Technical Information

Do I need to read this page?

This page is intended for those with some technical knowledge about digital images.  If you don't have that, then don't worry, our site will work all that tech stuff out for you.  We have been producing prints from digital files since the year 2000 and really know our business, so rest assured you will get the result you want!

Image file types

You can upload JPG, TIF or PNG files to us for printing.  An uncompressed JPG is as good as a TIF file.
The maximum file size you can upload is 500mb.
You can also upload a zip file containing multiple files, but images do not compress into zip files all that well, so it's not really worth the bother.

Sizing your images

Everything we print is 300 dpi - dots per inch (sometimes called ppi - pixels per inch).  Therefore if you can upload images sized to 300 dpi at the size you want printed then that's great.  For example a 12x8 print is 3600 x 2400 pixel, so if your image is that size already then we won't need to resize it.

However, that's not always possible... If you want a 30x20 canvas (9000x6000) there are not many cameras capable of producing that size.  So we resize that in a way that you will hardly notice.  Please don't upscale your images to 300dpi - just upload the best you have!

We can go as low as 120 dpi for printing, but beyond that we would consider a file 'not acceptable for the chosen size'. If you see a red triangle in the designer then that's a sign that the image is not large enough for the size.

TIP...Our multiple prints designer will ask you what size prints you need.  So if you're only needing 6x4's then select 6x4 when you upload as the resizing will be done on the fly before the upload commences which will drastically cut down your upload time.  If you later want a bigger size, then you will need to upload the original file again.

Cropping your images

When you crop your images prior to uploading, please make sure the aspect ratio you crop to is the same as the print you want to order.

If you are adding your own text to images before uploading them to us, please ensure you leave enough space around the text so it doesn't get cut off - all photo printers can trim the very edges of photos when finalising your prints.

Please also read our page all about aspect ratios and cropping

Colour and density of your images

Your images should be edited and uploaded in sRGB 8-bit format.  If you don't know what that is don't worry we will convert it but please bear in mind that some colours may not convert accurately.

Your screen may be very bright, and make you think you need to darken your images before uploading them to us. This is probably not the case.  If you know how to read and use the histogram tool, then do so.  

If you have a calibrated screen, then don't proof in anything other than sRGB.  We can't guarantee a total match because things in print always look different than on screen.

It should be noted that very small deviations in colour may be present between different print sizes owing to equipment, paper, ink and chemistry deviations which are outside of our control.

Printing B&W from your images is possible, but for photo prints please bear in mind that we print on colour paper and whilst we calibrate our equipment regularly it is near impossible to obtain a perfect B&W that would match a traditional B&W print. Having said that the B&W results are really very good.

Pro Colour Correction

When ordering the PCC (Pro Colour Correction) service, it must be noted that where a image already has a large colour and density adjustment applied to it (such as instagram style filters) then we may not make any adjustments to the image owing to the fact that you uploaded it with such a filter in the first place and we assume this is the look required.  Colour of any given image is a subjective thing and personal taste does come into play. What we aim for with PCC is to give you a balanced set of images that will look good in most environments. If you know your stuff, and can use the histogram in photoshop, then you should have no reason to use PCC.

Mounts and Frames

We offer a range of mount colours to suit most photos.  These can be cut in 1, 2 or 3 inch overlay bevel edged mounts. The overall size of your final mounted photo will be the photo size plus the mount size x 2. For example, a 12x8 print with a 2 inch mount will become 16x12 over all.

When you add a frame to a print, the overall size of the frame will be in addition to the prints size chosen.  So a framed 16x12 framed print will be slightly larger than 16x12 once the frame is added on.

Materials Used

Photo Prints:

C-type photo prints up to A4 on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper (the industry standard). These are printed using Fuji Frontier printers running Fuji Chemistry.

C-type photo prints above A4 size are printed on Fuji Crystal Archive DP2 Paper (a bit thicker than normal). These are printed using a Chromira 5x Pro Lab running Fuji chemistry.

Here's a link to a Fuji Crystal Archive spec sheet

Canvas Prints:

Canvas prints are made using 420 gsm cotton canvas, with HP Z6200 printers running HP genuine pigment inks.  HP give these inks a 100 year lifespan.

Giclee Fine Art Prints:

Giclee Fine Art prints are made using 320 gsm textured or smooth paper, with HP Z6200 printers running HP genuine pigment inks.  HP give these inks a 100 year lifespan.