Enlarging images is perhaps one of the biggest blunders committed by artists and photographers alike. Even if you use Photoshop or any sophisticated photo-editing software, your image loses its sharpness and becomes unprintable the moment you enlarge it. So if your image is in anyway blurry, it cannot be used to produce a print. We recommend that you use a high-resolution digital camera or scanner for good results.
In a JPEG file, you have the option to compress, which means that the pixel dimensions remain the same but the file size gets smaller on your hard drive. This happens because the image quality gets reduced. So avoid compressing your images, for they become blurry and unprintable when you do so. In fact, you must ensure that you choose the highest quality setting (no compression) for best results.
Painters must watch out that their images are cropped properly. Even a miniscule fraction of the wall showing in the corner of your image can lead buyers to ask for a refund. So zoom in and crop your images thoroughly before putting them up on the site. And in case you are still in doubt, crop a bit more than you deem fit.
Before uploading your images, make sure you zoom in to ensure that the hi-res versions of your images are in perfect focus. There should be absolutely no unintentional motion blur. It is actually very difficult to detect any focusing issues once the image is displayed at a small size on the web. So ensure the accuracy of the image before uploading it.
This is a big one for painters.Make sure that your images are cropped correctly.Absolutely everything that appears in your images will appear in your prints.That means, if you forget to crop your image tight enough and there is a tiny sliver of the wall showing in the corner of your image, your buyers will return your prints and ask for a refund.Please take the time to zoom in on your images and make sure that they are cropped perfectly.You won't be able to see small mistakes without zooming in.When in doubt, crop more than you think you should.
Painters and illustrators must be aware that using merely the flash from a digital camera cannot deliver results equivalent to those of a print-quality image. You must take care that your entire artwork is evenly illuminated. In order to achieve that you can use external lights or outdoor sunlight and use a flat-bed scanner.
It's a terrible idea to use a camera flash. But in case you have no other option, check your images for any hot spots from the flash. For example, if you are taking images of acrylic paint you are likely to have white spots on your images at points where the flash hits the paint at a reflective angle. This is something that the buyers will be able to easily identify and thus ask for a refund.
If your file is RGB, then no need to change it. Similarly, if it's CMYK, keep it that way or convert it to RGB. But converting RGB to CMYK will not produce good results, so don't even attempt that.
We ensure that other members do not have access to your hi-res images. We do this in a way that when an artist uploads an artwork for sale, it is instantly converted into a screen resolution preview. The original image is kept on our server and it is only used when an order comes through.
Before you upload your file, be sure to make all the necessary changes required for it to go into print. In case you have left out something, be it color correction or cropping, it will show in your print. So make sure you check twice before uploading your images.
In case of any queries or feedback on this subject, feel free to give us a shout.