working for print

I'm going to get into some graphic design for print and I know that I have to work at 300 dpi, but I'm not really sure how to accomplish this. If I use stock photos, digital photography that I have taken, or images from scans - should I just Copy and Paste them into the "New Document" which I have made be 300 dpi? Will their screen size decrease? Is that why stock photo companies advertise 'high-res' images?

Thanks.

tom

Yes, you'll want hi-res photos to work with. If you have your document set to 300, and then drop a 72dpi photo on there, it will be quite a bit smaller that it was originally. you'll just have to play with the different sources you have to work with to make it look right.

A simple way to achieve 300 dpi is to click in the main menu IMAGE - IMAGE SIZE... and to make the apropriate changes in the lower half of the dialogue box. You will see there how the rest of the image properties are also changed. But all this DO NOT ensure that you will actually print at 300 dpi. Look also (Photoshop 5) at HELP - RESIZE IMAGE...and at printer's properties.
calin

First off, you do not have to work at 300dpi. That is just a general guideline. We run the magazine at 275dpi and before, we ran it at 250dpi. There are a lot of factors with print. Linescreen, dot gain, ink coverage etc...

For your images, resize them seperately. Go Image / Image Size and then uncheck Resample Image then change your resolution. This will properly size you're image. You will find that a 72dpi photo will get considerably smaller. You can size up your image but be prepared to have a lot of pixelation if you do it too much. But you can get away with it, depending on the size it's at already.

I highly suggest you do some reading on the subject. Sorry to say, these forums won't teach you enough about the print world. There is so much to it and is very overwhelming at first.

Like I took some pictures on my digital camera and they loaded as 1800x1200 on my PC. Then I made a new document at 300 dpi and pasted them into it. They didn't get any smaller or anything - so I don't know if they're actually at 300dpi or not. Should they get smaller? Or is my digital camera good enough so that they don't have to shrink to be 300 dpi? I also put 1800x1200 and 300dpi into the crop box and then cropped the whole thing. Nothing changed - I tried it several times, too.

hmmmm

tom

Once again. First, forget about copy/paste in the new document. When opening first time, can't you look at the main menu IMAGE - IMAGE SIZE dialog box? You will get the starting point.
On the other hand, the printing resolution is to be chosen according to many factors, as said in a previous message. But to choose strange numbers as 275 ( why not 268. 42 ?- excuse me, Spectra ) is also strange.
Calin

try searching the forums - there has been a few people asking some of these same questions.

Also, you can always call your printer before you design the project. They're usually happy to help, rather than fix sh*t later.

Originally posted by trutacs
But to choose strange numbers as 275 ( why not 268. 42 ?- excuse me, Spectra ) is also strange.
Calin

What is so strange about 275? How is that anything like 268.42? I don't think you know what you are talking about. :(

I did very little work for print but I remember reading somewhere that if you ask your printshop they will give you PS files to set up your workspace, calibrate your colors according to what they output best, even .aco files with swatches to match the colors they have at hand at the moment and get your work done cheaper and faster. Also as graphicsguy said they will be happy to assist with working resolutions according to your project and stuff. I only wish romanian printshops were so forthcoming

Alright thanks for your help guys - I just found it a little wierd that after changing my images to 300 dpi, they had the same dimensions. I guess that means I have a good camera, huh?

tom

(I don't like to cross-post, but if you were interested, what I am working on is here - http://trhaynes.commscentral.net:8000/img/yearbook.html )