Digital Images

Artwork for publication in Sawaddi Magazine can be submitted in three basic forms

  •  35 mm slides  •  Prints   •  Digital photos  •

This document focuses on digital photos. Our goal is to ensure that images submitted for Sawaddi will be high enough resolution for magazine printing. This topic seems rather complex, but we hope the following explanation and specifications will help.

When shooting digital pictures, make sure your camera is set to the highest/finest/best resolution that your camera can capture. More pixels in a digital image are better when it comes to print. Review your owner's manual to determine its best resolution, and consider the guidelines below.

What is Digital Image Resolution?
Resolution refers to the ability to distinguish detail. The number of pixels produced by a camera is the camera's resolution. Digital images are measured by a certain number of pixels wide by a certain number high. The larger the number of pixels, the greater the resolution. Too low a resolution results in what are called jaggies—a stairstepped look to diagonal lines and tonal edges.

Resolution is expressed as pixels per inch—72 ppi, 150 ppi or 300 ppi, for example. Resolution is important when you begin to figure input (camera capture) and output (printing) numbers in the imaging process.

Digital Image File Resolution for Optimal Print Results (at 300 dpi)

Camera
Resolution at best quality 
Print Size (inches)
6.3 megapixels
3072 x 2048 pixels
10 x 6.8
5 megapixels
2560 x 1920 pixels
8.5 x 6.4
4 megapixels
2272 x 1704 pixels 
7.5 x 5.6
3.1 megapixels
2100 x 1500 pixels
7 x 5
2.2 megapixels
1800 x 1200 pixels
6 x 4

If your camera resolution is different, simply divide the pixels (resolution) by 300 to determine the maximum size (in inches) the image can be printed. Images with less resolution than listed above are adequate for email attachments and websites but are not sufficient for print.

What are Megapixels, anyway?
Pixel dimensions determine the total amount of pixels and, therefore, the commonly quoted megapixel resolution. A 5-megapixel camera produces images measuring 2560 pixels by 1920 pixels (pixel dimensions). 2560 multiplied by 1920 equals 4.9 million, hence the 5-megapixel designation. If a 35mm slide were converted to digital megapixels, it would yield a 22-megapixel image—which results in excellent quality when printed.

We prefer to receive your original digital photos. However, if you open them to rename them, please take care. When saving a digital JPG image, it's important to save it at maximum (10-12) quality­which actually means least compression. Every time a JPG is opened and saved, the quality degrades. TIF format does not degrade, however, so it is a safer image format.

TIPS & NOTES:
1) To check your digital image dimensions, open in an image editing program such as Photoshop. Look under Image > Image Size and see what the "Pixel Dimensions" show. If the pixels are less than 1800 x 1200 pixels, it is questionable whether the image can be used in the magazine. You may notice that the "Resolution" shows 72 ppi, the number at which digital cameras generally capture images. Please disregard this number and note the "Pixel Dimensions". If you'd like more information, please contact the Managing Editor .

2) When we receive slides for reproduction in the magazine, we assume they were originally shot using slide film. Slide transparencies allow for a very high-resolution image which prints great in a high-quality color magazine such as Sawaddi. If you have had digital images made into slides, please inform us so we print at the correct size.

Please contact us to make arrangements for submitting your images or
if you have questions or concerns about your image submission.

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Updated November 21, 2009