Mark, Being a photographer and print designer I often encounter this sort of thing. What you find is that there is a lot of unjustified fear of low file size images and an instant assumption that if you send someone a file that is under 5Mb that a) you must be an amateur and b) it is simply not going to be able to print well. You find yourself talking to someone who does not understand that much about digital files but has been told that files must be a certain size and format etc. Stating a dpi without a specific size is a typical example of someone who does not always know what they are talking about. Always talk directly to the chap at the computer as anyone else will drive you mad! You may just be able to convince them that it's going to be ok.
I work on high end brochures and school prospectuses and on many occasion have printed full quality JPGs from a 6MP camera to A4 size. They are generally about 3-4 Mb and go up to 5-6 when they are converted to CMYK. I would never compromise quality and actually use a specialist Art repro house for maximum print quality. Even though I would not compromise visible quality I know for a fact what I can get away with and I know that I can print 90% to 100% quality JPGs that will come out fine. The artifacts are a similar size to the print screen and you simply won't see any. Obviously if you started with a RAW file and you have the option, then there is no need to ever layup a JPG, but the fact is there is just too much irrational fear out there. Designers have had bad experiences in the past so they try and make rules to stop problems occuring. Trouble is when you know what you are doing you hit a wall. Luckily as the designer I don't have to deal with 3rd parties and know how to prepare the artwork for the printers. Generally email is not great for files over 5Mb Broadband or not. But ask your printers/designers for an FTP folder where you can dump files for them. Internet Explorer has built in FTP facility now, so you can just type the address in as if it were a site. Good luck, Nathan Gaydhani - photography and digital imaging -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [PRODIG] DIGITAL STUPIDITY Dear List... Am I alone in encountering this sort of thing or does it happen to others? A design company are re-printing a brochure for one of my clients which I originally shot and supplied digitally. They have one image missing. Unable to identify the shot from a verbal description I ask if they either fax a copy or supply some reference via e mail. No problem. I also ask if I can supply the original via e mail. 'No. We need it on CD because we can't print from e mail. It's not hi-es.' 'How large do you need the file?' 'About 300dpi.' 'Yes. But what size?' After being transferred to their 'technical' department I am told they need 'about 40mb'. This morning I download the sample they have sent me via e mail. Once uncompressed it is 40mb CMYK. Given the old adage that resistance is futile I have just burnt the original 30mb RGB file to CD so that once they receive it they can convert it back to the 40mb CMYK file they have just sent me. =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
