Custom Photo Gifts - Selecting Your Pictures

Choosing the right pictures for a customized photo product.

With so many different types of products on the market that incorporate photographs, it is easy to overlook the most important ingredient, which is the photograph itself. Here are a few things you may want to consider when choosing the image you will be using for your photo project.

Content is King

As with anything, a little thought can go a long way. If this item is to be given as a gift then consider using a photo of that person doing something they enjoy like their hobby or perhaps them enjoying a favorite vacation spot. Group photos are nice because they can include more than just the main subject such as family and friends. It is quite possible whoever is working with your photo can crop, isolate and exclude people and objects from the picture making it just the way you want it. Some providers go as far as to offer a wide variety of art based services including subject merging and background swapping.

Quality is Queen

The better the quality of photo that you use, the better the finished item will be. A bad picture at the start is typically a bad item at the end. Does the photo look good? Look at it carefully in good light. Are the colors the proper tint? Is the picture scratched, folded or wrinkled? Depending on the level of service being offered to you, bad color, scratches and folds can often be corrected. Blurriness is one thing that can rarely be fixed, so make sure the photos you choose are as crisp and clear as can be.

The bigger the picture the better the product

In most cases the larger the photo you provide the better the end result will be. It is far more desirable to reduce an image than to enlarge an image. As a rule of thumb, if there are people in the picture, try to choose a photograph where the size of their faces are no smaller than the diameter of a penny.

Scanning your photographs into digital files

Many customized photo vendors offer an online option where you can upload your picture. We have established that the bigger the image the better the result, however that applies to digital file sizes as well. A standard photo scanner is sufficient enough to provide a quality digital reproduction. When scanning, choose a resolution setting of 300 DPI, or Dots per Inch. This will provide the optimum amount of pixel information to be used for later processing. You should set the file type to JPEG, or .jpg when saving your image. This allows for a faster transfer time if you are sending the file via the internet. Most file sizes are 100k or greater. If yours is less, you may want to consider setting the DPI higher.

Paper printouts make poor reproductions

If the picture you have is already on a computer or digital camera, do not print the picture out on your printer. Chances are who ever is custom creating your item will simply be scanning it back into a computer again. By printing out the picture, you will loose a great amount of detail in the paper and ink process. Instead they would prefer working with the digital file from which the printout was made. That file should be placed onto either a CD, Flash Drive, Digital Memory Card or sent via Email. You can even take your digital camera with you as most professionals will have the proper equipment to connect to it.

Follow these simple guidelines for the best custom photo results

• Do use pictures that say the most about your subject.
• Do select images that are clear, in focus and are free of dust and scratches.
• Do provide as large of an original photo as possible.
• Do scan your photograph at a higher resolution such as 300 DPI with a file size greater than 100k.
• Do save it as a .jpg if you will be sending the picture over the Internet.

• Do Not print the picture out on paper if the picture is already on the computer or camera.
• Do Not expect the final product to look too much better than the original picture does.
• Do Not use copyrighted photos without the permission of the copyright holder.

Custom photo products make wonderful gifts

Whether it is a birthday, graduation or retirement, a custom photo gift has the flexibility to perfectly fit any of those occasions. Anniversary gifts offer a unique opportunity to get creative because you can often use two photos in one gift, such as a wedding photo next to the couples most recent photograph. No matter the application, by following these simple guidelines and calling upon your critical eye you can select heart warming quality photos every time.