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Image Upload Guidelines

 Image Upload Guidelines 
Photography 

 

Logo Information

Basic Guidelines for uploading Logos

  • .JPG format (RGB mode), .EPS vector format (or EPSF - for Encapsulated PostScript format)
  • Under 1 MB file size

If .JPG, logo resolution should be at least 600 DPI or 600 x 600 pixels (Minimum accepted DPI is 300).

What does DPI stand for?
DPI stands for dots per inch, or the number of dots of ink that fill a linear inch of surface. DPI is also sometimes known as PPI (pixels per inch). A pixel is a dot of color that, combined with other pixels, makes a complete picture on a monitor screen. DPI is used to measure printing resolution. The higher the dots per inch, the better the resolution and the better the image quality. For example, if an image has a resolution of 300dpi, it means that a square inch of solid color will be filled with about 90,000 (300 x 300) dots of ink.

What is the acceptable logo resolution, color and size?
Logo resolution should be at least 600 dots per inch (dpi) or 600 x 600 pixels. The height of the image, in relation to the dpi, should be at least one inch. This will ensure that your image will not lose printing quality if it is scaled to fit the product you have ordered. If the resolution of your logo does not meet these requirements, it may print poorly. If you use a bitmap image, make sure it is at least 600 x 600 pixels.

Photo Information

Basic Guidelines for
uploading Agent Photos

  • .JPG format (RGB mode)
  • 480 x 640 pixels
  • Under 1 MB file size
For additional details, read "Associate Photo" specifications.
Basic Guidelines for
uploading Property Photos

  • .JPG format (RGB mode)
  • Recommended Minimum Property Photo for:
    • Property Flyers (one-sided, with or without laminate)
    • Property Postcards (BRC, Large and Standard)
    is 1300 x 1150 pixels (minimum 2 mega pixel camera on highest setting)

  • Recommended Minimum Property Photo for:
    • Premium Property Flyers
    • Premium Property Brochures
    • Premium Property Mailers
    • Previews Property Products
    is 2250 x 2250 pixels (minimum 5 mega pixel camera on highest setting)

  • Leave fine detail 1/8" from the edge
  • Under 8 MB file size

How do I upload my Associate photo?
Click the Photo library under Your Account. On the Associate tab, use the Browse button to search through your computer, select the file, and place its path in the File field. Once you have entered or selected the image file, click the Upload File button to save your Associate photo on MerrillShop.

Associate Photos: For optimum display of your photo, please crop the images carefully. See sample images below:


Good
Good
Good
Poor
Poor
Poor

How do I upload a property photo?
To upload a photo, click the Photo Library under Your Account. This lists all of the properties and photos you currently have stored in the system. To upload a new photo for the selected property, identify how the image should be categorized and click 'Browse' to locate your image on your computer. Then click ‘Upload’.

How to Prepare an Image:

You can use an image that you have scanned, downloaded from a digital camera or retrieved from a photo CD to create a product. We do not recommend using images created for or taken from the Internet. They are generally not print quality images.

If you are uploading a photograph or text using our “Custom Photo Upload” feature and you did not personally take the photograph or write the text, we hereby advise you that such photograph and text is likely protected by copyright, or other proprietary right and you must, prior to uploading it to our Website obtain permission of the copyright owner or right holder. Failure to do so is a violation of state and federal law and a violation of these General Terms and Conditions.

Image Quality

The quality of your printed materials is a direct result of the quality of image(s) that you supply.

For best results, start with a clear shadow free, high-resolution image. It is important for you to preview your image carefully as we do not proof them before printing.

There are at least two components to measuring the quality of a digital image:
  • The image resolution – or the number of pixels in your image file. The larger the number of pixels, the more information there is to print from. Please note, the maximum file size we will accept is 8 MB.
  • The subjective quality of the image. This is not something our system – or any computer – can measure. If the image is out of focus, over exposed, poorly composed or contains too much contrast , it will not look good when it is printed.
Color Variability Disclaimer: You should expect to see a difference between the way the color of your image appears on your monitor versus the color on your printed product. Currently, there is no color standard for the many different monitors, scanners, and printers on the market.

File Format

Your color image file must be formatted as an RGB - .JPG file to successfully upload. If your image is black and white, please provide a Grayscale .JPG file for true black and white printing.

We recommend the following image dimensions for best product formatting:

File Compression

The file size should be less than 1 mb for Agent photos and 8 MB on Property photos. If your software permits you to choose the compression quality, choose the highest quality possible while keeping the file size less than the specified maximums. We do not recommend applying compression with a quality rating of less than 9 (by Photoshop’s ® settings). If you need to go below a 9 setting to achieve file size, please consider reducing the pixel count rather than applying additional compression.

Orientation

Pay close attention to the preview image of the product. Images that are incorrectly orientated in your preview will not print correctly. Make sure that your image does not appear upside down, or horizontal (landscape) if it is meant to be vertical (portrait). If your preview does not look right, please do NOT submit your order. You may want to consider cropping the photo or selecting a different template with a compatible photo orientation.

If you are encountering challenges with meeting these images guidelines, you may want to consider taking this information into your local photo processor. They will scan your photo or image to meet our specifications.

Note: Large files may take a long time to upload (or may not upload at all) depending upon the speed of your Internet connection and / or the file size limits set by your Internet Service Provider.

Additional Tips for taking or creating digital images
  • Select the desired size and crop of the image before scanning it.
  • Ensure that the bed of the scanner is free of dust or streaks prior to scanning.
  • Avoid "resizing" an image after it is scanned. Reducing the image size squeezes the pixels together and enlarging the size causes pixels to stretch. Both cases cause a loss of clarity and definition.
  • Avoid "resampling" (Changing the resolution of an image by increasing or decreasing the number of pixels) in an image after it is scanned. Reducing the image size discards data and detail. Increasing the image size causes interpolation (increasing image resolution artificially) and may cause the image to look blurry.
  • Make any desired enhancements or corrections to your image before applying the JPEG compression.
  • Do not compress an image more than once. If you need to edit the image again, go back to your original image that had no compression applied, make the change and then save a new JPEG image.