Digital Print Options

I have a few questions, in regards to giving digital files. Ideally I'd like to not do this, but until I go to a business workshop in June, while I do a few friends and "word of mouth referrals" only I am considering it.

Some people on here told me the high end photographers dont usually give them, but looking around it appears even the most expensive ones in my area do in some form.

I'd like to preface this by saying I'm not actively advertising yet. My goal was to start sometime this year and I am going to go to a business workshop, but I havent done anything until I go... but people are asking me!

So here are a few things I'm thinking of:

1. Sell higher resolution files (not highest but high enough) for a per image fee, or a certain number of files along with print orders over certain set $ amount.

2. give a disk of very low resolution files for facebook or something with a purchase or as a stand alone product (disc for $x amount). If I do this what size do I size the files??

3. Give a disk of watermarked images for FB and such.

Thank you very much for your opinions in advance.

Even if you only give low resolution files chances are they'll print them regardless. Watermarks on pictures for facebook will soon get cropped out too.

Weddings: files are mandatory these days.
Portraits: still rarely released by good professionals.

However some images may be put on facebook, usually the ones the customers buys. People will print a 400 pixel wide watermarked image 20" and love it because they got a great deal.

Good points here for all of this. With that said let me play devils advocate. I believe 100% what you guys say about them printing a low quality pic and being happy... but if you dont give digital files and they want them... wont they just scan it or something else??? I'm just thinking out loud that people who wanna do something may find a way to do it???

What do you think??

People will do anything to get free images. Scan, screenshot, photograph something, etc.

This is what I was thinking which makes me think maybe to offer a lower resolution digital file at risk of them scanning the print anyway...

For portraits I'd sell the digital files with the prints they buy. Most of the big operators in the portrait market do that over here. I.e. you buy a print you get the digital file for that print.

Weddings... you can pretty much expect people to want high resolution files and your competition will be including them.

Ok thank you good idea. That was another consideration I came up with last night: adding the digital if they buy the print. What size digital do you guys give for wedding and such tho? surely not the highest resolution .jpg or so?

here's something you should do, just to satisfy yourself and not just be guessing about what could happen. yes, this will cost you a few bucks, but it will sure be worth the lesson.

take the last image you sold as a print and size it as follows:
4x6 @ 125dpi
4x6 @ 175dpi
4x6 @ 225dpi
4x6 @ 300dpi

8x10 @ 125dpi
8x10 @ 175dpi
8x10 @ 225dpi
8x10 @ 300dpi

you'll use those files to make one set of prints. now, take the same file and size it as follows to make another set of prints:
640px @ 72dpi
720px @ 72dpi
900px @ 72dpi
1280px @ 72dpi

640px @ 200dpi
720px @ 200dpi
900px @ 200dpi
1280px @ 200dpi

only this time, make 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints of each of the 8 files.

once your prints are in hand, write the dimensions, including the files sizes, on the back, lay them out on a table and look at them, closely. then have a non-photographer look at them closely.

you might think you know what to expect, but, until you do a side-by-side print comparison, you won't know for sure. chances are, you are going to be shocked.

abbypanda wrote in post #15846893
What size digital do you guys give for wedding and such tho? surely not the highest resolution .jpg or so?

I give people 3:2, 4200 x 2800 pixels

For weddings I give native camera resolution of my D700s, but the D800 I sample down just because the files are so big.

Thank you for all the further comments this is very useful and helpful.
Skippix: this is a great idea I will def do this for sure.

abbypanda wrote in post #15850170
Skippix: this is a great idea I will def do this for sure.

Have fun with it! A few other things to keep in mind.

Append to the filename a suffix that will allow you to identify the print (such as "-4x6-125dpi"). You'll need to be very careful not to let the prints get mixed up, or you will have wasted your money. I'm lucky in that my lab prints the filename on the back of the print.

Produce a third set of files to print 8x10s, but this time vary the file size. Set the image dimensions to 8x10, 300dpi and save to the following file sizes:
200kb
500kb
1000kb
2000kb

Then save one last one as large as you can. Depending on the tool you use, this may or may not be fairly easy. I use Lightroom, and it is very easy to control the dimensions when exporting.

What this will cost you depends on your lab. This cost me about $25.

If you pixel-peep ahead of time, yes, you will probably notice some differences, but that's not the point. Get the prints made, then look at them. There's a world of difference between zooming in at 100% on a computer screen and viewing something laying on your kitchen table or holding two prints up at bent-arms length.