web image size question

lmrush

HI guys,
I know you webmasters are out there!!!! Quick question, I have contracted a small graphics job, intended for a website. My understanding is to build web in rgb and at 72, and print is cymk at 300 or more. They have asked my for rgb at 300, should I question if they want it rgb at 72 for web and 300 in cymk for print I could do both? Or should I keep my mouth shut and just give them what they asked for? Any thoughts on a professional response @Will-Terry @Jake-Parker @Lee-White ?

NessIllustration

@lmrush It's always good to mention something if you think it might be a mistake. You're not a technician that just needs to follow orders to the letter and fall in line, you're a professional with an expertise to bring to the table. If you see a red flag (related to the area of expertise you're hired to take care of, of course) I think it's your job to raise it to ensure everything goes smoothly. Maybe they do want it like this and there's a good reason, or maybe it's a mistake and they'll end up with a problem if you don't say anything. The way I see it, there's nothing to lose by bringing up the issue and asking if this is okay/normal.

I'm kind of a questioner by nature and have always mentioned my opinion if I saw a problem or even thought of a way to do it that would be better, and although at the beginning of my career I worried about this habit getting me in trouble, I've found that to my surprise it was actually hugely appreciated my colleagues or clients. I remember at my first job evaluation at my old mobile games job, the art director said he really liked that I always called him out when he had a dumb idea and told him outright that wasn't going to work. I was very surprised to hear this! Of course you have to find a way to say it that's polite and not insulting or humiliating. When you find this, voicing your opinion actually means you're bringing more value to the table, that you are holding up your corner of the team responsibilities and ensuring nothing goes wrong on your watch.

On a similar note, if you ever think you're not following the instructions or you have questions, never be too shy to raise your hand and say "You lost me here". It doesn't make you look silly or dumb in any way, you're making sure that you can do your job to the best of your ability and it's always appreciated! It also makes people trust you more if they know you can just get out there and admit it when you're lost, because they know that when you say you got it that you really do. They don't have to fear miscommunication as much with someone like that! (kind of off topic to your question, but tangentially related!)

lmrush

@NessIllustration Thank you that was so well said

Chip Valecek

Few things here, yes 72dpi RGB is the way to go for the web, but with turn of higher resolution monitors and responsive web design sometimes giving the developers larger images is better. If I am adding images to a site that will span across the whole site, I will ask the designer to give me the file as large as they can and I will take care of the sizing. I don't expect the designer to give me the image in the perfect size. I have had cases where the image was sized right but it just didn't fit the site and I had to go back and request larger.

On the other hand I work with developers that know nothing about images and wouldn't know how to handle it. So there really isn't a correct answer. I would mention on your next call or email if they would like the image in different formats. If they say know then just send them what they want.

When I do freelance work I state that once the files are approved and handed over anything outside of the scope of the project will be billed hourly. So if they do come back for extra work you could bill them more.

sigross

@lmrush My printer always asks for 300 dpi in RGB uploads now. I just use their profiles to check what it will look like depending on the paper I'm printing on. Adobe RGB is best for printing and online display because it has a wide gamut colour space. sRGB is standard. A lot of new printers have more than CMYK in them, I think they go up to 12 different pigments in digital printers now. So Adobe RGB covers a broad range of those colours.

Phil Cullen

Yea like what has already been said, CMYK used to be the definitive mode for printing and RGB for web. I don't think that's the case anymore.

In my experience CMYK can dull the image a little, especially purples. It doesn't have the same range of vibrant colors RGB has. I stay away from cmyk unless it's specifically reaquired.

300dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixel per Inch) is generally used in print because in the space of an inch your eye cant see the pixels. Whereas if you were to print a 72dpi document you will be able to see pixelation.

My guess is that they want 300dpi rgb for high quality and flexibility, it means they could scale it up and the information is still there.

I think you're right to ask questions definitely, they'll more than likely give you a valid reason and there will be no guessing.

Just be aware you can always go from 300dpi to 72dpi, but you should never scale artwork from 72dpi to 300dpi unless you want weird artefacts.

I hope this info helps

lmrush

@Chip-Valecek Thanks so much Chip!

lmrush

@sigross Thanks so much, I had no idea

lmrush

@Phil-Cullen Thank you Phil