DIGITAL IMAGES
© Kansas City Artists Coalition
It is essential that the digital images of your artwork are of the highest professional quality. The standards that apply to traditional slide documentation also apply to the digital slide format.
TIPS ON TAKING DIGITAL IMAGES
Taking a digital photograph instead of scanning a hard copy photograph or slide to digital format will yield the best results. Use at least a 3.2 megapixels camera. For best results use a 4megapixel or greater camera. Use a camera that will allow you to save the image in a lossless format such as TIFF or RAW. This will give you the best opportunity to resize your image without losing detail. Once you resize your RAW file, you will need to convert that file into a JPEG. The JPEG format will allow that file to be uploaded into a Web application. Try to use a first generation JPEG if possible. If your digital camera only captures images in the JPEG format, do not resize the JPEG. Convert it to a TIFF before doing any resizing. This way, you will keep the maximum detail possible. Set your white balance on your camera against a neutral white source to give you a pure white color. Follow the instructions that came with your camera to set your white balance correctly.
EQUIPMENT
For best results use a 4megapixel or greater camera. Do not use a camera below 3.2 megapixels. Always use a tripod to steady your shot. If you choose to take your picture on film and digitize from a negative you need to use good color film like Fuji Provia 100F (also called RDP-III), Kodak Ektachrome 100 Professional or Kodak Elite Chrome 10.
FILM AND LIGHTING
Lighting affects films at varying degrees. You may use a daylight film or tungsten film depending on the lighting scheme of your photograph. Daylight films are color balanced to daylight and electronic flash light. Daylight film is commonly available at any supermarket or photography shop. Tungsten films require lighting from incandescent (or tungsten) light sources and are harder to find. They are not available in a 35mm negative and can be found in specialty photography stores. The packaging for tungsten film is differentiated from daylight films by a T after the film speed (ex. 64T). Remember that if you are using daylight film you should eliminate other light sources, such as incandescent lights or fluorescent lights. These other light sources may interfere with the illumination. In the same respect when using tungsten film, you should not let other light sources like daylight or fluorescent light interfere with the illumination.
SLIDE CONVERSION
Traditional slides can be scanned and converted to digital format at most full service photo labs. It is better to have the original slide scanned because the color and detail has not been diminished from duplication. Most photo labs offer picture CD's that come with basic photo editing software (KODAK Picture CD) that saves images as JPEGs. You can also purchase a 35 mm scanner designed for scanning slides and digitize the image on your home computer.
PREPARING IMAGES FOR PRINT
Here are some generic instructions for changing the resolution (making the picture bigger or smaller) and converting images to CMYK in a number of photo-editing programs. The steps may vary slightly depending on the program you are using.
1. Open the image in a photo-editing program.
2. Open the Image Size or Resize dialog box, usually located in one of the toolbar menus.
3. For pictures to be usable for publication, set the resolution to 300 ppi or dpi.
4. Make sure your image is the correct print size.
5. Check that as you alter the print size or ppi/dpi, other image size settings do not change
6. Click OK.
7. Open the Mode or Color Settings menu.
8. Select CMYK for color or Grayscale for Black&White
9. Click Save As.
10. Rename the picture.
11. Save it in JPEG or TIFF format.
12. This preserves the original file (raw image) for future use.
PHOTOSHOP TIPS
Please note that these instructions are one way to process your image through Photoshop. We advise artists to experiment with their own photo imaging software to develop the best process in sizing their images.
1. Download your image from your digital camera to a file on your personal computer.
2. Save your original image in RAW/TIFF format.
3. Open Photoshop.
4. Go to File and open your image.
5. Go to Image, Image Size:
a. Make sure you are looking at your image size in pixels at 300 dpi
6. If your image is not at 300 dpi
a. Make sure that Resample Image is NOT checked.
b. type in 300 in the resolution field.
c. recheck the Resample Image box
7. Take the longest side and size it down to the size you desire.
a. The shorter side will shrink down in proportion.
8. Save your image
a. Go to file Save As.
b. Name your image.
DIGITAL IMAGING SOFTWARE
Jasc Paint Shop Pro
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Publisher with digital imaging