Extensions of drawings and photographs. Fundamentals of computer graphics. Graphic file formats. Raster and vector formats

Each of us, one way or another, encounters images. Let's look at the issue of understanding this term a little more broadly. After all, image formats include not only graphics (animation, animation, etc.), but also video. We will separately dwell on the issues of file conversion, as well as storage of one or another type of information.

What are image formats?

This is information stored in a file, which is intended for data visualization (displaying it on a playback device such as a monitor, TV, printer, mobile device etc.).

As for the information in the file itself, for the most part it describes the method of visualization, the method of creating a solid static or dynamic image, its size (not to be confused with the size of the file itself), the number and depth of colors and their shades, and so on.

Concept of vector and raster graphics

First, let's look at which image formats are used exclusively in the standard sense of graphics. There should be a clear distinction between vector and raster graphics. These two types are basic.

Vector graphics allows you to visualize an object based on a mathematical description of the set of aggregate elements that make up the image, which are usually called primitives. These include the simplest concepts that are familiar to everyone from school. These are points, lines, curves, circles, polygons, etc.

The advantage of this approach is the ability to describe an arbitrarily large number of individual elements without significantly increasing the final file size. In addition, scalability is very evident here, which allows you to change the size of each individual element or their entire set without losing the quality of the entire image. This descriptive algorithm is suitable mainly for graphics created manually, for example, in some graphic editor. This method is not applicable for photographs.

PCX is a format for storing raster images with a color depth of 24 bits. Compression is very fast, but is not suitable for converting detailed graphics such as photographs.

RAW is a universal format used for images coming directly from digital cameras. We can say about it that this is the best image quality format. It can serve as source material for processing not only images, but also sound. In addition, support for metadata provides enormous potential for processing and applying lossless or lossy compression algorithms of any level. The format is quite specific and requires certain knowledge when working with it.

File formats of specialized graphic editors

In addition to standard types, you can separately select formats graphic images, used in specialized editors.

PDF is a format that can contain text and graphic data. Developed by Adobe Corporation. This format involves the use of different compression methods for each specific element contained in final file. Today it is universal mainly for technical documentation electronic.

CDR is a vector format of the Corel Draw graphics editor. It can only be processed with this software package. Not supported by other editors, but easily exported to other formats.

AI - format Adobe programs Illustrator, supported by most other editors. main feature- highest image stability and full compatibility with PostScript technology. Can be used as an intermediate format when converting from one to another.

PSD- best format Images software package Adobe Photoshop for intermediate editing of complex images. Allows the use of layers and blending modes, but is larger in size compared to other formats. As a final format for saving files, it is used exclusively in the program itself.

Large format images

If we talk about large formats where high detail needs to be taken into account, then it is worth using RAW, TIFF or PSD.

However, many professional photo and video cameras with 20-25 megapixel matrices have their own standards. Most of them are adapted to the most common types of formats. Here everything depends only on the settings of the camera itself. The same applies to mobile devices.

Basic types of video and animation

Now let's briefly look at the video, since it can also, in some sense, be interpreted as an image, or rather, as a set of alternating images (frames). The determining factor here is the frame rate per second (fps) and the size of the image in pixels.

Initially at the dawn of development digital video it was the well-known AVI format, which is still used today, since it is a kind of container containing information processed or compressed completely different methods(codecs). A special decoder is required for playback.

A little later, such well-known formats as WMV, MPG, MKV, MP4, VOB, TS and many others appeared, and the latter can even be considered as TV image formats high resolution, allowing you to play files with HD, Full HD (2k) or Ultra HD (4k) quality standards.

When it comes to animation, the most famous today is Flash technology. Initially, it was a development by Macromedia Corporation, but then Adobe bought it and significantly modernized it. The format of such files is SWF. It is mainly used to create small animated videos, computer animation, banners or simple games.

Mobile systems

If we talk about mobile systems (smartphones or tablets based on Android, iOS, Blackberry, etc.), then specialized image formats are extremely rare. Mostly standard ones are used computer formats images for both graphics and video. However, without installed codecs and decoders, some types of videos will not play. That is why we will have to solve the problem of converting the source material into another type.

