How not to provide art for print purposes
What? Two posts in one day?
This one can at least be repurposed for work, perhaps.
So, you're an author who wants to include art in your book. Less of an issue for fiction authors, but these days I work with nonfiction academics, who need photos and diagrams so they can show what they are talking about.
I need to write a longer document about how this should be done, but for today, here are some DON'Ts:
• Don't use a screenshot unless the purpose is to show what a screenshot-as-screenshot looks like. So, for example, DO NOT screenshot a satellite view from Google. Aside from possible copyright issues*, the resolution will be too low for print purposes. The image will be a gray blur.
• Don't just drag-and-drop an image from the internet. Again, copyright is a thing. But also, the image will CERTAINLY be too low resolution for print purposes. If the website has a place where you can download files of the images, download the largest, highest resolution image you can get. I don't care how many hours it takes your slow dial-up to get it.
• Don't use less than 600 dpi at full size for something with readable text on it. Diagrams, pages of a newspaper, etc. Any lower and the reader will wonder if she needs new glasses because all the words are slightly out of focus.
• Don't take photographs of documents and expect them to print well. Better if you can get it scanned professionally. I know this isn't always feasible, but you are warned.
• Don't take photographs with your phone. I don't care what phone you're using, it will not be as good as if you use a real camera, particularly if you're taking photos indoors or in otherwise bad lighting. Possible exception: you need the image to show particular details or information, but don't expect it to look like a beautiful photograph.
• Don't fiddle with your photo or scan in editing software. Or if you do, also send us the original file as it came off your camera or scanner. We will have professionals monkey with it to bring out the details you specify.
(Photographers, I know many of you like to fiddle with your images yourself. Some of you are good at it. More of you are Dunning-Kruger victims.)
• Don't keep sending "updated" versions of art. It is extremely easy for the wrong one to end up in the finished book. Make a decision and stick to it.
And some DOs:
• Do provide the highest resolution you can lay your hands on. I don't care if it's a 300MB file. Burn it to disk or link via Dropbox or whatever you need to do. Don't down-res the file!
• Do hire professionals--but make sure they understand print needs. A lot of universities have cartography departments, but they are making maps for uses other than looking pretty in a printed book.
• Do provide your art ALL AT ONCE. Sending it in piecemeal is likely to get some of it lost. This means...
• DO wait until you have all your art, and it is the final versions. Yes, this will slow down us starting on your book. But will also avoid delays in production. MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE.
• Do send test files if you're not sure if something is good enough. The answer might even be "this is fine"! Be sure to still include them in the FINAL package of all the art you will be sending at once.
*Though seriously, Google would have a nerve accusing anyone else of copyright infringement.