- Digital File guide -
Preserving digital image files is crucial to ensure their longevity and maintain their quality over time. Here are some best practices to help you print, preserve, and enjoy your digital image files today and in the future:
shown 11x14 print matted in a 16x20 frame
printing & cropping
To ensure that your images have accurate color and contrast, my preferred consumer lab for printing is www.mpix.com. Other labs such as CVS, Shutterfly and Costco will NOT print with accurate color or archival methods.
Your images are cropped to a 2x3 standard ratio, and will print well at 4x6, 5x7 or 8x12. Please keep in mind that other ratios, such as 8x10 and 11x14, will crop off portions of the image.
copyright
Danielle Sara Photography owns the copyright to all images created by the studio. By purchasing your digital image files, you have permission to use the images to create prints and products for personal use in any size or quantity. You may not use the images for commercial use, sell them or enter them in contests without the permission of the photographer.
Screenshot of images and removing watermarks is illegal.
Backing Up
Don’t forget this step! Danielle Sara Photography is not responsible for the safe-keeping of your images after delivery. Always create multiple backups of your image files. To best protect your digital files, save them on your hard drive AND on an external drive AND an offsite location, such as cloud storage. Your phone is not considered a safe place for your photos. The best way to prevent your images from going extinct is to print them.
External Drives
Saving duplicate copies of your images onto an external backup will ensure they are in a safe location that you have control over, frees up computer space, and provides assurance should your computer crash.
Recommendations - Seagate Plus Slim Drive, LaCie Rugged Portable 1TB
Cloud Storage
Set up a cloud based storage system that automatically syncs your devices. Choose the one that works best for you based on a Mac or PC system.
Recommendations - Amazon Photos, One Drive, Drop Box, Google Photos, etc.
digital photo organizing
Do you want to learn how to organize your photos and create a family photo album? I created an easy to follow online course to teach you! Learn how to manage the chaos of your ever expanding photo collection with a streamlined process to find, store, manage, and maintain all your precious photos from various devices.
Reduce your photo overwhelm with my online photo organizing course, The Legacy Photo Lab!
If you have any questions about your digital photos, please reach out for assistance!