Educating customers about photo quality

[Scott Shepherd]

There is a reason we don't do photos on our laser. One word. Customers. Not a lack of customers, but the lack of the ability for the customer to comprehend what's needed. I wonder if most out there experience the same thing. I had a person call and come into the shop and wanted a photo engraved on an item. The item was 12" x 12". They explain to me they are photoshop savvy and will prepare the photo as needed. I explain I need a large photo, and it'll have to be 300DPI at that size for best results. They talked about it being no problem, said they have the plugin's for that. We have an extensive discussion about DPI and they seemed to really "get it". They tell me they will email me the photo.

I get the email. 450px tall at 96DPI, 48k file.

I give up

[Lee DeRaud]

Hardly a new problem.

I worked in a camera store about 40 years ago. The most common question was, "How come this enlargement is so fuzzy?", usually in reference to an 11x14 print from an Instamatic negative.

[Scott Challoner]

I'm hoping to get away from them completely. They're just too much messing around for the money. I think the only way to do well with photos is to take the pictures yourself, or offer your services to professional photographers that know what they're doing. Last year I got a photo of a white Lhasa Apso sitting on a snowbank. I also got one of a guy and his deer, but the photographer stood about 40 yards away.
I'm sure my skills aren't the best, but I can't see how people do these for $20 and make money.

[Alexander Stein]

best one I have received (last year) was a scratched up 1996 "Glamor Shots" photo. The funny thing is that it was a sample! it even had the glamor shots logo branded all over the photo!!

[matt heinzel]

Yeah, it's funny how they just don't get it. It is equally funny that some people don't care what the quality is in the end. Not that they are photo's but there have been plenty of times when a customer sends a bad logo, and they say to print it even though we tell them it won't turn out good. Then they get it and love it? I hate sending out bad work, but sometimes they just make you. Funny when their name is all nice and crisp and their logo is a horrible mess. You can never tell what a customer deems as quality work.

[Mark Ross]

We get it from high volume repeat customers, that want us to just scan in their logo from a sticker. Ugh...literally it takes 4 pieces of software to get it in a format for the laser. Inkscape, Photoshop, Corel Photpaint and finally Corel Draw.

Inkscape seems to do the best for our use to get Line Art SVG with the least amount of diddling and fiddling.

the guy with the deer from 40 feet away, I wonder if you could crop what you needed and use that free software to blow it up...

[Martin Boekers]

They explain to me they are photoshop savvy and will prepare the photo as needed. I give up

The only thing worse than one who says they know Photoshop and can do it, is one that says they have a niece or nephew that knows photoshop and can do it.


Marty

[Andrea Weissenseel]

I don't do them too often, and I don't like them either. But I always tell them that I want the original photos from the camera. The printed photos I got so far worked out fine.

@Mark - I scan them in Photoshop, prepare them with the "Gold method, and then go directly to Corel or send them directly from Photoshop to the laser (if I use a ready piece of material).

Andrea

[Niklas Bjornestal]

There is a reason we don't do photos on our laser. One word. Customers. Not a lack of customers, but the lack of the ability for the customer to comprehend what's needed. I wonder if most out there experience the same thing. I had a person call and come into the shop and wanted a photo engraved on an item. The item was 12" x 12". They explain to me they are photoshop savvy and will prepare the photo as needed. I explain I need a large photo, and it'll have to be 300DPI at that size for best results. They talked about it being no problem, said they have the plugin's for that. We have an extensive discussion about DPI and they seemed to really "get it". They tell me they will email me the photo.

I get the email. 450px tall at 96DPI, 48k file.

I give up

Did they send the email with hotmail? If so they might have included the picture insteadt of attach it as a file, hotmail (and probably other webmail) resize pictures

[Scott Shepherd]

Not from hotmail. This person is very computer and graphics savvy. I'm glad we don't do photos either. I'll take one every once in a while, but if people that are into Photoshop can't send the right files, I'm convinced the average person can't send the right files. I recently had a job with a logo in it, I sent specific instructions on what we needed to do the job. It could not have been any more specific. In there, it said "We do not accept Word documents". What do they send? Word document. I emailed them back and pointed to the part in our document that said "Word documents are not acceptable" and explained what I needed again. They said "Got it, sorry about that". Send me another file. Word document. I just redrew it from scratch and added it to their bill.

[Eric Edgette]

One of the photo services I offer is on black anodized aluminum. Of course for samples I'm going to show the best work I can. So I used a raw picture from a hired professional photographer to use on my sample piece which was 12x12. It turned out so well, when people see it in person they think it's a black and white photo. Needless to say, as soon as someone wants the same thing done they think their 72dpi thumbnail will get the same results.

I do have to agree with Matt though, I think the work is sub par even after explaining how it works and the customers love it anyways. I couldn't imagine what they'd think if they gave me real photos to use.

[Bill Cunningham]

This is a general text grab of what I have on my website.. The big problem, is even if you write it down, rare is the person that will read it before sending you the same crappy .jpg they sent you the first time..
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Choosing your photograph is the most important step. Not all photographs can be laser etched, or engraved. Photographs that are to be etched with a laser, require 'contrast'. In other words, once converted to black and white (the laser does not etch in colour) there must be 'visible' difference between colours. Dark coloured clothing, seen against a dark coloured background may be perfectly obvious in a colour photograph, but once converted, the black and white (black etches, white does not) the difference will not be so obvious. A dark blue suit against a dark brown background, 'may' result in a 'head' floating in a dark background. For example see the samples below
<Before converting < After Engraving
As you can see, there is not much difference between the colours after etching.
Your photograph must also be 'high resolution'. We can scan a 'glossy' photograph, however, photographs printed on textured stock, no matter how fine the texture, may not give satisfactory results. The textured areas have a tendency to cast light back at the scanner, resulting in spots, fuzziness, or banding when etched. Digital photographs are acceptable providing they are at least 2000 x 1500 pixels or the highest resolution obtainable from a minimum 3 mega pixel camera. .JPGs 'can' be used, but please keep in mind that EVERY TIME you crop, manipulate, or change a .jpg AND save it as a .jpg it will get worse and worse with every load and re-save, until it gets to the point, where is pretty well unusable for anything but the web..
Here is a great link regarding .jpgs.
As a final step, we will evaluate your photograph as to suitability for engraving before we use it.

[John McClanahan]

My day job is in the commercial printing industry. Same thing happens here. Call the customer to tell them the photo is lo-res. Next thing you know, your giving them a lesson in Photoshop. Then they say "looks OK to me, go with it". Then when they see the printed piece, They complain about the "poor printing quality" and want a reprint at no charge!

John

[Rodne Gold]

We just make it easy - we tell the customer we can only print it small if they cant send a better pic. Most onesie customers are thrilled we got it on their award or plaque or whatever.

[Tim Morton]

How many times have you said to the customer...Please do not send me images you got from a webpage...only to get a logo in gif of jpg direct from someones website....

Well it looks good on my screen they say...