How to Edit a Photo Fit for Print Using Photoshop

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: skim through your photos and choose your best five.

   Expand this to your best 15 if the Sun is running a slideshow online.
   
   Maintain variety: some close-ups of fire victims, broader shots of the burning building, and action photos of a fireman rushing out of the fray.
   
   If the photos are blurry, too dark, or simply lack to tell the story, cut them out.
2. 2

   Step 2: open Adobe Photoshop and open your chosen photos.

   , Choose File > File Info.
   
   In the window, enter your name in the “Author” entry.
   
   Write a brief caption in the “Caption” section describing where and when the photo was taken, what’s going on in the photo if it is not obvious, and the names of people in the photo if possible. , In the top menu, choose Images.
   
   In the drop menu, click on Image size.
   
   Check the width and height in the “Documents” box (third and fourth entries) to be sure neither number is greater than 10 inches (25.4 cm) – adjust accordingly.
   
   Then, change the resolution (fifth entry) to
   200. , In the Images menu, hold the mouse over Mode and select CMYK from the menu.
   
   This may change the color composition slightly. , Go to Images > Adjustments > Levels.
   
   You will see three arrows along a horizontal line.
   
   The one on the far left adds more shadows, while the one on the far right brightens highlights.
   
   The one in the middle adjusts mid-tones.
   
   While looking at the photo, move the arrows from right to left accordingly to create just enough contrast in the lighting without being overly dramatic.
   
   Err on the side of light, since printing presses tend to run colors slightly darker than what appears on the computer screen. , In the toolbar on the left, select the square crop tool.
   
   It should look like a square object with a line going through the middle.
   
   Click and drag the object over the desired area, removing extraneous material.
   
   Adjust the cropping area by dragging any of the four corners from this selected area.
   
   When satisfied, hit ENTER.
   
   Avoid cutting off people’s limbs or cropping a location that could leave out important contextual information. , Go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
   
   In the window, maintain “Threshold” at 0, “Radius” between one and two, and the sharpening amount around 75 percent.
   
   While looking at the photo, adjust the sharpening amount by dragging the arrow just below it to the right or left.
   
   The trick is to sharpen the image as much as possible without appearing too grainy. , After clicking File > Save As, go to the Art folder on the server.
   
   Look for drop menu with the file format and change it to .PNG or .JPEG.
   
   Name your photo with the original name and a suffix so that it is organized and obvious what image it came from and what its purpose is.
   
   For instance, your photo named DSC_001.JPG or DSC_001.CRW (Canon RAW) or DSC_001.NEF (Nikon RAW) after being edited will be saved as DSC_001_PrintEdit.JPG or DSC_001_PrintEdit.PNG.
   
   Make sure you don't overwrite your existing photo if you chose to save in the same folder you imported your original photo to.
   
   Now, hit “Save.”
3. 3

   Step 3: Provide photo information.

4. 4

   Step 4: Adjust image size.

5. 5

   Step 5: Change image mode to CMYK color.

6. 6

   Step 6: If the lighting could be better

7. 7

   Step 7: adjust the levels.

8. 8

   Step 8: If needed

9. 9

   Step 9: crop the photo.

10. 10

    Step 10: Sharpen the image.

11. 11

    Step 11: Save every photo as a .PNG or .JPEG in a folder

12. 12

    Step 12: possibly named "art"

13. 13

    Step 13: on your publication’s server.

Detailed Guide

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