This technical guidance section is designed to give you the information needed to produce the best possible results with Pictopia's services. If you do not see the answer to your technical questions after reading the Tech Guide, please talk to us.
Resolution and UploadThe following chart will help you anticipate the levels of print quality you can expect from digital images of various pixel dimensions. The black pixels represent the most desirable ranges.
| PRINT SIZE | EXTRA SHARP | SHARP | MODERATE | SOFT | ||||||||
| SMALL | 300ppi | 200ppi | 150ppi | 110ppi | ||||||||
| 4x6 | 1,200 | x | 1,800 | 800 | x | 1,200 | 600 | x | 900 | 440 | x | 660 |
| 5x7 | 1,500 | x | 2,100 | 1,000 | x | 1,400 | 750 | x | 1,050 | 550 | x | 770 |
| 8x10 | 2,400 | x | 3,000 | 1,600 | x | 2,000 | 1,200 | x | 1,500 | 880 | x | 1,100 |
| MEDIUM | ||||||||||||
| 11x14 | 3,300 | x | 4,200 | 2,200 | x | 2,800 | 1,650 | x | 2,100 | 1,210 | x | 1,540 |
| 16x20 | 4,800 | x | 6,000 | 3,200 | x | 4,000 | 2,400 | x | 3,000 | 1,760 | x | 2,200 |
| 20x30 | 6,000 |
x |
9,000 |
4,000 |
x |
6,000 |
3,000 |
x |
4,500 |
2,200 |
x |
3,300 |
| LARGE | ||||||||||||
| 24x36 | 7,200 | x | 10,800 | 4,800 | x | 7,200 | 3,600 | x | 5,400 | 2,640 | x | 3,960 |
| 30x40 | 9,000 | x | 12,000 | 6,000 | x | 8,000 | 4,500 | x | 6,000 | 3,300 | x | 4,400 |
| EXTRA LARGE | ||||||||||||
| 40x50 | 12,000 | x | 15,000 | 8,000 | x | 10,000 | 6,000 | x | 7,500 | 4,400 | x | 5,500 |
| 48x48 | 14,400 | x | 14,400 | 9,600 | x | 9,600 | 7,200 | x | 7,200 | 5,280 | x | 5,280 |
| 48x72 | 14,400 | x | 21,600 | 9,600 | x | 14,400 | 7,200 | x | 10,800 | 5,280 | x | 7,920 |
| 48x84 | 14,400 | x | 25,200 | 9,600 | x | 16,800 | 7,200 | x | 12,600 | 5,280 | x | 9,240 |
| 48x96 | 14,400 | x | 28,800 | 9,600 | x | 19,200 | 7,200 | x | 14,400 | 5,280 | x | 10,560 |
| 50x120 | 15,000 | x | 36,000 | 10,000 | x | 24,000 | 7,500 | x | 18,000 | 5,500 | x | 13,200 |
Pictopia's LightJet 430™ renders output at 300 pixels per inch (PPI) archival Fuji Crystal Archive™ glossy or matte photo papers. Output from a continuous tone printer such as the LightJet™ is about equal in resolution to 4000 dots per inch (DPI) on an inkjet, laser, or other halftone printer.
For the best possible picture, use the highest resolution possible without interpolation.
The quality of the digital image is affected by variables of color, ISO/ASA, lighting, sharpness, and focus at the time of image capture.
The Relationship Between Upload Time and Internet Connection| Approximate Upload Time (Minutes) | ||||
| File Size | 56K Modem | DSL | T1 | T3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 MB | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0.02 |
| 20 MB | 60 | 13 | 2 | 0.1 |
| 100 MB | 298 | 67 | 11 | 0.4 |
Note: Files can be uploaded in the background, while you continue to work, using Pictopia's FTP upload capabilities.
How to get an FTP ClientIf you haven't used an FTP client before, you will need to download one.
Consult your FTP client's help for details on use.
* Note: FTP is NOT a secure protocol. All passwords and files are readable by intermediate network carriers. This is why your FTP password should be different from your account password. Your account is securely accessed while FTP is not.
File Types Pictopia Can AcceptPictopia accepts multiple file formats. All files must be RGB (not CMYK), and must have no layers. Please flatten multilayer files before uploading.
Notes:
8 bits per channel is the maximum channel depth. We do not currently support 16 bit files. 3 samples per pixel is the maximum samples per pixel supported.
Some older PDF formats may not display properly and need to be converted to a supported format such as JPEG or TIFF.
Some digital cameras now create TIFF files with a preview image embedded as a layer. Please flatten the file before uploading.
Note: you are responsible for obtaining copyright permissions for anything you use or print.
Range of Print SizesCustomers can order photo prints from Pictopia as large as 50 x 120 inches and as small as one inch square, nominally, and can specific any size in between to one-tenth of an inch. However, all prints are hand-trimmed and can vary as much as .08" in each dimension in order to fully bleed images.
Sizes up to 72 x 120 are available by special order. Please email us for pricing.
