Delivering professionally resized photos can be a challenge for photographers. With clients using images across different mediums - from social media to professional printing - it's important to provide files correctly sized for each use. Taking the guesswork out of delivery, a service like Framebird allows you to simply upload full resolution images and receive perfectly sized final files for each of your clients' needs.
The Right Photo Size for Client Delivery
When providing final image files to clients, one of the most common questions photographers face is "what size should my photos be?" With so many potential uses, it can be tricky to decide what sizes to deliver. Clients may want to print images themselves, share them online, or even have them professionally printed and framed. Having differently sized files on hand gives clients flexibility, while saving you the hassle of manually resizing images multiple times.
What is the Best Size Photo to Give Clients?
There is no single "best" photo size for all clients. The ideal size depends on the client's intended use for the images. For example, a client wanting high resolution images for large prints would need much larger files than one who only wants to share photos on social media.
Some common sizes clients may request include:
- Full resolution (for printing, editing)
- Web-optimized (for websites, blogs)
- Social media sizes (for platforms like Facebook and Instagram)
- Print sizes (for standard frames and print products)
Why is it Important to Choose the Right Size?
Providing improperly sized images can result in frustration for both you and your clients. Smaller files may pixelate or look blurry if printed or viewed larger. Excessively large files are cumbersome to email and share digitally.
By taking the time to understand how your clients plan to use their images, you can provide perfectly sized photos the first time. This saves you the hassle of manually resizing batches of images, and gives your clients a better experience.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Photo Size
When preparing client photos, keep the following factors in mind:
Printing - Will your client have images professionally printed or print themselves? Full resolution files are required for high quality large prints.
Framing - For standard frame sizes, cropped print-ready files can make framing easier.
Website Use - Optimize images to avoid excessively large files for quick web loading.
Social Media - Smaller resized images are ideal for sharing quickly on platforms like Facebook.
Product Design - For clients using images commercially, ensure correct print resolution and color profiles are provided.
Future Editing - Full resolution copies allow your client flexibility for cropping and edits later on.
How to Deliver Your Photos in Different Sizes
Once you understand your clients' needs, there are a few options for delivering optimized files:
Create Separate Galleries for Each Size
Grouping similarly sized images makes it easy for clients to find what they need. For example, provide a gallery of full resolution images for printing and editing, another with web resolutions photos, and a third gallery with social media sizes.
Use Cloud Storage for Delivery
Services like Dropbox and Google Drive allow you to easily share galleries of images. This gives clients instant access to download files in multiple sizes.
Use a Photo Delivery Service
Dedicated photo delivery platforms like Pixieset, SmugMug or Framebird offer galleries with client proofing and automatic file size optimization. The service handles resizing images for your clients' needs.
Offload Resizing with Framebird
Rather than manually optimizing images yourself, use a convenient service like Framebird. Simply upload your full resolution photos in any of the supported filetypes, and Framebird will resize and deliver perfectly optimized files for each client's needs.
Different Types of Photo Sizes
Understanding common photo sizes and resolutions allows you to match image files to your clients' uses.
Full Resolution Photos
Full resolution files are the largest size images straight out of your camera, before any resizing occurs. They contain the full level of detail captured originally.
Uses: Printing, commercial products, editing, archiving
Size: Varies depending on camera megapixels. Often 10+ MB each.
Web-Optimized Photos
Web resolution photos are smaller files reduced in size just enough to share online while retaining quality.
Uses: Websites, blogs, online portfolios
Size: Typically under 2 MB each
Social Media Photos
These smaller photo sizes are optimal for quick sharing on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Uses: Social media post images
Size: Under 1 MB, resized to platform requirements
Print-Ready Photos
Print files are resized and cropped to standard frame dimensions for easy printing and framing.
Uses: Wall art, professional photo labs, self-printing
Size: Varies based on print size needed (ex: 8x10, 5x7)
When to Use Each Type of Photo Size
Deciding which photo sizes to deliver depends entirely on understanding your clients' plans for using their images.
Full Resolution Photos
Provide full resolution photos when your client wants to:
- Print images themselves, especially at large sizes
- Have images professionally printed
- Edit or crop photos
- Archive images at maximum quality
Web-Optimized Photos
Use web resolution photos for clients who plan to:
- Upload images to websites or blogs
- Share photos through an online portfolio
- Post photos online that don't require printing or enlarging
Social Media Photos
Provide small social media sized images for clients who want to:
- Share photos on Facebook, Instagram or other platforms
- Use images in social media stories, reels or temporary posts
Print-Ready Photos
Give print-ready files to clients who want to:
- Have prints made at a professional photo lab
- Print images at home themselves
- Frame images in standard sizes without resizing
How to Choose the Right Photo Size for Your Clients
The most important factor in determining what photo sizes to deliver is understanding exactly how each client plans to use their images. Here are some tips:
Ask questions upfront - Have a conversation about your client's plans for their photos before your shoot or editing begins.
Explain size options - Let clients know the differences between photo sizes and uses so they understand their options.
Offer flexibility - Provide an assortment of sizes like full resolution, web, and print files to give clients versatility.
Consider final mediums - If a client wants large canvas prints or commercial products made, ensure you supply adequate print resolution files.
Think ahead - Even if a client is unsure of their plans, provide full resolution images so they have flexibility to crop, edit, or print different sizes later on.
Automate delivery - Using a service like Framebird to handle optimized photo delivery takes the work off your plate while delighting clients.
Conclusion
Determining the right photo sizes for your clients' unique needs is crucial for a streamlined photography experience. By understanding typical uses for full resolution, web, social media, and print files, you can provide each client with perfectly optimized images to suit their plans. Automating the resizing and delivery process through a service like Framebird saves photographers hours of tedious manual work while delivering an exceptional client experience.
Key Points
| Section | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Choosing the Right Size | Differently sized photos are needed based on specific uses: social media, professional printing etc. |
| Introduction | Framebird can be used to upload and resize images according to client's needs. |
| Best Size for Clients | The ideal size depends on client's intended use; common sizes include full resolution, web-optimized, social media sizes, and print sizes. |
| Importance of Right Size | The right size prevents pixelation, blurriness and difficulties in digital sharing. |
| Factors When Choosing Size | Several factors to consider include: purpose of printing, framing, website use, social media use, commercial use, and future editing. |
| Delivery of Different Sizes | Delivery can be done by creating separate galleries, using cloud storage, using a photo delivery service, or offloading resizing with Framebird. |
| Different Types of Sizes | Typical photo sizes include full resolution photos, web-optimized photos, social media photos, and print-ready photos. |
| When to Use Each Size | The choice of sizes depends entirely on client's plans for image use. |
| Choosing Right Size for Clients | Understanding client's plans for photos, explaining size options, offering flexibility, and considering final mediums are crucial. |
| Conclusion | To simplify photo resizing and delivery, automate the process using a service like Framebird. |
