Resolution of photos in a photo book question

[Patsy]

I've tried my best to read and understand DPI, pixels and the actual size of a photo and how they relate to each other. But what I want to know is how I can get the best resolution when printing or making a photo book and how does a 36 MP camera enter into the equation or does it?

More specifically I'm wondering about cropping and I'm surprised that I get a warning light when using a (tightly) cropped photo even though it looks incredibly sharp on my Mac.

Feel free to talk down to me because as the kids would say, I'm not able to "wrap my head around" this concept.

[SteveG]

Hiya!

1) forget Dots Per Inch (DPI) and start using and thinking in Pixels Per Inch (PPI)
If, for example, your camera records an image 3000x2000 pixels, then printing at 300PPI will give you an image 10inches x 6.67inches. Make sense?

Print size and PPI go hand in hand.

If you crop your image then you are limiting the maximum size you can print, at a given PPI.

2) Photobooks almost all use 300PPI. In some cases the software that creates the book will change your images to 300PPI at the size you are printing at for you! (if you throw a 36mp image into a photobook and set it for half a page in then you've got a hell of a lot more info that is actually required for a good print. The software will reduce the image size in order to make the final file a reasonable size.)


I've tried not to talk down as I don't know what level you are truly at. Hopefully what I've written either makes perfect sense or has made you think of a bunch more questions to ask. Either is good. :-)

[Leo Theron]

SteveG +1

Patsy, What you have found, is a 'warning' in the book design software that will be issued when the image section that you have cropped, is below 300 PPI in the layout.

The book software will, when you output your book to the final PDF, apply JPG compression that is quite severe, but still provide a good output.

So - you should always use the biggest possible images (not reduced in size, minimal JPG compression) when you design your book.

[Patsy]

Ok so I have my camera set for Jpeg compression on optimal quality, is that the only control I have over JPG compression? I can't do any more in Aperture is that correct? And then the size of the book and size of photos within the book would also effect my resolution too, correct? 3x3 vs 6x6 on the page and 8x8 vs 12x12 inches for the book for example, right? Everything looks so gosh darn clear on this Mac, I wish I could get/keep that look.

Are all publications compressed? How do photographers print huge enlargements?

Leo we had a blast on our trip and I really appreciate everyone's patient help with my photography questions leading up to it.

[Irene McCullagh]

The book software will, when you output your book to the final PDF, apply JPG compression that is quite severe, but still provide a good output.

Exactly the point that makes me froth at the mouth. WHY do they "apply jpg compression that is QUITE SEVERE" ?

[Irene McCullagh]

Are all publications compressed? How do photographers print huge enlargements?

These automated photo books that are currently so hugely publicized by print labs and photo shops all run your images through a pre-programmed process whereby they output - as as been commented above - very harsh jpg compression applied to it. Why that is so, I don't know : it makes images from a Hasselblad look like a cell-phone snap

Your other question : about printing huge enlargements. Go to a reputable photo lab and give them your highest 300 ppi resolution at full size to print from. One image at a time: not a programmed photo book that runs through automatic software. Your results will dazzle you.

[Leo Theron]

Exactly the point that makes me froth at the mouth. WHY do they "apply jpg compression that is QUITE SEVERE" ?

The answer is quite simple: The book software (Pic2Books, etc, etc) are set up so that the final product can be uploaded to the server of the print shop in a reasonable time.

The output of the 'book software' is single pages, each a PDF file which contains the JPG images for THAT page.

New LR 4.x allows you to do the same! Output quality is now under control of the photographer - see Book Settings/PDF/ What YOU (da Fotograwer!) have to do is found a printshop that can take that output and turn it into a book…

With to learn more from LR guru Julieanne Kost? Go to Adobe TV here: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/whats-new-...odule-basics-/

The feeling to hold a good book that you have produced in your hands is quite something...

[hardheart]

thx for sharing, learned a lot here.