Process One - Help setting up digital files for printing

Here are some guidelines to follow when you are setting up your digital picture files for printing:

Files are accepted on these media:

CD, Data DVD or floppy - please don't use Direct CD^®
Compact Flash, Smart Media
USB 'Thumb' drive
XD or SD Card
Memory Stick -Duo, Pro, Pro-Dou

File types supported:

Jpegs or Tiffs
No PSD Photoshop files or camera RAW files

File Attributes:

Please work in sRGB colorspace
8 bit RGB color (No grayscale or CMYK, no 16 bit color)
Layers must be flattened
No commas or apostrophes in file name
Save JPEGS with 'standard' format, NOT 'progressive' or 'optimized'
Please format for your intended print size to avoid unwanted cropping
300 dpi or higher for best results
Please calibrate your monitor to insure color fidelity

Are you confused about the whole resolution thing?
Get help with the facts of digital image resolution.

Image Resolution:
When you are setting up your digital image files for printing, the question of what resolution to use will sometimes arise.

For prints 16x20 or smaller - Use 300 dpi

For prints larger than 16x20, but smaller than 24x30 -
Use 240 dpi

For prints larger than 24x30-
Use 180 dpi

This may seem lower than you would have thought, but it is often better to keep the original file intact at a lower resolution and let us handle any 'upsizing' or 'resampling' before we make the print. If you upsize or resample to a resolution that is too high, you will introduce unwanted artifacts and softness.

Digital File Setup