Best DPI save to accommodate all print sizes

[Nilla's Photography]

I'm building a replacement website for my 7-year-old outdated site and need to edit my photos for this new platform.

 

1. For a photography site that retains large files for automatically sending to the print lab and as the file can be printed at varying sizes (on paper, canvas, etc.), should I save a file at it's original size but at a 300DPI? As these are photos taken over many years with different types of cameras, some images may be 72DPI, others higher, also many are from film cameras.

 

2. If all need to be saved as 300DPI for optimal printing, then what is the best way to save the file without resizing the original file? (I'm new to AP.)

 

(My site displays optimised file sizes for website speed, so don't need duplicated files.)

 

Many thanks

[GDPR-365024]

Hi Nilla.

 

First of all I think your post should be the 'Questions' section—it may not get noticed here.

 

What I suggest is contacting your site host and ask them what their printing company requires—ie file type (highly likely to be .jpg) and DPI.

 

The subject of DPI generally, resizing at different DPI and print input/output can be quite bewildering. 300 DPI, the magic number that's considered to be the de facto, is not necessary correct nor required. The print company may accept DPI at 160 to 200 DPI. They may have software that lifts 72 DPI to their required DPI (I use OnOne's Perfect Resize for that purpose).

 

When you have that info then you're in a better position regarding what's required and how to output/save from AP.

 

My site host is SmugMug. Are you using them by any chance?  SmugMug File Preparation

[Nilla's Photography]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your response. I did select the "Questions" option for this post, but for some reason it hasn't carried through.

I will have to ask the print lab as I need one image for several sizes.

Lightroom allows to select 300 DPI without creating different document sizes and copying and re-sizing the image into that document as demonstrated in AP video.

No, I'm not using SmugMug, I looked into this but decided against this plug-in as I need to use another plug-in that compresses files for website viewing but retains the original file to auto send to the print lab.