For example, regular phones only accept the 3GP format. Android or iOS recommend using MP4. But overall there are enough options.

Changing basic image settings

Probably everyone understands perfectly well that editing needs to be done using special programs.

The simplest operations of resizing, mirroring, rotating, tilting and others can be performed even in the most primitive Paint editor, which is included with any Windows operating system.

If more are required complex actions, say, changing color, saturation, contrast, editing layers, breaking the image into separate components, etc., then you will have to use professional packages like the aforementioned Corel Draw or Adobe Photoshop.

There are utilities for video editing, for example, Vegas Pro. Except standard features, they can use specialized effects and modeling systems that allow transfer to a pre-built mathematical model a real image similar to how the fight between Morpheus and Neo was filmed in the first part of The Matrix.

Format conversion

Conversion (conversion) is carried out using utilities called converters. One of the most prominent representatives- Xilisoft Video Converter, which can convert both graphics and video.

For graphics you may prefer, for example, ACDSee Ashampoo Photo Commander, Free Image Convert And Resize or something else. Today you can find a lot of such programs.

The only thing worth paying attention to is the final format and possible loss of quality (image compression formats). When viewing a picture or video on a smartphone or tablet, this will not be so noticeable, but on a television panel the difference will become very noticeable.

Which format is preferable for storing data?

Photos on your computer can be stored in the universal JPG format. When viewing them on a monitor, special clarity is not needed. It's another matter when photos need to be printed. Here it is better to use original camera formats.

When converting one format to another, sometimes it will be simply impossible to restore the “source”, so when submitting files to the studio, it is not recommended to change their original form. Exception if you have necessary knowledge and do the editing yourself using professional software.

The same goes for video. It all depends on what device it will be viewed on.

Conclusion

Image formats are numerous and varied, ranging from graphics to video. The article discussed the most popular formats. Issues of their processing and transformation, selection software, the format used for storing data, etc., each user decides for himself.

File formats are the basis of working with digital photographs. will tell you about all the main formats graphic files.

RAW.

A file format containing raw information coming directly from the camera sensor. These files are not processed by the camera's processor (unlike JPG) and contain original shooting information. RAW can be compressed without losing quality.

The advantages of RAW are obvious - unlike JPG, which was processed in camera and already saved with data compression - RAW gives the broadest opportunities for photo processing and maintains maximum quality.

The note. Various manufacturers Photography technicians use different algorithms to create RAW in their cameras. Each manufacturer comes up with its own resolution for its RAW file - NEF - Nikon, CR2 - Canon...

JPEG (aka JPG).

This is the most common graphics file format.

JPG has earned its popularity due to its flexible data compression capabilities. If necessary, the image can be saved from maximum quality. Or compress it to minimum size file for transfer over the network.

JPG uses a lossy compression algorithm. What does this give us? An obvious disadvantage of such a system is the loss of image quality every time a file is saved. On the other hand, image compression simplifies data transfer by 10 times.

In practice, saving a photo with minimal compression does not result in any visible degradation in image quality. That is why JPG is the most common and popular format storing graphic files.

TIFF.

The TIFF format is very popular for storing images. It allows you to save photos in various color spaces (RBG, CMYK, YCbCr, CIE Lab, etc.) and with high color depth (8, 16, 32 and 64 bits). TIFF is widely supported graphic applications and is used in printing.

Unlike JPG, a TIFF image will not lose quality every time the file is saved. But, unfortunately, precisely because of this TIFF files weigh many times more than JPG.

Right to TIFF format this moment owned by Adobe. Photoshop can save TIFF without merging layers.

PSD.

The PSD format is used in Photoshop program. PSD allows you to save a raster image with many layers, any color depth and in any color space.

Most often, the format is used to save intermediate or final results of complex processing with the ability to change individual elements.

PSD also supports compression without loss of quality. But the abundance of information that may contain PSD file, greatly increases its weight.

BMP.

The BMP format is one of the first graphic formats. It is recognized by any program that works with graphics; format support is integrated into operating systems. Windows systems and OS/2.

