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What image type should I use for auctions?
It is generally best to
photograph images at a higher setting at first, and then use your software to compress images
down later. The reason is you want to get a nice, clear image to start
with, leaving you some margin for error before you start reducing your file
size with compression.
You could film in TIFF or a a
high, uncompressed JPEG format, and then either batch convert or batch
compress all your images later (see image software). For auctions and
web design, a JPEG setting is perfect. Just start at a decent file
size, say 80 or 90 K, and then you will have some leeway to compress it even
lower, when you optimize with your software.
Don't use TIFF format, unless
you are planning on doing print or desktop publishing work- TIFF is
extremely high quality, but also uses huge chunks of card memory. The
extreme resolution of these images is unnecessary for those old Star Wars
action figures- You just want to move them quickly for a profit in your
auction.
It's always better to get a
high quality picture in the camera, and then do most of your resizing and
compression on the computer. Play around a bit with settings and
cropping images with your image software. You'll find after awhile
that a comfortable work pattern develops, and the optimal setting to leave your camera on
during your shoot will present itself, with the minimum amount of editing
work required after image transfers.
What DPI
resolution is best for auction images?
The amount of resolution
within your image is referred to as DPI. This stands for dots per
inch. Images at a higher DPI have better resolution, but also take
more memory card space and time to load. The ideal web resolution for
both websites and auction images is 72 dpi. Look at some of the banner
ads on this page by way of example- they are most likely set at 72 dpi.
Some people use 96 dpi for
slightly better image quality on the web, but that is the absolute max you
will need for 99.9% of the images you use during your auctions. If you
want super close ups for fine detail, you can go with a higher DPI.
But keep in mind, even 300 dpi is higher than what print magazines use for
artwork and typesetting- in fact, they use only 266 dpi.
Many scanners scan at 300 to
1200 dpi or more. Unless you are doing national intelligence work as a
satellite imaging specialist for the CIA, then you don't even have to think
about working anywhere near this level of dpi- save your money on gadgets
that tout these dpi levels, cause you just won't need them for almost of all
your auction needs.
Cropping Images:
Fast loading equals more bids!
Just remember, with digital
photos, every pixel of information translates into memory size and file
speed, and as with all things, time is money. Yes, your images may
look award winning and pretty at that huge size on your screen, but no one
will ever stick around to see them load all the way- there goes another
bidder, off to shop elsewhere.
The exception to this is if
you are selling expensive antiques, pulp magazines, stamps, documents, old
comic books, etc, where a super close-up look is required to establish a
specific grade or condition. In this case, you could link from a smaller
'thumbnail image' of 10 K to your 'high-res' images of 50K, 200K or however
large you think is appropriate.
The key is to make sure that
all edges of your image are framed by a pleasant, neutral border, with the
rest of the kitchen, backyard or what have you masked out or camouflaged.
In other words, crop out unnecessary borders or garbage from your pictures,
so that only the actual antique, collectible, toy or whatever is featured.
You won't be saving images to
the web in the original file size you shoot them in; unless you have tweaked
your camera settings just right you won't want to, trust us. How many
times have you actually waited 30 or 45 seconds for an auction image to
finish downloading? How many times did you instead, go and find
something else to bid on?
On a 56.6 Kbps (Kilobytes Per
Second) modem, the transfer rate is approximately 1 K per second, so a file
that is 30 K will take 30 seconds to download. With the right jpeg
compression program, the quality difference between a 10 or 11 K image and a
30 K image is barely noticeable, yet the 10 or 11 K version only takes 10
seconds to download, and the 30 K version takes 30 seconds. Which one
are you going to stick around and wait for?
How can I make my image
files smaller? First of
all, with any image, whether captured with a camera or a scanner, it is best
to use only the actual
DPI
you need for the image. Many people use far more resolution than they
need, which slows the auction description loading time needlessly.
After shooting, transferring and previewing a few shots,
adjust your camera settings to the lowest comfortable megapixel and/or DPI
size, which still leaves you some nice quality to play with in your imaging
software. This will cut down on file size and save you work later on
in editing. Second, as
mentioned in the previous section, crop out any unnecessary garbage from
your photo's background or edges with your
imaging software.
Third, make sure you are using jpeg for auction photos. This photo
standard is the premier choice used in the majority of all auction photos,
due to its compression quality and wide acceptance.
