Here’s what you do:

Once you’ve got all of your full sized spreads or image files saved as JPEGs, store them in one location (in a file maybe on your desktop) named in the order you’d like that retains the album spread sequence for example….1,2,3.

Once the folder is all set with your full resolution images, open photoshop.

Go to File–Automate–Web Photo Gallery

Then it will ask you to choose a layout to use to preview your images (templates can be seen on the right)

Once you choose a template, then choose the source folder, which will be the folder with all of your full res jpegs.

Then choose a destination folder, which will be where you’ll locate your new web gallery-for example, I create a new folder on my desktop with the couples first two initials plus the letters wa-so for Lianne & Patrick, it would be lpwa as the file name.

Once you’ve selected location and destination, you can also determine the size of the images and the quality of the photos as well as titles and copyright.

After you’ve selected all of these factors, you are ready to click OK

Once you’ve clicked OK, Photoshop will fill the new folder on your desktop with the files that are ready for web upload.

Once the file has completed processing, photoshop will provide you with a preview of what the gallery will look like once posted on the web. If you’re ok with it, then go to your FTP of your website and upload the file. Once uploaded it will have a name and look like this:

www.studioatg.com/lpwa

Your domain name/the name of the folder from your desktop.

The images aren’t huge on this one because it’s just a quick example, but it’s an inexpensive way to preview your images on the web.

But hey, who needs JPEG, when you can export to EPS? ooohhhh…..aaaaahhhh…..

EPS is in my opinion the original way of exporting files used previously by graphic designers everywhere.  It’s quality proven by designers and printers, and the files look incredible.  Therefore, it’s really no big deal to go back to exporting in EPS.  The quality will amaze you and your files will look gorgeous printed.

EPS or encapsulated Post Script is like a exporting a single image with tons of information in it that is to be recognized just as it is. It just contains a low res preview in it so that it can be viewed quickly and easily.

So for example, you design your page using InDesign drawing frames, placing images….adding color, all of that designing has to be able to be described in a page and the program has to have a format to be able to do it.  That format is Post Script.  Now, in using EPS (which is a post script program), you’re simply exporting that format as one single file determining how to distribute graphics.

Your EPS files may be much larger file size than your exported JPEG files, but the way the information is preserved is a bit different.

How do you preview an exported EPS file to a client or Album Company?

As most album companies prefer JPEGs here are the steps:

Option 1.) once you’ve exported to EPS, then open photoshop CS3, and filp those images quickly to JPEG and you’re ready to either a.) upload for client review, or b.) upload to your album printer.

Option 2.) to export to PDF (which is like a mini EPS making it more convenient for printers) for those of you using companies other than Vision Art, you have another option.  Create your entire album in Adobe Indesign as a single file, then take that file and go to Export in the file commands and select Export as PDF.  Then select the preferences in accordance with what your album company recommends.

It might take a few moments more, but it’s an easy temporary or full time fix until Adobe works out the JPEG bug that some folks are experiencing.

I’d also mention that we here at Studio ATG have no experienced any problems with exporting JPEGS and have great faith that InDesign is the wave of the future when it comes to album design.

Me & the hubby at Calico Ghost Town

Hey everyone, we’ve been crazy busy with our new studio gallery opening and we’re both just going nuts here with all the new things we’re introducing at the studio

I would encourage anyone and everyone to begin doing viewing sessions as we can’t believe the difference it ha s made for our clients. They love being able to see their images so big and it’s also a great way for them to select the images they’d like to showcase in their home.

Another part of the new studio will be our gallery. We’ll be selling some of our fine art pieces and commercial art pieces at the gallery. We’re also going to be hosting gallery shows every other month not only to promote our work, but also the work of other local artists.

It’s a very exciting and busy time here at Studio ATG/ATG Creative/TYB Photography, but we’re working hard to get everything off the ground at once….Yikes it’s hard to be a grown up!

How do we do this? Once your page is set up to the correct dimensions, and you’ve placed your images on your spread, select an image in a frame that you’d like to add effects to.

Once that image is selected the frame will turn blue indicating it’s ready for an effect.  Select the Object command at the top tool bar.  Then scroll down to effects and select Drop Shadow.

InDesign will then request additional information about your preferences for the drop shadow however keep in mind that it will also select default preferences based upon what it recommends for usage. 

For Drop Shadow Preferences:

Select: Blending Mode-Multiply

Opacity-about 38% ( you can increase or reduce depending upon the results of the look you’re trying to accomplish) to obtain a clean and not too thick drop shadow around the image

You can select a direction for your drop shadow or global light in order to determine the appearance of the drop shadow around your image.

You can also select the addition of noise for a more grainy drop shadow appearance, or change the distance of the drop shadow if you’d like it to extend beyond the default distance to give a longer more exaggerated appearance.

Using the settings recommended above, your drop shadows will appear something like the image below:  

This can happen from the presence of one image, or from the presence of many images-just depends upon how you tell a story and how compelling the images are that detail that story.

We find that often times, our clients prefer a single image to say 5 images on a page. That single image can say plenty about a moment without breathing a single word.

To place a single image in Adobe InDesign, you must first set up your page to the correct size and preference. And then by using the Rectangular frame tool, create a rectangle on top of the art box exceeding the corners to ensure the image will bleed off the ends of the page.

Then by using the place command, place the image inside the frame. To resize the image correctly, simply use the fitting command and the image will be placed into the rectangle at the correct size.

Once you’ve placed your image correctly, export as JPEG and send to print!

We’ll try to post weekly, but please understand that as photographers, we’ll have busy times too where posting might be monthly.

This blog is all about shared creativity so if you’re learning about building albums in InDesign and if you’d like to share your knowledge, go ahead!

Cheers!
Trish McMillen