BMP stores data with color depth up to 48 bits and maximum size 65535x65535 pixels.
At the moment, the BMP format is practically not used either on the Internet (JPG weighs several times less) or in printing (TIFF copes with this task better).

GIF.

The GIF format was created in the early days of the Internet for sharing images. It can store lossless compressed images in up to 256 colors. The GIF format is ideal for drawings and graphics, and also supports transparency and animation.
GIF also supports compression without loss of quality.

PNG.

The PNG format was created to both improve upon and replace the GIF format with a graphics format that does not require a license for use. Unlike GIF, PNG has alpha channel support and the ability to store an unlimited number of colors.

PNG compresses data without loss, which makes it very convenient for storing intermediate versions of image processing.

JPEG 2000 (or jp2).

New graphic format, created to replace JPEG. With the same quality, the file size is JPEG format 2000 is 30% less than JPG.

When highly compressed, JPEG 2000 does not break the image into squares characteristic of the JPEG format.

Unfortunately, at the moment this format is not very widespread and is only supported Safari browsers and Mozilla/Firerox (via Quicktime).

Today we will talk about image formats, their features and distinctive features. Many of us know that images come in different formats, but not everyone understands why there are so many of them and what their distinctive features are.

Any image stored on a computer has its own graphic format. Each of the graphic formats has its own properties and purpose. Today there is great amount graphic formats. We will consider most of the graphic formats based on one of the most popular graphic editors, Adobe Photoshop. Why Photoshop, it’s simple, this graphic editor has the largest number of formats.

But in addition, we will try to analyze other widely known image formats.

So let's get started:

PSD- This is a proprietary format of the Adobe Photoshop program, it allows you to save all the work done on the image. Namely, transparency, layer blending modes, shadows, layers, layer masks and all the other little things done with the image. This format is usually used if the image is not completely finished. It is also often used to develop a website layout, since it is convenient to make layout from this file, seeing all the layers and elements. And in all other cases there is no point in using it, since it has a significant big size file in relation to other formats.

TIFF– allows you to save the prepared Photoshop project as accurately as possible. It contains not only pixel information, but also the density of pixels per image when printed in dpi. It can also store several image layers plus channel transparency information. This format was used mainly in printing.

BMP- This bitmap. An image in this format consists of a mass of dots, each of which contains its own color. This format is very large and can be easily compressed by archivers. The quality loss in BMP is not significant, however, it is inferior to TIFF.

JPEG is the most widely used format. It has received widespread use in digital technology(cameras). The reason is so widespread use it's quite not poor quality and small file size. But the small size means that image quality is significantly lost. It's all about the image compression algorithm; it consists in the fact that, when compressed, the image significantly loses accuracy. For these reasons, it is not advisable to use this format in printing. But the advantage is that it is convenient to send them by email ( e-mail), post it on the Internet and store it on disk.

GIF– Primarily used to produce graphics for the Internet. It is not suitable for saving photographs, as it has a limitation in color reproduction; for the same reasons, it is not suitable for printing. The image of this graphic format consists of dots, which can include from 2 to 256 colors. Limited color rendering and support for transparency make it indispensable for storing images with minimal colors, such as logos. Another feature of the format is the ability to produce animated images. Widely used for creating gifs(animated) banners.

EPS- can be called the most reliable and universal format. It is mainly intended for transmission to publishing houses; the format can be created and used by almost all graphic editors. It makes the most sense to use this format only if the output is on a PostScript device.

This format is unique; it supports everything necessary for printing, it can record data in RGB, clipping paths, as well as the use of fonts and more. Initially, EPS was developed as a vector format, but later a raster version appeared - Photoshop EPS.

PNG is a graphic format that has recently replaced Gif format, and has already become very popular due to the fact that it can maintain transparency and translucency, which was not possible in its predecessor gif. This means that the png maintains translucency in the range from 1 to 99% using an alpha channel with 256 levels of gray. Transparency works as follows: gamma correction information is written to the file. Gamma correction is a certain number of brightness, contrast of the monitor. This number is subsequently read from the file and allows you to adjust the image display by adjusting the brightness.

