How Tos > Prepare PDIs

Prepare PDIs

Guidance on producing your own PDIs (Projected Digital Images)
GUIDANCE NOTES
Preparing Your Images for Digital

See this document

ASK any GPC member for assistance

OR follow the instructions below:

These notes are guidelines only please follow the instruction provided for specific competitions.
In most cases Image size should be 1600 x 1200 pixels in.jpg format at maximum quality Images will be projected onto a black background

In Adobe Photoshop or Elements (will vary with different versions)

1. Resize your image to 1600 x 1200 Pixels

a) FILE > OPEN click on your chosen file and click ‘Open’
Remember if you have done work in layers in Photoshop you should ‘flatten’ your image before resizing: LAYER > FLATTEN

b) IMAGE > MODE > RGB select 'Color' & '8 Bits'
(In Elements - if you are not prompted on opening, convert to 8 bits)

c) IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE
(In Elements - IMAGE > RESIZE> IMAGE SIZE)
and tick the boxes - ‘Constrain Proportions’ and ‘Resample Image’
un-tick the box 'Scale Styles' and choose one of the ‘Bicubic’ options
(if you are not sure then just select ‘Bicubic’)
(Note: Older versions of Photoshop only have two boxes, tick both of these and carry on as above)

d) Still in the image size palette, you require to set the Pixel Dimensions:
If a ‘landscape’ (horizontal image) in ‘Pixel Dimensions’ > WIDTH >
type 1600x1200 (the height will be automatically filled in)
or If a ‘Portrait’ (vertical image) in ‘Pixel Dimensions’ > HEIGHT > type
1600 (the width will be automatically filled in) and left mouse click ‘OK’

2. How to set ‘sRGB’ as your colour space in Adobe Photoshop

With Adobe Photoshop open, and your image open go to

a) EDIT > CONVERT TO PROFILE

b) In ‘Destination Space’ for Profile select ‘sRGB IEC…’ which will be near the top and for ‘Conversion Options’ choose engine ‘Adobe (ACE)’ and Intent ‘Relative Colorimetric’ leave ‘Black Point..’ ticked and if the other two boxes are not greyed out ‘Use Dither’ and 'Flatten Image’ also tick them and left mouse click 'OK’

You can only do a basic conversion in Elements, you will not be able to do all of the above – you will find your settings in Edit ? Colour Settings, and if the file you are opening does not have a profile you will get a message coming up, (you can select sRGB here)

3. Save your image
a) First create a ‘New Folder’ then delete the text ‘New Folder’ and type in your new folder name then press the ‘Return/Enter’ key

b) From the editor in Photoshop select File >? ‘Save as…’

c) Select your destination folder, type in your Image ‘Filename’ in the following format
Your Name_Competition Name_Image Title.jpg
Your filename must contain:
• Your Name and any photo awards eg John Le Page BPE2
• followed by _ then the Competition Name eg _Still Life
• Follwed by _ and then the Image Title eg _My Brilliant Vase
• It is best to use spaces in the title / name so they are easily read
Eg John Le Page BPE2_Still Life_My Brilliant Vase.jpg

Select ‘jpg' from the ‘format’ drop down list click > SAVE.

d) You can now continue to do your remaining images following steps b) to d) and place them in the folder you created at step a). After you have done all the images you wish to submit, you are ready to close Photoshop and either email your files to the GPC email address or write your files to CD, DVD or USB Memory Stick

4. To write your files to a CD/DVD Using WINDOWS

a) Locate the folder containing the files you wish to copy open it and select the files you wish to copy

b) Left click on 'Copy to CD' You may see a reference to 'Thumbs' just click YES

c) A balloon will appear in the bottom right of the screen 'You have files waiting to be written to a CD' Click on the balloon and a window will appear containing the chosen folder.

d) Select the files you wish to copy to CD and then click on ‘Write these files to CD’
This will open the CD writing wizard, type in a name for your CD and click on next

e) You will be prompted to put a blank disc in the drive, WINDOWS will then write the files to the CD. The CD will be ejected automatically when writing is complete.
Click 'Finish' to exit.

g) If you wish to check the contents of the new CD put it back in the drive and it will auto load. Click on the folder or files you have just copied and you can view the files.

6. To write your files to a USB Memory Stick

a) Insert your memory stick into a spare USB port, a window will appear as 'Removable Disk (J)' or next available drive letter

b) Locate the folder containing the files you wish to copy and open it.

c) Select the files you wish to copy

d) Right click the mouse and select 'Copy'

e) Select the 'removable Disk (J)' window, right click the mouse and select 'Paste'

f) Your files will now be copied to your USB Memory Stick and displayed in the window. If you wish to see a Thumbnail of them select 'View’ > ‘Thumbnails'

g) Click on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon at the bottom left of the screen and select
'Safely Remove Mass Storage Device (J)' or what ever drive letter was used