Preparing a file for PictopiaFrom Adobe PhotoShop CS2™ (Windows & Mac)
Your image needs to be in RGB mode. The screen shot shows how to convert your image to RGB Mode; this is selected under the Image Menu.
After you ensure that the file you're about to send us is set in RGB mode, make sure your pixel resolution is large enough for your desired print size. Click here for guidance on image resolution by print size.
Pictopia utilizes its exclusive and proprietary Up-Scale™ technology which enables you to print larger sized prints than is otherwise possible. It works automatically in Pictopia servers – freeing you from the task of creating and uploading your own huge interpolated files. Up-Scale™ achieves these results while automatically preserving the apparent sharpness of your original image. We recommend you send the original size image to Pictopia, rather than interpolating your file in Photoshop™. Pictopia customer testing has shown that the quality of an upsized images will be greater using our technology than Photoshop™'s bicubic method. In addition, a smaller file will take less time to upload to Pictopia.
Downsizing to Improve Upload Times
Pictopia's Up-Scale™ technology will also downsize your images for you; it is not necessary to send another version of your file when you wish to print a smaller print. However, if you wish to downsize your image to improve upload times, select Image Size under the Image menu in Photoshop™, and the following screen will appear:
Once the file is set at the desired size and resolution for your print order, save the file in either TIFF or JPEG format.
You should
not make your file size smaller than the minimum size recommended to make a
good print, as shown in our resolution and size chart.
Instructions for saving Photoshop™ files to TIFF and JPEG formats are presented below. These instructions are the same for Windows and Macintosh users.
Saving a Photoshop™ Image in TIFF
To get a good color match, we suggest converting your image to a Pictopia print profile before saving. Please see the section, Getting a Good Color Match.
To save an image as a TIFF set your Save As options like this:
(Please note that Pictopia ignores embedded profiles. Embedding the profile simply tags your file as having been converted to a particular profile.)
Once you select the TIFF Format, and click on the Save button, the following screen will appear:
You may select either IBM™ PC or Macintosh Byte Order; Pictopia accepts both. If you choose to select LZW Compression, your file will be compressed, and will take less time to transmit to Pictopia. Typical compression with LZW is less than JPEG compression, but unlike JPEG compression, LZW does not affect the quality of your image.
Click OK, and your file will be saved as a TIFF. Upload to Pictopia.
Pictopia recommends that you convert a copy of your original file, rather
than the original, which you can do by selecting the check box Save: As a Copy,
as shown in the screen shot above. Photoshop will insert the word "copy" after
your image's title; you may change this as desired.
Saving a Photoshop™ file in JPEG format.
When you select JPEG format, the following dialog will appear. Set the Image Options Quality slider all the way to the right, to Maximum. Set the Format Options to Baseline Optimized. Click OK. After the image has been saved, upload it to Pictopia.
Saving a Photoshop™ file in PNG format
Once you select the PNG Format, and click on the Save button, the following screen will appear:
Select "none", click OK and upload image to Pictopia.
Getting A Good Color Match - 2 MethodsMost Pictopia customers are happy with our color when using Adobe RGB (1998)™, and have no need for further adjustment. However, if you have color-critical applications, Pictopia provides guidance for two different methods on achieving a closer monitor to print match.
Before you choose either approach below, please review your work area. Color perception is affected by several environmental factors which need to be controlled for best results. The following steps are important.
Reviewing Your Work Environment
Does light strike the face of your monitor directly? If so, the light source should be redirected, or a hood put on the monitor, or both. This is because the color of the light reflected from the monitor can affect how your eye sees the color of the images you prepare to send to Pictopia.
If lighting changes through the day, such as when your monitor is next to a window, your eyes' perception of color will change as well. For best results, judge color on your monitor with consistent, subdued lighting in the work area.
A large amount of distracting color on or next to your monitor can cause your eyes to see color on the screen differently. For best results, remove pictures and other colored objects from the bezel of your monitor. If you want to take this principle to the extreme, the area around your monitor should be a neutral grey without any color distractions.
Finally, if your operating system allows you to do so, change the screen background to a neutral gray, so that a colored background will not skew your color perception.
If you are editing photographs in Photoshop™
for Windows or Macintosh, you can change the background color using Photoshop
commands. Type the letter "f" (lowercase f), and the background surrounding
your image will be masked with a neutral gray. Type the letter "f" again, and
the background will change to solid black. Type the letter "f" a third time,
and the background reverts to whatever was showing before.
Macintosh OSX Users can change the background to gray as follows:
Under the Apple Menu, choose System Preferences. In the dialog box which appears, click on Desktop & Screen Saver. Select Solid Colors, then click on the color swatch for Solid Gray.
METHOD #1 - Adjust your monitor to match Pictopia's output.
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Upon request, Pictopia will provide you with a free print of our diagnostic image. The Pictopia diagnostic
image is provided as a color reference tool: comparing this image on your
monitor to the printed version will give you a sense of the difference between
how color appears on your monitor and on prints from Pictopia.
