CMYK Necessary?

[vesalgado]

Does it matter what type of file format my photographs are as I Edit them in Photoshop?

Is it better to convert them in CMYK and 300 Resolution??? Or not?

And what are the actual dimensions of the actual sheet that a bled photograph can be placed?

[mypublisher]

Hi Vesalgado -

Actually our software requires that images be RGB JPG's. 300 dpi works well in our PhotoBooks. It honestly all depends on the book size you are looking to create. If you are interested in the Classic Hardcover, the page size is actually 11.08 by 8.58 inch, however the .08 of the inch is for bleed and may be cropped during production. If you are looking to create your own full bleed image or page layout, please also allow an extra .25-.5 of an inch on the left/right side of the page (depending on if you are looking at the front or back side of the page) for the gutter. If you don't leave room for the gutter, your image may end up slightly covered.

Sincerely,
MyPublisher

[vesalgado]

Great! Thanks for your help!

[moneypenny]

Slightly off topic, but how do I know if my pics are 300 resolution? I use a canon elph, and I THINK that I just selected the highest quality settings when I take my pics, but how can I know what quality they actually are? (Im just worried that they end up being grainy once I print out my first book).

[mypublisher]

They mostly likely shouldn't be. Generally if your file size is 800KB or 1Mb or greater, you will be in good shape! Canon elph cameras take great pictures so at the high quality setting you should be all set.

[peyperphoto]

Would sRGB images be accepted by the software? I think they're better for print than RGB specially if your monitor is not colour corrected?

[irusan]

sRGB images are consumed easily, but their presses are set to use the AdobeRGB color profile.

Since the AdobeRGB profile has a wider gamut than sRGB, you'll probably get better results using it instead of sRGB.

[bostondave01]

This is a common source of confusion! When MyPublisher said (elsewhere in this thread) that the files should be 300dpi, they were actually referring to the resolution at which they will print the files. (Though I have read elsewhere that this value is actually closer to 180 dpi...I don't know which value is correct at present, but suspect that it is 300.)

Your digital images have only one thing: a fixed number of pixels. They have no inherent dpi, since that's a printing parameter. But using Photoshop's Image Size command, you can enter a dpi of 300, and Photoshop will tell you the size at which the image would print at 300 dpi. If this size is physically smaller than the image's display area in your book, then you can either:

* Upscale the image in Photoshop until it has enough pixels.
* Reduce the size of the image on the photo book page. (If the image has insufficient pixels, it will display on the book page with a red outline around it. So you would reduce it in size until the outline disappears.)

[irusan]

>...(Though I have read elsewhere that this
> value is actually closer to 180 dpi...I don't know
> which value is correct at present, but suspect that
> it is 300.)...

The actual printing (I had a back and forth conversation with MyPublisher a while ago to confirm this) is done at 175 LPI. That's why I've been recommending (strongly) that images are sized to print at 350 DPI.

HTH,

Rob