PREPARING IMAGES FOR THE EDI COMPETITION 2009

To help make the judging equitable, all images must comply with the following requirements:

1. The maximum image size is 1024 pixels wide (horizontal) and 768 pixels high (vertical) when viewed in its correct orientation.
2. The file format must be JPEG.
3. The maximum file size is 700 kilobytes.
4. Images should be in the sRGB colour space.
5. The images must be saved to a CD or USB drive (thumbdrive, memory stick).

A maximum of FOUR images may be submitted in each of two categories - COLOUR AND MONOCHROME.
The definition of MONOCHROME used for normal Belmont club competitions applies.
The COLOUR section is open and may include nature images or altered reality images.

The images on the CD should be named as follows:
Colour images
12345-C1
12345-C2
12345-C3
etc . . . . . with YOUR SKIFFY MEMBERSHIP NUMBER substituted for the 12345 (that's the number on your plastic membership card).

Monochrome images
12345-M1
12345-M2
etc . . . . . with YOUR SKIFFY MEMBERSHIP NUMBER substituted for the 12345.

On the ENTRY FORM the images should be listed in the order that corresponds to their naming on the disk (1, 2, 3, . . . in each division) but each image should be given a title. For example, the file 12345-C2 on the disk would be listed as the second colour image on the entry form and might be called "Belmont Sunset".

The following instructions assume that you have selected the images (maximum of 4 colour and 4 monochrome) that you want to use for this competition and that you have already finished processing these images (cropping, adjusting, etc.).

To help you keep track of the prepared images and make it easy to copy them to a CD, create a directory on your computer called "EDI". Within this, create separate directories for "Round 1", "Round 2", etc. Later you will be saving images to these directories - for now, just remember where the EDI directory is on your computer.

It does not matter where this image file is located on your computer - just find it and open it. Later you will save the prepared image to your EDI directory.

In the LAYERS palette check that you have "flattened" the image so that it has just one layer.

You will not need to flatten the image unless you previously saved it with more than one layer.

If you do flatten the image, you will still have the original (multiple layer) image saved because when you save this resized image it will be given a different name.

IN PHOTOSHOP
1. Select Edit.
2. Select "Convert to Profile".

IN PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
Select Image > Convert colour profile >Apply sRGB profile.
You can skip the next two steps.

In the "Convert to Profile" window check the "Destination Space Profile". If it is already "sRGB" you can skip the next step - if it is not sRGB, click on the blue arrows to the right of the profile name to drop down a list of profiles and go to the next step.

From the list of profiles that appears, select sRGB (don't worry about the other numbers there wil be only one sRGB).
Your image is now changed to the sRGB colour space and you are ready to check/change its size.

1. Select "Image" from the top menu.
2. Select "Image size" from the drop-down menu.

The following steps assume that the image you are working on stated off being larger than required for the EDI competition.

1. Put a tick in the "Resample Image" check box.
2. Make sure there is a tick in the "Constrain Proportions" box (there always should be unless you want to distort your images).
3. Select "Bicubic Sharper" for the method of resampling.
4. Don't worry about any of the settings in the "Document Size" area because we are not printing the image. [Refer to the club web site for an explanation of why "resolution" does not necessarily alter the size of an image on your computer screen.]
5. Change the largest dimension so that EITHER the width is 1024 pixels OR the height is 768 pixels (refer to information at the beginning of this presentation for clarification). Just alter ONE setting.
6. Click OK

The image you now see on the screen may be smaller than it was before - don't worry about that.

1. Select "File"
2. Select "Save As"

This will enable you to save the file in your "EDI" directory - see notes at the beginning of this presentation.

When the "Save As" window appears:
1. Type in the new file name - refer to the FILE NAMING guidelines near the begining of this presentation. (Note - the file name in the above screenshot does NOT have the filke name in the correct format - t is an old screenshot.)
2. Select your "EDI - Round 1" directory (or wherever else you want to save the file).
3. Select the "JPG" format. Note: If "JPG" is not available as an option on the Format drop-down menu you are probably working with a 16-bit image. Cancel the saving process, use Image>Mode to change it to 8-bits/channel, then save.
4. Make sure the "Embed Color Profile" box is checked and that the file is saved with the sRGB profile
5. Click "Save".

1. When the "JPEG Options" window appears it will have the "Quality" set at "12" or at whatever value you used last time you saved a JPEG image. If it is not on "12" then change it to "12".
2. Check the file size - the small number under the word "Preview". If it is 700 KB or less than you don't need to change anything. If it is greater than 700 KB you will need to reduce the "quality" by typing in a smaller number (or by using the slider) so that you reduce the image size to no more than 700 KB.
NOTE: If you are doing this on a Windows computer you should find that there is a "SIZE" box beneath the format options. Use that to check the approximate size of the file.
3. When the image size is 700 KB or less click on OK.

Your file should now be saved in your "EDI-Round 1" directory (or whateveer directory you selected).

Repeat the above steps with your other iimages so that you have all the images in your EDI directory.

Once you have saved all your images to your PORTFOLIO directory, burn then to a CD.

Clearly label the CD with your SKIFFY CLUB MEMEBRSHIP NUMBER and YOUR NAME.

Complete your entry form - making sure that the image numbers on your entry form match the numbers/names you have given the files in your CD directory.

If you have any problems email Roy Killen or phone him - the contact details are in the "Skiffy in Focus" and on the Club web site www.belmont16footers-photoclub.com.au