Important Note: If you are using more than one printer in your work,
matching your monitor to our printer means your monitor will probably not match
other output devices you may be using, such as an office color laser printer
or inkjet printer. A more comprehensive, though more complicated, method for
achieving a color match is through an ICC color-managed workflow.
The International Color Consortium™ (ICC), comprised of leading companies in the imaging industry like Kodak™, Apple™, Microsoft™ and Adobe™, has developed a sophisticated methodology for achieving a match between color devices. An ICC profile can be thought of as a "fingerprint" that describes the characteristic behavior of a given color-rendering device -- be it a monitor, printer, scanner or digital camera. Pictopia has created an ICC profile for our own printing system (a LightJet 430™ with Fuji Crystal Archive Professional Super Type C™ paper), and makes these profiles available to our customers. In addition, we provide guidance on using these profiles with your Photoshop-based workflow.
If you are already using an ICC workflow, please download a copy of the latest Pictopia ICC Profile. Note that we will periodically update our profiles as the state of the art of color management changes. We will inform you when there is an update to a profile you have downloaded.
Customers using an ICC workflow will need to optimize a file for printing with Pictopia by performing a conversion in Photoshop using our output profiles. Instructions for doing this are provided below.
WARNING! If you are printing black & white or have converted to greyscale, do not use our color profiles.
The ICC workflow is designed for critical color matching, and may exceed the needs of many Pictopia customers. However, if you wish to implement this workflow, here are the steps necessary to do so, using Photoshop CS2™. These steps are illustrated with a series of screen shots. The instructions work the same for both Mac OS and Windows.
When viewing your images online, you will be seeing your images in whatever colorspace your browser is using. Therefore, an image that is color managed in Photoshop™, even with a Pictopia profile, may not look the same when viewed in your Pictopia account.
STEP #1 - REVIEW YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT
The steps listed above should be implemented prior to Step #2.
STEP #2 - PROFILE YOUR MONITOR
This single action is the most important step you can take to enure both color
consistency and color matching. Profiling your monitor establishes a common
baseline for viewing images, and tells Photoshop™ how to interpret your particular
monitor's color behavior. Since different monitors display color differently,
profiling your monitor is the best way you can help guarantee that what you
see on your monitor will closely match what prints.
Calibration can be done in a variety of ways, using free software solutions, or hardware/software combinations. Software with hardware calibration requires the use of a device, either a colorimeter or spectrophotometer, which mounts on the face of your monitor, and reads a series of color values displayed by calibration software. We recommend Monaco by X-Rite OPTIXxr™.
Software Calibration
If you are working in Adobe Photoshop™ on Windows or MacOS, use the Adobe Gamma Control Panel which was automatically installed with the program.
If you are working on the Macintosh, and have already
run the ColorSync™ Calibration Assistant, do not use the Adobe Gamma Control
Panel.
STEP #3 - DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE ICC PROFILE
Instructions for installing ICC profile:
For Windows users
After you uncompress the ICC profiles, save them in the Color folder.
For Windows XP™, this is
After saving the Pictopia ICC Profile in the color folder, right-click the icon for the desired
ICC
profile and select "Install profile" from the popup menu.
For Macintosh OSX users
Save them in the /Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder.
Below is an example of the Color Gamut of the Pictopia profiles campared to Adobe RGB 1998™:
STEP #4 - LAUNCH PHOTOSHOP™
Launch Photoshop, and open a copy of the file you wish to print with Pictopia. The following instructions are the same for both Windows and Macintosh Photoshop users.
Printing with Photoshop CS2™
After you have opened a copy of the file you wish to print with Pictopia, make sure it is saved in TIFF, JPG, or PNG format at 8 bits. If you need a review of the steps to do this, please click here.
Under the View Menu, click on Proof Setup, and then Custom.
Select the ICC Profile you downloaded from Pictopia's website and installed in the profiles folder on your computer, as shown above. Your dialog box should look like this:
You can save this setup under a custom name, such as "Pictopia". After making the settings shown above, click on the Save button, and name your setup "Pictopia". Then, you can load the settings each time you prepare a file for Pictopia.
Once you have set up the Proof Setup, select the Proof Colors command as follows:
Photoshop will use your monitor profile and the Pictopia ICC profile to preview on your monitor how your print will look when printed at Pictopia, after you convert the file to Pictopia's printer profile.
To convert the file, select the Mode Menu, then over and down to Convert to Profile, as below:
The following dialog box will appear:
Under the Destination Space heading, set the Profile to the Pictopia profile which you have already downloaded and installed in your operating system. Click OK. Because you have already selected the Proof Colors command, you should not see a change in the appearance of the file.
WARNING! This changes the pixel data in your file; if you haven't been working on a copy, do not Save; rather, Save As, and preserve your original file in case you need to use it later. This step can not be undone once you save.
Save this file as either a TIFF, JPEG or PNG and upload it to your Pictopia account.
BrowsersPictopia supports Mozilla Firefox™, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0™, and Safari™.
To protect your privacy, our site requires that your browser supports 128-bit encryption, the highest standard available. If you are having difficulties accessing our secure site (e.g. logging in or creating an account), please consult our FAQ's.
