biz basics
When you’re asked to provide someone with a digital file of one of your images that is 355 ppi and 400 pixels on the longest side, can you do it within 15-20 minutes?
Don't be hindered by an inability to use technology effectively. And don't interrupt others for help with something that you should know how to do.
Know This
What a JPEG is, what a TIF is, what a PNG is, and why you don’t use the GIF format for your fine art.
That RGB color is for computers and CMYK color is for print.
How to download the photos from the camera to the computer. (And how to find them on the computer!)
How to resize the images at a moment’s notice. Someone else might be responsible for capturing the image in the first place, but you need to know how to adapt it. The newspaper editors aren't going to wait two days for you to get a hold of your photographer to do this for you. They're on deadline. Nor is the art dealer going to be too happy if you make an important collector wait too long.
You can resize images in Preview on a Mac. You can also use free online sites like Shrink Pictures or Resize Your Image.
How to attach an image to an email effortlessly, and why you don’t send someone a 10 MB file without first asking permission. Even high-end art is selling through the emailing of JPEG images.
PPI means pixels per inch and is the standard resolution measurement for digital images and that DPI means dots per inch and is the standard resolution measurement for printed images. You want your website and blog to load quickly, so your imagines online will be on the lower end (72 ppi), but the newspaper editor wants a crisp photo in his publication, so you email him a higher-resolution 355 ppi image. He’ll print it out at 355 dpi.
In addition to being able to email digital images to the media and to prospective patrons and galleries, you need to master the process in order to take photos for your blog and for your newsletter. You want photos of your art, your installations and art in situ, you in the studio at work, and you with your patrons.
For more in-depth training, check out the resources at Lynda.com.
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