PICT is a proprietary Macintosh format. The format is capable of including both raster and vector information, text, as well as sound, and uses RLE compression. Bitwise PICT images can have absolutely any bit depth. Vector PICT images, which have all but disappeared from use these days, had unusual line thickness problems and other variations during printing.

The format is used for Macintosh, and when creating certain presentations only for Mac. On regular computers (not Mac) PICT – the format is presented with the extension .pic or .pct, read certain programs, working with this format is often not easy.

PDF– the format was proposed and developed by Adobe as a format for electronic documentation, various presentations and layout for sending it by e-mail. And its design feature was to provide compact format. For these reasons, all data in pdf can be compressed, and the peculiarity of it is that different types of compression are applied to different types of information, more suitable for these types of data: JPEG, RLE, CCITT, ZIP.

PCX– format bitmap. pcx files use a standard color palette, this format has been extended to store 24-bit images. This format is hardware dependent. Designed to store information in a file in the same form as in the video card. To combine this format with older programs, support for the EGA mode of the video controller is required. The compression algorithm is fast and takes up a small amount of memory, but is not very efficient and is not suitable for compressing photographs and detailed computer graphics.

ICO– This format is designed for storing file icons. ico files can be any size, but the most commonly used icons are those with sides of 16, 32 and 48 pixels. Icons with sizes of 24, 40, 60, 72, 92, 108, 128, 256 pixels are also used. Icon data is usually not compressed. Icons come in True Color, High Color, or with a clearly fixed palette. In their structure, ICO files are closest to the BMP format, but differ from bmp in the presence of a mask applied to the background using the bitwise “AND” operation, which makes it possible to implement transparency.

Exclusive OR overlaying the main image can even invert pixels where the background was not masked. And already with Windows XP, 32-bit icons began to be supported - each pixel corresponds to 24-bit color plus an 8-bit alpha channel, which allows for partial transparency of 256 levels. Using the alpha channel, it is also possible to display an icon with smooth edges and also with a shadow, combined with different backgrounds, the icon mask is ignored in this case.

CDR is a vector format image or drawing created using CorelDRAW programs. This format developed by Corel for use in the company's own software products. CDR images are not supported by many graphics editors. But this is not a problem, the file can be easily exported using the same CorelDRAW to more common image formats. Images created in CorelDRAW with the CDR extension can also be opened in Corel Paint Shop Pro. For best compatibility, Corel recommends saving files in CorelDRAW CDR format earlier version. CDR files of the tenth and earlier versions can be opened using the program Adobe Illustrator.

A.I. is a vector image format, the name of which comes from the abbreviation of the name of the vector editor AdobeIllustrator. Supported by almost everyone graphic programs that are in any way related to vector graphics. Ai is one of the best middlemen for transferring an image from one editor to another. Distinctive and very important feature format is its greatest stability and compatibility with PostScript, which is of great value for publishing houses of printing products.

RAW– this is a data format containing raw information (or processed to a minimal extent), created directly by incoming information from the matrix of a camera (video camera, etc.). This format denotes not only photo data, but also the original audio or video data. This format stores all information about the file and has greater potential for photo processing rather than JPG format. RAW preserves the highest possible quality. Data in RAW files can be uncompressed, losslessly compressed, or lossily compressed.

RAW files from a number of camera manufacturers have their own extension format, such as Canon - CR2, Nikon - NEF. Many others have the DNG format offered by Adobe, these are companies such as Leica, Hasselblad, Samsung, Pentax, Ricoh. If it is not available in Photoshop raw camera for your camera, the files will not open; it was created for these purposes by Adobe.

SVG– scalable format vector graphics(Scalable Vector Graphics). The format was created by W3C. In accordance with the specification, it was created to describe two-dimensional vector and mixed vector raster graphics in XML. Includes three types of objects: shapes, images, and text. Supports still, animated and interactive graphics. You can create and edit both in text editors by editing the code, and in any graphic editor for vector graphics (Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDRAW, Corel SVG Viewer). SVG is an open standard and is not proprietary.

