Contents
- Introduction: why it’s important to send your clients the right kind of photo files
- File types: JPEG, TIFF, RAW, and more
- File sizes: when to use large or small files
- File resolution: what’s the difference between 72ppi and 300ppi?
- File format: choosing the right format for your photos
- File compression: how to compress your files without losing quality
- File naming: how to name your files for easy organization
- File storage: where to store your files for easy access
- File sharing: how to share your files with clients
- Conclusion: a summary of the importance of sending your clients the right kind of photo files
As a photographer, one of the most important things you can do for your clients is to send them the right kind of photo files. With so many different file formats out there, it can be tough to know which one is best for a particular purpose.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you send your clients the right kind of photo files in 2018. By following these best practices, you’ll be sure to send your clients exactly what they need – and nothing
Checkout this video:
Introduction: why it’s important to send your clients the right kind of photo files
As a professional photographer, you know that the quality of your work is only as good as the final product you deliver to your client. This is why it’s so important to send your clients the right kind of photo files.
There are two main types of photo files: raster and vector. Raster files are made up of pixels, while vector files are made up of lines and curves. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the right file type for each project.
Raster files are best for images that have lots of detail, like photos. They’re also great for images that will be printed at a high resolution. Vector files are best for logos and other illustrations that need to be scaled up or down without losing quality. They’re also great forprinting projects that require a consistent line weight, like stamps or decals.
When you’re choosing a file type for a project, always consider the end result. If you’re not sure which file type is best, ask your client or the printer for guidance.
File types: JPEG, TIFF, RAW, and more
As a professional photographer, you know that image file types can be confusing for your clients. Should they save their photos as JPEG, TIFF, or RAW files? And what’s the difference between these file types, anyway?
Here’s a quick guide to help you educate your clients on the different types of photo files, so they can make the best decision for their needs.
JPEG files are best for photos that will be shared online or in an email. They’re smaller in size than other file types, so they’re easy to transfer and download. JPEGs are also great for photos that will be edited in a photo editing program like Photoshop; however, when you edit and save a JPEG file, it will lose some quality each time.
TIFF files are ideal for photos that will be printed at a high resolution. They’re much larger in size than JPEGs, so they take up more space on your hard drive. TIFF files are also great for archiving purposes because they don’t lose quality when they’re edited like JPEGs do.
RAW files are the largest in size and contain the most data about an image. They’re perfect for photos that need to be edited extensively in Photoshop or another photo editing program. However, because RAW files are so large, they can be difficult to transfer and take up a lot of space on your hard drive.
So, what should your clients do? It really depends on their needs. If they just want to share some casual photos with friends and family online, JPEG files will work just fine. But if they plan on printing their photos or editing them extensively, RAW or TIFF files would be better choices.
File sizes: when to use large or small files
As a small business, you need to be efficient with your time and money — and that extends to the photos you use on your website, blog, marketing materials, and social media.
When sending photo files to clients or vendors, it’s important to understand which size is best for each specific purpose. image file sizes are represented in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB). The most common file sizes are:
-Small: under 500 KB
-Medium: 1-2 MB
-Large: 2+ MB
Here’s a quick guide to using the right file size for the right purpose:
Small files are perfect for:
-Social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
-Webpages
-Email newsletters
Medium files are best for:
-Business presentations
-Webinars
Largefiles are ideal for:
Printing/marketing collateral (flyers, postcards)
File resolution: what’s the difference between 72ppi and 300ppi?
When it comes to digital photos, there are two main terms you need to know: pixels and resolution. Pixels are the tiny dots that make up a digital image, and resolution is the measure of how many pixels an image has in a given space. The higher the resolution, the more pixels there are in an image, and the crisper and more detailed it will appear.
Resolution is typically measured in pixels per inch (ppi), which refers to how many pixels are crammed into one square inch of space. For example, an image that’s 1000x1000 pixels with a resolution of 72ppi would be just over four inches square, while an image with the same number of pixels but a resolution of 300ppi would be just over one inch square. Higher resolutions mean smaller images, but they also mean more detail.
