Creating and saving high quality photo announcements in photoshop

C
Posted By
cocoa
Jun 2, 2007
Views
381
Replies
6
Status
Closed
Hi. I have been using Photoshop for a few months. I started using it to create baby announcements and things like that. I am having trouble when it comes to saving my creations (so to speak) as a high quality file for print. When I take a photo and do effects to it, it comes out awesome and each file is about 1.0 mb which creates crystal clear prints. But when I create a new document and incorporate photographs in them along with text and backgrounds, the files are NOT ALWAYS that high. I emphasize ‘not always’ because sometimes they are 875KB which create terrific prints and other times, they are 125KB which is poor. I don’t know why there is such a discrepancy (sorry for spelling) in the file sizes. I guess what I am asking is this…obviously, in order to print using a company like Winkflash or Shutterfly, I need the file to be saved as a jpeg. But what do I do to save it (and I guess create it as well) as a LARGE file jpg so that a 4×6 or 5×7 print can have a resolution of at least 900KB for optimal quality?

I hope this makes sense. I don’t know why some things I create are bigger sizes than others.

Also, one more question for the pros out there. Let’s say I want to print a file on cardstock and not photo paper. Who does that? Kinkos? Sorry, a novice here. 😀

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

C
cocoa
Jun 3, 2007
Bumping for some assistance. Thank you!
TK
Toobi-Won Kenobi
Jun 3, 2007
"cocoa" wrote in message
Hi. I have been using Photoshop for a few months. I started using it to create baby announcements and things like that. I am having trouble when it comes to saving my creations (so to speak) as a high quality file for print. When I take a photo and do effects to it, it comes out awesome and each file is about 1.0 mb which creates crystal clear prints. But when I create a new document and incorporate photographs in them along with text and backgrounds, the files are NOT ALWAYS that high. I emphasize ‘not always’ because sometimes they are 875KB which create terrific prints and other times, they are 125KB which is poor. I don’t know why there is such a discrepancy (sorry for spelling) in the file sizes. I guess what I am asking is this…obviously, in order to print using a company like Winkflash or Shutterfly, I need the file to be saved as a jpeg. But what do I do to save it (and I guess create it as well) as a LARGE file jpg so that a 4×6 or 5×7 print can have a resolution of at least 900KB for optimal quality?

I hope this makes sense. I don’t know why some things I create are bigger sizes than others.

Also, one more question for the pros out there. Let’s say I want to print a file on cardstock and not photo paper. Who does that? Kinkos? Sorry, a novice here. 😀
What size is your output? The image sizes you quote are on the small size for anything bigger than a postcard.
Example, a 5 x 7 image with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch will result in an image size of over 9MB, before jpg compression to around 2-2.5 MB depending on quality.
What size are your documents (pixel dimensions)
What print resolution? (ppi)
What colour mode are you working in and what format are you saving them in?

TWK

C
cocoa
Jun 3, 2007
On Jun 3, 5:46 am, "Toobi-Won Kenobi" <Toobi-won > wrote:
"cocoa" wrote in message

Hi. I have been using Photoshop for a few months. I started using it to create baby announcements and things like that. I am having trouble when it comes to saving my creations (so to speak) as a high quality file for print. When I take a photo and do effects to it, it comes out awesome and each file is about 1.0 mb which creates crystal clear prints. But when I create a new document and incorporate photographs in them along with text and backgrounds, the files are NOT ALWAYS that high. I emphasize ‘not always’ because sometimes they are 875KB which create terrific prints and other times, they are 125KB which is poor. I don’t know why there is such a discrepancy (sorry for spelling) in the file sizes. I guess what I am asking is this…obviously, in order to print using a company like Winkflash or Shutterfly, I need the file to be saved as a jpeg. But what do I do to save it (and I guess create it as well) as a LARGE file jpg so that a 4×6 or 5×7 print can have a resolution of at least 900KB for optimal quality?

I hope this makes sense. I don’t know why some things I create are bigger sizes than others.

Also, one more question for the pros out there. Let’s say I want to print a file on cardstock and not photo paper. Who does that? Kinkos? Sorry, a novice here. 😀

What size is your output? The image sizes you quote are on the small size for anything bigger than a postcard.
Example, a 5 x 7 image with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch will result in an image size of over 9MB, before jpg compression to around 2-2.5 MB depending on quality.
What size are your documents (pixel dimensions)
What print resolution? (ppi)
What colour mode are you working in and what format are you saving them in?
TWK

Thank you for replying.

I’m looking back at things I’ve made and here are the specs.

Document size 4×6
Pixel Dimensions 288×432
PPI 72
Color mode RGB b/c when I use CMYK and preview them in Picasa, the colors are totally different.

Document size 6×7
Pixel Dimensions 1860×2114 (11.2 mb)
PPI 300
Color Mode RGB.

In the document above, I used a photograph and a stock background as well.

Last one…
Document size 5×7
Pixel Dimensions 504×360 (531K)
PPI 72
Color mode RGB

In this one, I used a photograph and created effects like polka dots, borders and used text.