Some of the advantages of the SVG format include: Scalability without loss of image quality. Text in SVG is text, not an image, thanks to this it can be selected, copied, and it is indexed by search engines (when used on a website). The interactivity of the graphics makes it possible to attach your own events to each element. Availability of using raster graphics within a document. Animation that is implemented in SVG using the SMIL language. Compatible with CSS, it allows you to set object properties such as color, background, transparency, etc. SVG easily integrates with HTML and XHTML documents. Reducing the number of HTTP requests. Small file weight compared to raster graphics.

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Let's say you've just completed a design project and are about to save the file, at which point you need to select correct extension for the file. If you do not understand the difference between these formats, then it will be quite difficult to choose the appropriate one, but today we decided to help you and explain one simple thing:

There are many image formats, but only a few are important

There is one main rule - each task has its own image formats. There are many various formats, which you will never even encounter, especially if you are engaged in print design.

Let's try to find out what image formats may be useful to us.

Raster and vector images

To really understand the difference between image types, you first need to understand how raster images differ from vector images.

Raster images are made up of pixels and can be expressed as anything from simple illustrations to complex images such as color photographs.

Since raster images consist of fixed dial pixels, when scaling them, loss of quality cannot be avoided, especially if you enlarge them. They are often used as a final product, ready to be sent to print or published on a website.

Vector images aren't really images at all - they're sort of mathematical formulas that communicate directly with the computer, telling it the coordinates of the shapes you want to display. Thanks to this, vector images can be scaled without loss of quality, since the formula simply adjusts to the required dimensions of the final drawing.

Vector images are used to create text and logos, and they are not capable of displaying complex graphic products such as photographs. They are usually used as working files, which are later converted into raster images for websites. But with their help you can also develop graphics for subsequent printing:

Choosing the right image formats

The classification of the main file types used in print and web design involves more than a simple division into vector and raster. Both raster and vector are just two large families that include many different image formats with different advantages, disadvantages and purposes.

Raster formats

JPEG

Many people don't like JPEG, but it's worth noting that it's just not really suitable for printing. The JPG format uses strong compression. This is good if you want to keep file sizes as small as possible, but it is not entirely suitable in terms of the quality of the image you are going to print. Therefore, this format cannot be used when creating, say, logos.

Thanks to small size files, JPEG is often used in web design, as it has a positive effect on page loading speed. JPG format is also widely used for digital photos, since the loss in quality is invisible, and thanks to smaller size A flash drive or hard drive can hold many more pictures.

Given all these advantages, JPG has established itself as the "standard" format for everything outside the design field. In practice, you will likely encounter clients who provide their own logos in terrible quality, or those who prefer to work exclusively with this format because it is the only one they know. Do everything you can to attract their attention to other, more suitable formats.

GIF

No one seems to ever pronounce the name of this format correctly. Designers often pronounce the first letter G clearly or dictate all three letters in turn, however its creator, Steve Wilhite, states that the correct way to pronounce the name is "jeev". Although its abbreviation stands for Graphics Interchange Format (“ image exchange format"), and it itself is mainly used in web design.

Advantage of GIF ( which also distinguishes it from other web image formats) is that these pictures can be animated.

In addition, GIF supports transparency, which can sometimes significantly reduce the weight of files. However, the concept of small weight is relative, since the more colors used, the larger the file will weigh. It is also important to consider the number of frames, since each frame also affects the weight of the file and increases the loading time of the web page.

PNG

The PNG format combines the advantages of JPG and GIF, however, it has clear recommendations for use. Like JPG, the PNG format is ideal for photographs, and at the same time allows you to save even best quality pictures than JPG. PNG also supports transparency, making it a near-ideal option for designers who want transparent elements without sacrificing graphic quality.

The main disadvantage of PNG is its large file size, which negatively affects site loading speed. This format is best used selectively for elements where it is required high quality, which JPG and GIF are unable to offer ( e.g. high quality logos). PNG is also a raster image format, so you risk losing quality when scaling such files.

TIFF

TIFF (sometimes TIF) is an uncompressed file format, which means that when saved it is not compressed at all. TIFF also supports layering.