Most photos you see on the web have a resolution of 72ppi because that’s all your screen can display — any extra detail would be wasted. For this reason, images meant for web use should always be saved at a resolution of 72ppi. On the other hand, images meant for print need to have a high resolution so they’ll look sharp when printed out at full size. Images for print typically have a resolution of 300ppi or higher.
So when you’re sending photos to your clients, make sure you’re sending them the right kind of files for their needs. Web-optimized files should be saved at a resolution of 72ppi, while print-ready files should be saved at 300ppi or higher.
File format: choosing the right format for your photos
As a professional photographer, you know that delivering the highest quality product to your clients is paramount. Part of providing a high quality product is ensuring that the files you send them are in the appropriate format. With so many choices available, it can be tricky to decide which file format is right for each situation. Use this guide to help you make the best decision for your photos in 2018!
There are three main file formats for digital photos: JPEG, TIFF, and RAW. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the right one based on the needs of your project.
JPEG: JPEG is the most common file format for digital photos. It uses compression to reduce file size, which can be helpful when sending files electronically or when storage space is limited. However, compression can also result in some loss of quality. For this reason, JPEG is best for finished images that will be viewed on screen or printed at a small size.
TIFF: TIFF is a lossless file format, meaning that no quality is lost when the file is compressed. TIFF files are therefore much larger than JPEGs, making them impractical for most email and web applications. However, TIFF is ideal for archival storage and printing at high resolutions.
RAW: RAW files are unprocessed data straight from the camera sensor. This gives you more flexibility when editing, but RAW files are not compatible with all software applications and require more time and expertise to edit properly. For these reasons, RAW is best suited for advanced users who need maximum control over their final product.
File compression: how to compress your files without losing quality
As a photographer, you likely already know that there are two main types of image files: RAW and JPEG. And while JPEGs have been around since 1992, RAW files are newer — they were first introduced in 2004 by Adobe.
So, what’s the difference between these file types? Simply put, a RAW file contains all of the data captured by your camera’s sensor, while a JPEG file contains a compressed version of that data.
While RAW files offer greater flexibility when it comes to post-processing, they are also much larger in size than JPEGs. This means that if you want to email or share your photos with clients, you’ll need to compress them first.
There are two main ways to compress your files: lossless and lossy compression. Lossless compression reduces the file size without losing any data, while lossy compression removes some of the data in order to achieve a smaller file size.
Lossless compression is ideal for photographers who want to maintain the highest possible quality for their images. On the other hand, lossy compression is better for those who need to save on storage space or who will be sharing their images online (such as on social media).
To compress your files without losing quality, we recommend using alossless compression tool like PNGGauntlet or FileOptimizer. These tools are free to download and use, and they make it easy to reduce the file size of your images without affecting their quality.
File naming: how to name your files for easy organization
When it comes to file naming for digital photographers, there are all sorts of rules and conventions that have been established over the years. But with the ever-changing landscape of technology, some of these old standards no longer make sense. So, what’s a photographer to do?
Here are a few tips on how to name your files for easy organization in 2018:
1. Use all lowercase letters: In the age of digital file sharing, there is no need to use capital letters in your file names. All lowercase letters are easier to read and will avoid any potential problems when files are transferred between different devices or platforms.
2. Use dashes or underscores: When creating file names, use dashes or underscores instead of spaces. Dashes and underscores are more universally recognized as word separators than spaces, so this will help ensure that your file names don’t get truncated or corrupted when they’re transferred between different systems.
3. Be specific: Be as specific as possible when choosing file names. This will make it much easier to find the files you’re looking for later on. For example, rather than using a general name like “IMG_1234.jpg”, try something like “2018-01-02-sarah-wedding-portraits.jpg”. This may seem like a lot of work at the time, but it will save you a lot of headache later on down the road.
