>I assume I should send full size, maximum quality jpegs but don't know what, if anything, to do about final sharpening. (Normally, I sharpen for the intended output size and medium.) I have never had prints made by these types of places so don't know their practices. My guess is that the printing machine will apply some sharpening so that it would be best for me to omit it. Is that correct?</p><div></div>

[ben_goren]

<p>Kent,</p>

 

<p>I’d give her the biggest high-quality sRGB JPEG I thought she could deal with, sharpened

for 100% pixel viewing. Even if the resulting print isn’t up to your standards, it’ll be

better than anything else she’s ever printed — which is as good a definition of

“good enough” as I could imagine for this situation.</p>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

[Kent Shafer]

<p>Thanks Ben. That's what I'll do.</p>