Photo Tips for Business Card Artwork
Here is a tutorial including my zoom test to determine if a photograph is suitable for print. To create a full color business card design with photographs, the final quality depends very much on the resolution of the photo you take. Keep in mind that what you see on your computer monitor is low resolution, and although it may look great the quality may not be appropriate for printed marketing materials.
To perform the zoom test double click on the file name of your photograph in My Documents to open it, and zoom in at 5 times normal size. If key lines or shapes like a person's eyes or nose look blurry, you need a better photo. View the quality comparison of my white cat shown below.
Compare the left side which is perfectly clear at 5x normal size to the right side which is obviously blurry. Your computer screen is low resolution with 3-color images, and screen illumination enhances the look. Printing on paper requires high resolution and a 4-color process, and obviously cards are not illuminated. Test your photos with the zoom technique or you may face disappointment with the printed cards.
Bonus tip: Another test is file size. When creating a business card for print check the file size in My Documents and if it is less than 100KB under the "size" column, you need a better version. My advice is bigger is better and a minimum file size of 200KB and up is recommended. I prefer 1000KB which is 1 megabyte, or larger.
On a personal note, and not included in the About Me, the cat in the photo adopted me and incredibly likes to go for a daily walk. Yes, just like a dog this cat stays at my side without a leash for a mile or more and then back home. It was abandoned and living off garbage bins before adopting me. Neighbors are astonished. One asked if I ever worked as an animal trainer. This cat is absolutely gorgeous, so most people think it's she, not he.
Finally, visit my directory of royalty free photographs to search more than 200,000 high resolution pix for your next project.
TAGS: design tutorial business cards photographs design advice
To perform the zoom test double click on the file name of your photograph in My Documents to open it, and zoom in at 5 times normal size. If key lines or shapes like a person's eyes or nose look blurry, you need a better photo. View the quality comparison of my white cat shown below.
Compare the left side which is perfectly clear at 5x normal size to the right side which is obviously blurry. Your computer screen is low resolution with 3-color images, and screen illumination enhances the look. Printing on paper requires high resolution and a 4-color process, and obviously cards are not illuminated. Test your photos with the zoom technique or you may face disappointment with the printed cards.
Bonus tip: Another test is file size. When creating a business card for print check the file size in My Documents and if it is less than 100KB under the "size" column, you need a better version. My advice is bigger is better and a minimum file size of 200KB and up is recommended. I prefer 1000KB which is 1 megabyte, or larger.
On a personal note, and not included in the About Me, the cat in the photo adopted me and incredibly likes to go for a daily walk. Yes, just like a dog this cat stays at my side without a leash for a mile or more and then back home. It was abandoned and living off garbage bins before adopting me. Neighbors are astonished. One asked if I ever worked as an animal trainer. This cat is absolutely gorgeous, so most people think it's she, not he.
Finally, visit my directory of royalty free photographs to search more than 200,000 high resolution pix for your next project.
TAGS: design tutorial business cards photographs design advice
Labels: advice, photographs, tutorials
Jim Degerstrom 
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