4. Use keywords: When applicable, include keywords in your file names that describe the contents of the image. This can be helpful if you ever need to search for specific images later on. For example, if you have a photo of a dog named “Buddy”, you could include the keyword “dog” in the file name so that you could easily find it using a search engine like Google Images.
5. Be consistent: Once you establish a system for naming your files, be sure to stick with it! Consistency is key when it comes to organization, so if you start using dashes instead of spaces in your file names, be sure to use dashes throughout all of your files (and vice versa).
File storage: where to store your files for easy access
In the course of running your business, you’ll amass a lot of digital files. Depending on what industry you’re in, they might take the form of high-resolution photos, videos, sound clips, or graphic design files. These could be customer files, project files, or internal business records.
How you store these files is important for two reasons: first, so that you can easily access them when you need to; and second, so that they don’t take up too much space on your computer or other device. Ideally, you want to find a method of file storage that is both convenient and space-efficient.
Here are a few options for storing your business files in 2018:
1. Cloud storage
One popular option for file storage is cloud storage. This means that your files are stored on a remote server (usually owned by a third-party company), and you can access them via the internet. Cloud storage has the advantage of being relatively easy to use and accessible from anywhere. However, it can be more expensive than other options, and there are security risks associated with storing sensitive data off-site.
2. Internal hard drive
Another option is to store your files on an internal hard drive (or multiple hard drives). This requires a bit more set-up than cloud storage, but it can be more secure and cost-effective in the long run. The downside is that internal hard drives can be less reliable than other options (although they have become more reliable in recent years). They also take up physical space and are not accessible from outside your office or home network.
3. External hard drive
External hard drives are similar to internal hard drives, but as the name suggests, they are stored in an external casing. This makes them more portable than internal hard drives, but they are also more vulnerable to physical damage and theft. Like internal hard drives, external hard drives take up physical space and are not accessible from outside your office or home network.
4. Network attached storage (NAS) device
A NAS device is a type of external hard drive that connects to your home or office network instead of connecting directly to your computer. This makes it easier to share files with other users on your network (and potentially even with users outside your network). NAS devices come in different shapes and sizes, so you can choose one that meets your needs in terms of capacity and price. However, NAS devices can be complex to set up and configure properly
There are many ways to share photo files with clients, but some methods are better than others. Here are a few tips to help you send your clients the right kind of photo files in 2018:
1. Use a file-sharing service that is designed for businesses. Services like Dropbox and Google Drive are great for personal use, but they may not be the best option for sharing professional photos with clients. Look into services like Pixieset orshootproof, which were created specifically for photographers and provide features like password-protected galleries and customer management tools.
2. Send high-resolution files. Your clients will want to be able to print their photos, so make sure to send them high-resolution (300 dpi) files. They may also want to use the photos for marketing purposes, so it’s a good idea to provide them with both high-resolution and low-resolution (72 dpi) versions of each file.
3. Use an online delivery system. Emailing photo files can be unreliable, and it’s often difficult to attach large files to email messages. Instead, use an online delivery system like wetransfer or dropbox to send your files to your clients. This way, you can be sure that your clients will receive the files safely and quickly.
Conclusion: a summary of the importance of sending your clients the right kind of photo files
As a professional photographer, you know that the quality of your work is only as good as the photo files you send to your clients. With the proliferation of high-resolution digital cameras and media devices, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re sending your clients the right kind of photo files.
There are two main types of photo files: RAW and JPEG. RAW files are the highest quality, but they’re also the largest in terms of file size. JPEG files are smaller and more manageable, but they’re not as high quality as RAW files.
When you’re sending photo files to your clients, it’s important to send them the right kind of file for their needs. If they need a high-quality print, for example, you’ll want to send them a RAW file. If they just need an image for their website or social media, a JPEG file will suffice.
Sending your clients the right kind of photo files will ensure that they’re happy with your work and that they’ll continue to use your services in the future.