Working with digital images

[hibster]

I recently took a photo that i really like. I took it with the best settings possible with my 5mb camera. The results in Adobe Photoshop are a 2.41 mb jpeg file. The pixel size is 2592x1944. The image size is 36 inches wide x 27 inches height with a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. All I want to do is transfer it to a memory card and take it to a photo shop to print an 8x10 picture. Knowing jpeg to be lossy compression, I wanted to ask before i changed the dimensions and resolution. I know changing the file and creating a new TIFF file makes it a much larger file. Does this automatically make it a better picture to print? Or should I leave it as a jpeg? Thanks

[Mike54]

Changing it to a tif file won't make it any better than the original jpg. Make the changes you want on the existing jpg but be sure to save it with a different file name and save no changes to the original. That will preserve the original at best quality just in case you need to make other changes later on.

[ShutterbugGail]

One thing you may want to be concerned about is the cropping, since the aspect ratio for digital images is not aways the same as current standard size prints such as 8x10." If you don't give specific instructions on where you want your image cropped, photo shop personnel, or a machine, will decide for you.

Another option is to crop the image before bringing it to the printer. You need to be careful not to change the resolution when you do so. Here's one technique to use in Photoshop and similar image editing programs:

Use the selection tool, set the size to 8x10" via the Style menu, select the area you want, copy it, and paste into a new window. You may want to save this image as a Tiff so there is no further compression.

Related reading:

Aspect ratio & printing digital photos

http://www.digicamhelp.com/what-is-aspect-ratio/what-is-aspect-ratio.htm

[hibster]

thanks for the suggestions mike and gail. i did experiment with the picture. i cropped it to an 8x10 and then changed the resolution to 300 ppi. i always thought this was ideal for printing a photo. then i went back and noticed gail told me to not change the resolution when i crop the original. anyway, the new file i created is a whopping 27mb.

[ShutterbugGail]

 i did experiment with the picture. i cropped it to an 8x10 and then changed the resolution to 300 ppi. i always thought this was ideal for printing a photo. then i went back and noticed gail told me to not change the resolution when i crop the original. anyway, the new file i created is a whopping 27mb.

Hmmm, interesting point. I just thought since you're bringing the image to a shop, they would make adjustments according to the type of equipment they use.

Well, now. You've piqued my curiosity. So I just called my local camera shop and was told to bring the image file in as is. The fellow recommended to not change the file size or even crop it.

He said a customer can crop an image right in their store on a computer. Depending on the resolution, you may not be able to crop too much so you maintain image quality.

I'm assuming the same holds true if you use a self-service photo mini-lab or kiosk.

[hibster]

Thanks for all your help. I hate to keep asking closely related questions, but, to try and finalize this particular problem I will ask just one more. Are you telling me that if I take the same picture to my camera shop.
1. the first one being the orignal 72 ppi 2.41mb jpeg file.
2. the second being the cropped 300 ppi 27mb tiff file.

that the results of an 8x10 print from their machine will be exactly the same or even that the first one might be better. I hate to sound like an amateur photographer (which i am), but I would like to know for future reference. Am I overthinking this whole process and just take the darn picture or what? Thanks for your time. Hibster

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi hibster,

First, please don't think you're asking too many questions. One of the main purposes Digicamhelp, and the Q&A Board, were developed is to help beginning digital photographers. So please feel free to ask away whenever you wish and even ask the same question over again if you don't get it the first or second time!

In my experience, the results should be the same. Remember, though you are saving the original jpeg to a tiff, the tiff can't make the image "better" as far as image quality is concerned. The tiff, except for the change in ppi, will contain the same image data as the original.

The main difference will be that you've cropped the tiff, but not the original jpeg, so you will have to give instructions when you take it to the camera shop for processing. It wouldn't hurt to call the shop and ask for their recommendation as to which file to bring them (or bring them both and let them decide). As I mentioned above, when I called my local camera shop they said not change the file size, and that I could crop it when in their store.