Fourth, whatever file standard you use, make sure and
compress your final images or otherwise adjust your file size, being careful
to maintain an acceptable picture quality. You can use software like
Adobe Photoshop, Dell Image Standard, Arc Soft Photo Impression, etc.
Always use preview to check your images visually before saving, and save
backups of your raw files in case you make an error. You don't want to
have to re-shoot those photos.
Using these methods, great results can be realized without
noticeable loss of image quality. But the lower file sizes you achieve
will mean more people will decide to wait for your auctions to finish
loading, and that almost certainly means a noticeable increase in profits
for you.
How can I quickly find my pics?
You can quickly locate images on your computer using one of
several image viewers- We recommend using ACDsee 5.0. We have used
their line of imaging products for some time, and have found them to be
powerful, and easy to use.
ACDsee 5.0 is great for
sorting, organizing, renaming and storing your images. It allows you to see
images in several modes, including an impressive thumbnail mode which is
much more powerful, in our humble opinion than the Windows option you may
use.
Not merely an image cataloging
program, ACDsee 5.0's greatest feature is that it allows you to work in
batches. You can use batch mode to resize, crop, cut, correct, rename
or compress your images. This saves spares you from having to go in
and do this with each image individually, which means a lot less work on
your part. Some high
featured photo-imaging suites like Adobe-Photoshop also come with cataloging
features built in, or are included as side programs in the suite. For
more details, read the next section, or see our
Image Software page.
Fixing image problems
If you will be doing a lot of image editing in addition to
image cataloging, it may be wise to invest in an image editing program like
Adobe Photoshop LE 2.0 in addition to a simple image viewer. Of
course, if you are really serious about digital images, and want the
industry standard tool that graphic arts professionals have relied on for
years, consider Adobe Photoshop 7.0.
In addition to offering the
ability to work with layers, Adobe software offers incredible photo effects
and art tools, photo touch-up like red-eye and skin wrinkle correction,
lighting and filtering tools, and more. As with the simpler image
viewer programs, they offer batch editing commands for processing large
groups of pictures all at once.
The program also offers a handy 'save for web' feature,
allowing you to see what your images will look like at different levels of
compression for that file type; you can preview each image against the
original, or against several versions for comparison all at once, to view
your changes before saving. This cool feature lets you know exactly
what that auction photo, banner ad or website image will look like, before
it ever hits the net.
Why is my picture so Dark?
Your image may be dark for one of two reasons: There was a problem with
your camera's light level or exposure setting before the picture was
taken, or the area lighting was wrong during the shot.
This article has so far dealt with how to fix lighting
problems during the shot, but what happens when you get those 450 images
transferred to your computer, and suddenly you remember that while taking
your pictures, the flash wasn't set, or that maybe you forgot to turn on
some fill lights? Or maybe all of your filming conditions were
perfect, but still, your final images just look- well... bad?
Before you spend another three hours re-shooting, or worse,
just posting those feeble pictures in your auctions any way, there is a
little secret you can try. We are only too happy to share it with you
now, as you can definitely be a better auctioneer once you learn it:
Imaging Secret: You
may know about certain correction tools in various Photoshop programs, such
as the ability to adjust brightness, hue, saturation levels, etc. But
perhaps the handiest feature of Adobe Photoshop is the 'Adjust
Auto-Properties' command.
This miracle of technology
automatically corrects problems in your image such as bad lighting or
shadows, under-exposure, color problems etc. Try this on a few of your
images and you may be surprised when you toggle back and forth to look at
before and after results. Photos that used to look hopelessly
under-lit, shadowy, or with colors terribly off, suddenly look bright,
cheery, lifelike and right on the money.... click the mouse, and Presto!
It's like magic! You have to see it to believe it. Once you try
it a few times, you will find yourself using it on all your photos.
Probably 70 percent or more of
the images we routinely see on ebay could benefit from the adjust
auto-properties command in Photoshop. It's a quick, simple fix, and it
could easily realize some sellers more frequent and higher bids. This
secret trick is now yours- It only takes a mouse-click or two, and the
computer does all the work for you. So have fun!
Just remember not to use imaging software to make your
auction items look too good- The point is to correct any image
mistakes, not to artificially correct problems with the item for sale
itself. If you pump picture levels and brightness to the point where
that shabby, worn antique looks fully restored, that's what your buyer now
expects to receive in the mail. Correct your accidental image
problems, but use your new found magical powers wisely! Your buyers
can and will notice the difference.
To find out more about image editors, viewers and other types
of image programs, please see our Image
Software page.
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