I appreciate your help!
TK
Toobi-Won Kenobi
Jun 3, 2007
"cocoa" wrote in message
On Jun 3, 5:46 am, "Toobi-Won Kenobi" <Toobi-won > wrote:
"cocoa" wrote in message

Hi. I have been using Photoshop for a few months. I started using it to create baby announcements and things like that. I am having trouble when it comes to saving my creations (so to speak) as a high quality file for print. When I take a photo and do effects to it, it comes out awesome and each file is about 1.0 mb which creates crystal clear prints. But when I create a new document and incorporate photographs in them along with text and backgrounds, the files are NOT ALWAYS that high. I emphasize ‘not always’ because sometimes they are 875KB which create terrific prints and other times, they are 125KB which is poor. I don’t know why there is such a discrepancy (sorry for spelling) in the file sizes. I guess what I am asking is this…obviously, in order to print using a company like Winkflash or Shutterfly, I need the file to be saved as a jpeg. But what do I do to save it (and I guess create it as well) as a LARGE file jpg so that a 4×6 or 5×7 print can have a resolution of at least 900KB for optimal quality?

I hope this makes sense. I don’t know why some things I create are bigger sizes than others.

Also, one more question for the pros out there. Let’s say I want to print a file on cardstock and not photo paper. Who does that? Kinkos? Sorry, a novice here. 😀

What size is your output? The image sizes you quote are on the small size for anything bigger than a postcard.
Example, a 5 x 7 image with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch will result
in an image size of over 9MB, before jpg compression to around 2-2.5 MB depending on quality.
What size are your documents (pixel dimensions)
What print resolution? (ppi)
What colour mode are you working in and what format are you saving them in?

TWK

Thank you for replying.

I’m looking back at things I’ve made and here are the specs.
Document size 4×6
Pixel Dimensions 288×432
PPI 72
Color mode RGB b/c when I use CMYK and preview them in Picasa, the colors are totally different.

Document size 6×7
Pixel Dimensions 1860×2114 (11.2 mb)
PPI 300
Color Mode RGB.

In the document above, I used a photograph and a stock background as well.

Last one…
Document size 5×7
Pixel Dimensions 504×360 (531K)
PPI 72
Color mode RGB

In this one, I used a photograph and created effects like polka dots, borders and used text.

I appreciate your help!

The difference in file size you are seeing can be put down to your resolution. 72 ppi is normally used for display (monitor/web) purposes, print output resolution needs to be 200-300 ppi.
Using these resolutions your first and third example would give you an image of 0.96" x 1.44" in the first example and 1.68" x 1.2" in the last one. Both of these images have quite low pixel dimensions for printing. It is possible to "upscale" these images to whatever resolution you need, but this usually results in a softening of the image due to PS’s interpolation of pixels. Simply put, where you have a white pixel next to a black pixel in your original image, PS will put a grey pixel when upsampling. Colours will look different between CMYK and RGB due to differences in dynamic ranges and gamut in CMYK images, which usually is only used for pro printing/magazine work where dedicated inks (pantones) are used. You will also see a difference between PS and Picasa because PS is colour managed, Picasa is not. (you have calibrated your monitor haven’t you?) To summarise when using stock images or images sourced from the web, you need to be using ones with the highest pixel count you can find. In your last example of 504 x 360 (tiny), if you found one 1004 x 720, this would contain four times (not twice) the data than the one that is half the L x B. Even this would only give you an image of just over 3" x 2". BTW, your second example is actually 6.2" x 7.05"

Have fun! 😉

TWK
C
cocoa
Jun 3, 2007
Wow! Thank you! After your first response, I started experimenting again. I increased the size of the new documents to 4 times what I would want it to be. Ex: if I wanted a final product to be a 4×6 print, I created as a 16×24 inch file. Then I increased the PPI to 200. After I did my stuff, I saved them and the sizes were about
1.5mb to 3mb. Much better. I’ll print them at walgreens to see how
they are in print, but I you have helped me a lot! Thank you. I am doing these for myself and family/friends, not for profit or professional reasons, so I’m taking in as much knowledge as I can without trying to completely confuse myself. Again, the information you gave me really fixed my current issues. Thank you!
TK
Toobi-Won Kenobi
Jun 3, 2007
"cocoa" wrote in message
Wow! Thank you! After your first response, I started experimenting again. I increased the size of the new documents to 4 times what I would want it to be. Ex: if I wanted a final product to be a 4×6 print, I created as a 16×24 inch file. Then I increased the PPI to 200. After I did my stuff, I saved them and the sizes were about
1.5mb to 3mb. Much better. I’ll print them at walgreens to see how
they are in print, but I you have helped me a lot! Thank you. I am doing these for myself and family/friends, not for profit or professional reasons, so I’m taking in as much knowledge as I can without trying to completely confuse myself. Again, the information you gave me really fixed my current issues. Thank you!

C,

You are very welcome.
There is no need to increase the L & B of your image, just change the resolution to what you need to give you the image size (in Image>Image Size) you want and make sure "resample" is ticked.
There is nothing to be ashamed of in making a few bucks from the results of your efforts, it isn’t an easy prog to learn and many hours are needed to bend it to your will and your time costs. When people see me doing a correction that takes a few seconds forget that it probably represents a few years of learning and trial and error.

A tutorial can be found here
http://photoshopessentials.com/essentials/resizing-vs-resamp ling2.php Another good site for PS tutorials is http://www.pixel2life.com Remember, upsampling is no substitute for an original, pixel rich image.

Regards

TWK

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

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