Printing Tips: Beach Exhibition

Printing Tips – FAQ

What happens to my print after the show?2020-08-03T21:45:36+01:00

We will try our very best to give it back to you!

Will my photo survive on the beach though a Brighton winter?2020-08-03T21:45:11+01:00

Yes. It will be mounted on aluminium sheet and coated with a tough laminate, and fixed down with stainless steel security screws.

What if my photo is entirely the wrong size or shape?2020-08-03T21:44:44+01:00

You have a problem. Fix it or seek help!

What if my photo is slightly the wrong size?2020-08-03T21:44:11+01:00

No problem. The printers can probably fix it.

Can I have another colour border?2020-08-03T21:43:14+01:00

Sorry, no.

What if my photo is square?2020-08-03T21:42:50+01:00

No problem. It will be centralised, but on a horizontal print. 

Any surrounding area will be white.

What if my photo is vertical not horizontal?2020-08-03T21:42:27+01:00

No problem. Both work well. We just hang them appropriately!

What colour space should I save my file in?2020-08-03T21:41:54+01:00

‘Get Info’ (Mac) or ‘Properties’ (PC) will tell you what it actually is.

These days, sRGB is fine, and again keeps the file size to a minimum.

You may need Photoshop, Affinity, Capture 1, or Lightroom etc. to change/save this.

What jpg quality (level of file compression) should I set it to?2020-08-03T21:40:12+01:00

Maximum, ideally – though reducing to 9-10MB from 12MB, or 80-90%, still looks excellent yet can reduce the file size dramatically, making it upload much faster.

What file format should I upload to the club’s website?2020-08-03T21:39:12+01:00

.jpeg only.

No Photoshop, TIFFs, or other formats please!

Is file size a reliable guide to quality?2020-08-03T21:40:45+01:00

Not at all.

Image size and resolution is a much better guide – but if your image is full of unintentional camera shake, poor exposure or contrast, lack of focus or awful composition, none of these will help!

Will ‘upsizing’ my print’s small PPI count make the photo look better?2020-08-03T21:38:13+01:00

No. It will just make the file bigger and harder to process. Though in some cases, it may be the only way to attain the required print dimension. Try it and see.

How can I change it?2020-08-03T21:37:14+01:00

You will need some kind of image processing software.

Why is resolution important?2021-10-31T14:05:17+00:00

From a long way off, it’s not. As you get closer to the print, it will look soft or ‘jaggy’ if its resolution is low.

What is print resolution?2020-08-03T21:36:11+01:00

A good indicator is PPI – Pixels per Inch.

A print resolution of 200ppi will show 200 pixels along every inch of print length, and usually the same for height.

Thus a 200ppi resolution print with a size of 11 x 8 inches will have an image size of 2200 x 1600 ppi.

What is a good resolution for an exhibition print?2020-08-03T21:28:46+01:00

Magazines often print at around 240ppi, so that would work well; anything between 200 – 300ppi is optimum.

An A1 print at 300ppi is 9933 x 7016

An A1 print at 200ppi is 6622 x 4677

How big is the actual beach print? How big is the white border?2020-08-03T21:28:04+01:00

Print: 590 x 840mm approx.

Border: 25mm on 3 sides, nominally 65mm on the bottom, depending on actual proportions of your image.

2021-11-03T14:33:08+00:003rd August 2020|BHCC Exhibitions, Workshops|