This format is often called " ready to print” although most printers work better with native file types like AI and PSD.

In addition, TIFF is too heavy a format for web design. And file sizes can be intimidating for inexperienced clients, so try to prepare projects in more common formats.

PSD

PSD represents native format Adobe Photoshop programs. This means that these files can only be edited seamlessly in Photoshop.

PSD cannot be used on website pages, and we strongly discourage you from sending design previews to clients in this format. However, it is great for later printing or for sharing project files with other designers.

Vector formats

EPS

EPS is a standard vector file format consisting of numerous formulas and numbers that generate a vector illustration. This is an ideal format for those design elements that typically need to be scaled ( for example logos).

Files in EPS format are ready for printing, however, this is not the format that should be used in web design. Often, once a page design is approved, its component elements are converted to PNG, JPG and GIF.

Design elements saved in EPS format, can be opened in any editor that supports vector graphics. Therefore, EPS is more suitable for sharing files with clients, printing on a printer, or for collaboration on a project with other designers.

A.I.

AI is another branded vector format from Adobe, designed to work in Illustrator program. An AI file cannot be embedded in web pages and is not the format used to send projects to a client. But it is well suited for indoor use and for printing.

Other formats

PDF

Adobe's PDF format is ideal for both printed materials and digital use. This is a format that any client can “handle” and that can be printed on a printer without any problems. You can place both raster and vector images in a PDF document, or even combine them in a single document.

Of course, you will have to try hard to display the contents of a PDF document on a website page in a high-quality manner, but you can download it. This format is also ideal for sending clients a preview of the final result.

However, PDF is more suitable for printed products such as books, brochures or flyers.

Converting different file types

As you work on your print design, you may have to jump from one format to another. Sometimes you need to put JPG photos and EPS logo in general project, which is being worked on in a PSD file in Photoshop.

The good thing is that each image format has its strengths, and an experienced designer will know how to capitalize on them. There is a high chance that you will need the same design element in different formats: the main source of the logo will be stored in EPS format, its PNG version will be used on the site, and the animated GIF version will be reserved for special occasions.

With Photoshop and Illustrator, you can save and convert images to almost any format. But it is worth noting that saving an image from low resolution into a specific format will not help you improve its quality. And here is the saving high quality images format using compression will result in loss of quality.

Converting a vector image to a raster image is very simple - you just need to specify the desired raster format when saving. However, this action will compress the vectors into pixels, which means that you will no longer be able to “painlessly” scale the saved image, so we recommend leaving a copy of the original file, just in case.

Converting a raster image to a vector image is a whole science. No simple way Convert raster image pixels into formulas that generate vectors. The most proven method is to simply redraw the picture using vectors.

This publication is a translation of the article “ IMAGE FILE TYPES EXPLAINED: WHICH FORMAT SHOULD YOU USE?", prepared by the friendly project team

Good bad

Welcome to my blog again. I’m in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. It’s possible that everyone has had to deal with this situation: you took a photo, and on the screen the picture looked clear and of high quality.

After which you went to the salon and printed it out, but it looked completely different from what it looked like on the monitor screen and had a large number of digital noise. What is the problem? Today I will tell you more about this problem and what photo formats there are. Let's start studying.

Basic terms for understanding the topic

Pixels - small square dots, painted in a certain light, which make up a single whole - an image.

When you look at a photograph, the eye does not notice specific dots of the raster, since they are very small and their number can reach tens of thousands; they merge to form one picture. Only with magnification will you be able to see them.

There is a peculiarity: the higher the number of raster dots, the more details are drawn and the better the quality of the photograph.

Linear size - This is data on the width and height of the printed image, expressed in millimeters. They can be recognized using a regular ruler. Eg, linear quantity image with parameters 10*15 cm –102*152 mm.

Parameters in pixels – this is data about the width and height of a digital image.

There is one peculiarity. Digital cameras take pictures of the same sizes: 640*480, 1600*1200, but on the monitor we see 800*600,1024*768,1280*1024. That is a significant discrepancy.

