Burning pictures to DVD, please help!

[TCUphoto]

I donated a photo session to a silent auction where I burned the session's pictures on a 4x dvd. My client just emailed this morning saying when she uploaded the pictures to order at a store, anything larger than 4x6 is saying the resolution is too poor. I saved the files in Lightroom at 80 in the quality.

Do you know why she is unable to order larger prints from her dvd?

 

[PixelDust]

Do you know what size the images that she is uploading are? What did you have the resolution set to when you exported them out of lightroom?

 

[KmH]

Were the photos cropped?

How big is the client trying to get a print made?

Which version of Lightroom are you using 1, 2, or 3?

Which part of Lightroom did you use to prepare the photos for export - Library, Develope, Slideshow, Print, or Web?

Did you use Lightroom's Files on Disk dialog (on PC press Ctrl-Shift-E)? There is a section in the dialog to define image size.

What values did you use for the Width, Height, and pixels-per-inch resolution?

 

[TCUphoto]

Using Lightroom 3. I just played around and I have the quality now at 100, resize to fit at 5000x5000 pixels, and resolution at 500 pixels per inch (is 500 enough??). I looked at Costco's website and with that size the max I can order without the resolution symbol coming up is 8x12. Are those settings not high enough to export at for large pictures??

 

[KmH]

Set the width and height to the native resolution of your camera, or at least to a 3:2 aspect ratio if your camera has an APS-C size image sensor in it. The 3:2 would be 5000 x 3333.33 , or 3000 x 2000, or 6000 x 4000.

All it is is some simple math. Pixel dimension of the long side divided by the pixels-per-inch (Pixels divided by PPI = inches.)

If a photo is 5000 pixels by 5000 pixels and has been assigned a PPI of 500 - 5000 pixels divided by 500 PPI = 10 inches.

You need to make the PPI smaller. The same 5000 pixel photo divided by 300 PPI = 16.6 inches, At 200 PPI it's 5000 divided by 200 = 25 inches.

If you do some basic algebra to that equation you can determine what PPI to use to limit the size a print can be made at..

5000 pixels divided by 16 inches = 312.5 PPI.

Or you can calculate how many pixels at a specific PPI you need to have top print - 16 inches times 200 PPI = 3200 pixels.

 

[TCUphoto]

I exported in Develop....does it make a difference where you export?

And I think she wants a 16x20

 

[KmH]

What are the pixel dimensions of the photos? Were any of them cropped? If not, they are all still at the native resolution of your camera.

 

[TCUphoto]

Thanks KMH! Do you think 300 ppi is too small for 16x20? Should I increase my scale to say 12000x8000?

 

[TCUphoto]

Actually I suppose it would not matter.....
I could not find the pixel dimensions of the exported photos on my mac. I'm not sure it matters, but the file size is huge. Most of them were minimally cropped on the 4x6 scale.

 

[KmH]

No. Don't increase the scale to say 12000x8000?

Take the time to understand the numbers. The key is the PPI, not the pixel dimensions. The maximum resolution of your K100D is 3008 x 2000 pixels, and is a 3:2 aspect ratio. 4x6 is also the 3:2 aspect ratio.

Your Pentax delivers photos that have a 3:2 aspect ratio. The long side of the photos are 1.5 times longer than the short side. The aspect ratio defines the shape of the rectangular photo.

If your client wants a vertical 16x20 (or a horizontal 20x16. The convention is to always state the width first), that is a 5:4 aspect ratio. To make a 16x20 from the 3:2 photos you camera produces, Some of your photo will have to be cropped away.

Your native resolution photo would print as a 16x24. So 4 inches will have to be cropped from the long side of your photo to print at 16x20.

To print an uncropped 3008x2000 pixel photo from your camera at 16x24 requires 3008 divided by 20 inches = 125 PPI.

So when cropped so the photo can print at 16x20 inches, you need the same 125 PPI.

 

[TCUphoto]

Thank you so much for the help KMH