Confused about how attaching Files or images to your Posts or new Treads?

HERE (http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7933) is how to do it.... :pleased:

Along with advice on uploading images, this basic question has me puzzled:

What is the "best" way to "use" or "work on" the images that are posted??

I have screen captured an opened image and I have used "Save Picture As" from the open image. Both look identical on the screen (er, 96dpi display), but the screen capture will always have 96dpi (maybe less), but the Saved Image will have higher dpi resolution reported.

I know dpi resolution is important for print quality but for practice doing retouches and manipulations of others' images, what is the best way to get the image into your image editor? Or does it matter?

Right now I am assuming it matters, and will be using the "Save Picture As" before working on an image posted here. What do you experts say?

Thanks,

Ken

Hi Ken45140,

as far as I know, a 'Screen Capture' software saves the images as it is configured to ... meaning when capturing an image which has a 300 dpi resolution or 72 dpi, it will resize it to 96 dpi if that is the way it is configured .... and, in both cases, you tend to lose details ....

It is true that resolution is very important for printing .... but it can be very important for restoring/retouching as well .... the higher the resolution, the more details you have to work on ..... the better the results ....

To see the enormous difference between a 300 dpi picture and its 96 dpi screen capture just try to zoom in, let's say at 200-300% ....

I read that 300 dpi is considered a limit after which the image doesn't get any 'better' but only increases in 'file size' ..... If I remebered wrong, I'm sure the experts on this field will correct that .... :)

If you make a RP search about jpg artifacts/artefacts ... you'll 'see' us all moaning and complaining about the fact that the 100 KB limit for attachments in our Threads/Posts .. (200 KB for our Gallery).. forces to a strong compression as a way to reduce size and resolution to remain within that limit ... and this procedure creates a lot of jpg artifacts/artefacts which aren't easy to eliminate .... :o:
So, always more members just upload the 'full size scans' where we can download them and work on full size and resolution pictures....

In other words ... I use Screen Capture only to take snapshots for my Tutorials or for my explanations ... but I always 'Save as' whenever I have to work on a picture...

Hope this helps ...

Many thanks for the added advice to this thread.

Ken

Flora (or anyone stopping by) - where is a good place to upload the 'full size scans'? Thanks!

here's a few in no particular order:

http://www.deviantart.com/

http://www.pbase.com/

http://imageshack.us/