Should the maximum image resolution be noted somewhere?

[GarryPatchett]

If someone submits a sample document containing images, should they also say - somewhere, but I don't know where - what the maximum resolution of the images used is?

My thinking behind the question comes from the following scenario:

• Person downloads a sample document.
• It looks fine on screen.
• They change it to their purposes.
• They take it to their print shop to get printed.
• They get the printed material home.
• They find out that it's very blocky and looks horrible.
• They get angry.

I realise that people should check this sort of thing before taking things to the print shop and there's a way of making sure that the resolution of images is sufficient using the PFV but it might be useful to some people if they know up-front that the document is only - for example - meant to be used for on-screen viewing and not for printing.

Maybe all it needs is a line in the "readme.md" saying something like:

"This document uses low resolution images that will look okay viewing on-screen but are not suitable for commercial printing."

Or something like that. Just so that people are aware of the limitations of the document before they use it.

[aoloe]

I think that we should take care that images are not "bigger" than 150dpi...

On the other side, I don't know how to warn the user for images the author knows that they are too light...

Maybe by asking them to put a watermark on the picture?

[GarryPatchett]

I think you're right about limiting the size of images. I don't know what limits Git has for file sizes but it's probably best that this doesn't look like it's turning into some kind of file sharing area.

I've been playing around with the idea of using an "Instructions Layer" on a document which could be used to give this kind of information.

The idea is that you create a layer on top of everything else, add a white rectangle over the whole of the first page (to give a background to the instructions), set the opacity of the layer to 90% (so people can see a little of the "real" document behind it) and uncheck the export option for that layer.

You can then add all of the instructions you need to give the user - what styles to use where, what dpi the images are, how to remove the instructions, etc. etc. - onto this layer. Once the user has read the instructions they can uncheck the display option for that layer and see the "real" document. They can call the instructions back by setting the layer to display again if they need to.

The same can be done on any page where instructions are needed, e.g. arrows pointing to relevant parts of the document with text explaining what they're for.

It's not an ideal solution but the little tests I've done work quite well.

[aoloe]

if you have a look at the CD sample document i've uploaded you will see that the original author is doing something similar.

having a "standard" (or better "documented") way to provide the information is for sure a good idea!

[GarryPatchett]

Ah, I haven't looked at it yet. I'll have a look when I get some time and see how they have done things.

(My other idea was to use notes around the actual pages but that would assume certain zoom settings, and Scribus doesn't always display things off-the-page properly.)