Resolution/other questions in creating books for large books

Question

thinking of getting my first book hard and large 100 pages.
does that mean i have the capacity for atleast 200 photos ( cover back of a page )?
i use 300dpi very high file size images ( 28-60mb) that are not stored on iphoto. I used to make 250-500k jpgs for iphotos so that it would work fast smooth and easy.
If i load my image files into iphoto with the desire to create the largest book, what is the recommended resolution and file size to make the images look their best in the book. I dont understand this whole process because when my images are printed and published in books or magz the requirement is atleast 17.2 MB or higher.
what is the usual file size and resolution that people use in their images to toss into these templates?
thanks
gl

Answer 1

gl:
If you select double sided printing you can have 200 full page photos in the book. More if you use other layouts.
You want to use the largest pixel sized file you have. For a one photo per page layout, full page, you'd want a pixel dimension of 2250 x 3300. That would be equivalent to an 8.5 x 11 inch at 300 dpi. 300 is what the books are printed at.
The frames (picture window) used in the books are sized at a 4:3 ratio. To get your photo to perfectly fill the frame without any cropping, crop your images to 4:3 before putting the in book.
If your photos are a different ratio, they can be used, but some will be cropped from the top and bottom when placed in a frame. You can opt to have the entire image show in the frame but there will be some white space in there also.
My first large book was produced with a camera that gave me images at 1600 x 1200 pixels. Since I didn't have any one photo per page layouts I didn't get any low resolution warning.
The following is a reply I got from Apple regarding book materials and printing quality:
"Thank you for contacting the Apple Print Products Customer Service.
I understand that you would like to know the printing process that is used and the color mode the files should be in, so you can better advise users in the iPhoto forum.
iPhoto version 4 or later, allows you to import and print files through the Apple Print Product service as RGB, grayscale, or CMYK color space. JPEG files with RGB color space are recommended for best results.
While iPhoto 2 can import files of various formats, including RGB color, grayscale, and CMYK, this version requires JPEG files with RGB color space when printing photos and books.
For more information regarding iPhoto 2, please visit the following article:
iPhoto: Color, Black and White Prints Appear Garbled or Distorted
For more information regarding iPhoto 5, please visit the following article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=165501
Here are some of the technical specifications for the books, cards, and calendars. I hope this gives you an idea about their quality and form.
BOOKS
All iPhoto books are printed using acid-free paper for long-lasting image quality. The photos are printed at a high resolution (300DPI if you use iPhoto 6). There is no external modification--such as sharpening or contrast adjustment--of the photos; what you see in the application is what is printed in the book.
Hardcovers Books
The cover is hard-bound and covered in linen. You select the linen color during the book-ordering process. The hardcover books have a solid, stiff binding that is glued and crimped. The internal pages, measuring 8.5 x 11 inches, are printed on McCoy 100# Text Gloss paper stock.
Softcover Books
The softcover books come in three sizes:
- Large 8.5 x 11 inches
- Medium 6 x 8 inches
- Small 2.6 x 3.5 inches
All of the softcover books have internal pages that are printed on McCoy 100# Text Gloss paper stock. The large softcover book has a white cover (Kromekoteplus Folding Cover, 16 point) with a cutout on the front that reveals the cover-page photo in the book. The covers for the medium and small softcover books have the cover image and title printed directly on the cover. All of the softcover books have a glued binding and feature a thick cover of McCoy 100# Cover Gloss paper stock.
CARDS
All cards are printed on McCoy 120# Silk Cover paper stock. The postcards measure 4 x 6 inches, and the greeting cards measure 5 x 7inches.
CALENDARS
All calendars measure 8 x 10 inches and are printed on McCoy 100# Silk Cover paper stock.
To ensure the best print quality, we have chosen to use Kodak NexPress technology. The press uses a dry toner, which is fused to the surface of the paper. Please see NexPress' site for more information:
KODAK NEXPRESS 2500 Digital Production Color Press
I hope you find this information helpful in answering questions on the iPhoto forum."
As for file size, iPhoto creates a pdf file of the book for uploading and printing. You can preview the file by creating the pdf file yourself. Just Contol-click on a page but not a photo in the book mode and select the Save Book as PDF option.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
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