Let's look at examples. If the picture has a size of 450×300 raster pixels, then the picture will be rotated to fit the album, that is, positioned horizontally. What does this depend on? The width of the image is greater than the height.

If we take the picture size as 300*450, then it will be located in portrait orientation, that is, vertically. Why is this so? The width is less than the height.

Resolution is a number that relates values ​​in millimeters and pixels, measured in dpi(from the English “dots per inch” - the number of dots per inch).

Experts advise setting the resolution to 300 dpi, intended for obtaining high-quality photographs. Minimum resolution – 150 dpi.

The higher the indicator, the better the quality of the photo.

But it’s worth noting that if you take a photograph larger than the original, that is, “stretch the raster points,” then the quality drops.

Resolution may vary depending on different camera models. What's the secret? Manufacturers of photographic equipment indicate an inaccurate number of megapixels, for example, 12 MP. In fact, it may turn out to be 12.3 or 12.5 MP. But the print quality will not deteriorate due to this fact.

Standard sizes

What photo formats are there? Let's find out.

1. The most popular print size is 10*15 cm. It is used to create a family archive.
2. The next one is 15*20 cm or A5.
3. A4, 20*30 cm or 21*29.7 cm. Used to decorate walls with photographs. Since A4 is the size of office printing paper, printing will not be difficult, since printers are mainly designed to produce A4.
4. 30*40 cm – complex format. It has two other names: A3 or A3+. Why complicated? Because there is confusion. The A3 size has parameters of 297*420 mm, but such photo frames cannot be found, they are not on sale. The closest photo frame to this photograph is 30*40 cm. Be careful when ordering. Photo frames are made with glass.

Custom sizes

Often we have to order a photo not of a standard size, but of a unique - non-standard size.

1. 13*18 cm. Used extremely rarely. Printing is difficult.
2. 40*50 cm or 30*40 cm. Pictures with these parameters will help decorate the interior, since they are quite large. Therefore, the quality must be high.

How to calculate dimensions for high resolution

Let's take a closer look at the photo with parameters 10*15 cm.

• The linear values ​​of these parameters (usually indicated in special tables) are 102 * 152 mm.
• Let's multiply the width of the image (102 mm) by the resolution we want to achieve, in our case it is 300 dpi.
• Let's divide the result of the last step by the number of mm in one inch - 25.4.
• We get the number of raster points of the original image in width 102*300/25.4 =1205.

We will carry out the same algorithm for height.

152*300/25,4 = 1795.

This means that we conclude that for any photograph, the size of which will be greater than 1205 * 1795 raster pixels, when printed on a 10 * 15 cm format, the resolution will be more than 300 units.

Sometimes it turns out that images with resolutions of 150 and 300 units look exactly the same. Why is this and what does it depend on? Depends on the genre of the picture and the distance from which it will be viewed.

Documentation

Document formats are measured in cm!

• For different types of IDs – 3*4 cm;
• For visas – 3.5*4.5 cm;
• For a passport – 3.7*4.7 cm;
• For personal use – 9*12 cm;
• For residence – 4*5 cm;
• For passes – 6*9 cm.

Other line of formats

The main thing is that the photo frame matches the photo. Therefore, manufacturers produce special paper with certain sizes:

• A8 (5*7 cm);
• A7 (7*10 cm);
• A6 (10*15 cm);
• A5 (15*21 cm);
• A4 (21*30 cm);
• A3 (30*42 cm).

Why do you need to choose the right paper? As a result, you won't have to look at an incomplete, cropped image, or trim off white margins that turn out to be unnecessary. Typically, the photo studio provides printable formats with examples.

Order Features

If you place an order online, then when you send an image, the system tells you which parameters will be more appropriate to obtain a high-quality image. If you choose a format of your own choosing and not one recommended by the program, then the administration does not take responsibility for receiving low quality.

It would seem, why in the modern century digital technologies printing photographs, because most photos are viewed in digital form. Knowledgeable people They say that a photograph comes to life only when it is printed on paper, framed and hung in a room to decorate the interior.

Remember that before printing, you need to select certain parameters, which will affect the quality of the printed image.

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All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.