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Hi all,
This is for the photographers amongst you.
Ive noticed that most magazines want 'digital 300 dpi images'. I know this is 300 dots per inch, but how do I know if thats what my photos are - or how can I change them if need be?
Thanks, and apologies for the vagueness of the question - I dont really know what Im talking about!
Christine
Comments
That will tell you :)
If something is 3600 pixels wide and 180dpi, does that not mean that if it was printed at half the size, it would be 360dpi?
What has really been getting my goat is that when I re-size using one of these non-photoshop programmes, it's still 180dpi - what's it done with the rest of the pixels? I'm sure if I sent them to a designer to print he'd sort it in a jiffy but I want to do it myself! I'm thinking I should be ok as apparently my pictures are coming out at 20 inches wide (at 180dpi)... but how do I squash them pixels into 300 dpi, she said, starting to ramble pointlessly.
Put me out of my misery, someone!
(He had a hard drive crash today ... he is not a happy bunny!)
Unless I've completely forgotten how this works.
So changing the SIZE of the picture does nothing to change the dots per inch.
You need to get rid of some of those dots. Your computer should be able to... on my mac I just ask it to reduce the quality to say 72 dpi. You can do the same on photoshop.
I think the word is interpolation.
It is possible to change the density of a picture, but you would need some sort of picture editing software for this - photoshop if you have it, but just about any other will do (a good basic one is iPhoto Plus). You can alter the density of the picture under the resizing tab - but remember, it is density you are looking to change, not the size of the picture (as in 10 x 8 inch etc.)
Funny thing when you go freelance - you don't realise how lucky employed people are to have good quality facilities including brand spanking new copies of photoshop!
Edited to add: Of course, that's only relevant or works if you're shooting RAW.
pp x
Yes, that's what I thought. Which probably explains why my camera is producing 20 x 15in prints at 180dpi! - plenty of room to be shrunk and still be a full page size.
Jediya, you are quite right, I should read my manual. I confess I was so excited to get the thing that I just charged outside and started pressing buttons ;)