Help With The Printing Process - Haven't done it before

[stoj19]

Hi,

Quite a while back I asked about who to get prints done with. I have decided to go with digital works as they seem to be very popular and recommened. Although haven't had time to actually print it yet, but now I really want to.

I need some help with the preperation of an image before it is sent to be printed. I was just about to send the order away after I uploaded my image to digital works although as my image is quite wide I was unsure about the formatting process.

My photograph has the following specs at the moment:
3402 x 1314 roughly 13mb
ISO 400 eeek
Taken with a Canon 40D through a 17-8mm IS USM

I want the print to be quite large and the only dimesions that worked were around the 20x50 or 20x60 mark. Although the red lines don't perfectly line up on the digital works site. How am I sure that the whole image is printed? Surely I don't need a bleed area like when printing graphics.

Is there anything else I need to check on the photo such as DPI before sending it? After I print this successfully I'm looking to print some other shots in similar dimesions.

Thanks heaps

[stoj19]

anyone? I need to send it today. Thanks

[WorkingClassHero]

Not sure if you sent it but anyway...

You need to resize the image to the size you want it printed before uploading it. If the red lines don't cover the entire image, it will be cropped. I've found that it's best to add a bit of blank space around the image so that the entire image is printed.

FWIW, I have used Digital Works for a number of prints and have found them pretty good.

[stoj19]

Thanks for your advice, it is still helpful as this won't be my only print.

[I @ M]

The way DW work is that they simply match the image size to the widths of paper that they can put through the printer.

If you are getting the red lines showing cropping, leave it at the original dimensions and they will print it on the paper width that can accommodate the picture and you will have to trim the paper back to the edges of the actual photo after they deliver it.

As a rough example if they use 40" and 60" inch paper and you upload a photo that measures 41" they will simply print it on 60" paper and charge you for the extra paper that you end up cutting off.

You really are better off working to get your photos to match the standard or normal photographic paper sizes.

Work in inches, forget pixels and millimetres.

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day Stoj

Andrew's last comment "work in inches" is the key here ~ I have set up many pix for A4 page size to have bits cut off - so I have had to learn the hard way

I set the canvas to the paper size - 20x30" etc then fit the image into that canvas size

Also ...
I get all my stuff done by RGB Digital in Brisbane - very good 24-36 hr turnaround time, they offer 2 services (amateur & pro - priced accordingly) and they have phoned me back to double-check one time as my notes were ambiguous ~ so good for them

Regards, Phil

[stoj19]

thanks again for your advice, I really appreciate it