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I get a lot of similar questions in email that I thought I’d periodically summarize and add here to hopefully help others.

Question: For a show submission, they require 1800 pixels on the longest side and 72 dpi.  My image is 1400 x 1800 and 300 pixels per image.  If I cange the 300 to 72, the pixels on the sides shrink to very little.

Answer: In the Image Size dialog box, uncheck “resample.”  Resampling takes away or adds pixels.  Thus, when you change 300 to 72, resampling tosses out the extra pixels and the resolution of the image shrinks.  When you uncheck the resample box, the number of pixels do not change.  Rather the size of the pixel changes.  Bottom line:  When going from a high ppi to a lower ppi, but keeping the resolution (or number of pixels in the document) the same, uncheck the Resample box.

Last night I had the pleasure of being the first guest in a telecast hosted by The Professional Quilter magazine. The topic was digital-related and it covered a few of the topics in my book. I was looking forward to taking questions.  However, the format of the telecast didn’t allow for me to hear questions from participants but rather to take them through email.  The following is one of the questions I received.  I’m sharing it and my answer in the hopes that it will be helpful to someone else in this situation.

The question:
I am trying to sell hand-dyed fabrics and am concerned about my potential customers being concerned that the color on their monitor will be the same as the fabric they receive. I was thinking of adding a swatch of white to each photo? Will this help.

Answer:

It won’t hurt, and it may give a point of reference knowing that the swatch should read white. Thus if the white fabric reads darker than it should, chance are the hand-dyed fabric would also be darker.

The main question is can you match what your customer sees on his/her monitor to the actual fabric they receive. The answer is you generally cannot guarantee what your customer sees.  Why?  There are several factors that are outside of your control.  They include:

• how the person’s monitor is calibrated (if it’s even calibrated);
• what the age of the monitor is;
• where the person views the monitor — is it in direct sunlight? shade? a room with brightly colored wall? and so on;
• is there is a busy, colorful background pattern surrounding the displayed website;
• even the person’s vision and color perception will come into play.

To alert your customers, consider including a statement on your fabric page that the color being displayed may vary from the actual color of the fabric. If color is critical, the person should contact you for more information. Something like ..

“I have made every effort to photographically represent that fabric as best as possible. However, because of the wide variations in monitor quality and color settings, I cannot guarantee that what you see on your monitor will exactly match the actual fabric color. If color is critical and you have any questions about the fabric, please contact me and I will be happy to help.”

If you have a digital-related question that you’d like to ask me, please drop me a line and I’ll try to help.

Quiting Arts Gifts selected Digital Essentials in its Editor’s Pick holiday list!

Isn’t this cool?  “At last, a primer on digital design for the artist! Written in plain English with easy-to-follow steps, Digital Essentials demystifies digital imaging software, whether you have a MAC or PC, whether you just want to resize pictures and print them out or design a whole quilt on the computer. Because Gloria knows both computers and quilting, she can tell you what you need to know and why. Working with this book is like having a kindly expert sitting right beside you, guiding you through the digital maze.”
– Editors Pick in Quilting Arts Mazagine – Sept. Holiday issue 2008-2009

I am very pleased that my latest book, Digital Essentials, is now available to purchase through my website.

I tried to cram as much helpful information as possible into the book.

Also, I’ve included on the page a free PDF chapter download of the complete chapter on image protection on the Web.  Even if you have no plans to purchase the book, please consider downloading the chapter.  As the Orphan Works bill continues to muddle and threaten to pass the House, we need protection more than ever!

The Professional Quilter magazine is hosting its first Teleclass, and I’m the honored first guest. I’ll do my best to answer whatever digital-related questions you give me.  As advertised:

Our first teleclass, featuring Gloria Hansen, is being held on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Gloria has been an important member of The Professional Quilter “family,” writing our technology column for the past twelve years. She’s best known for her award-winning art quilts, her Web design and quilting.

Next Wednesday you can get a sneak preview of her 14th book, ***Digital Essentials, the Quilt Makers Must Have Guide to Files, Images, and More,*** which is being published this month
by Electric Quilt.

In this call you’ll learn:

• how to protect the copyright of your images on your Web site
• the difference between PPI and DPI and when each is used
• Tips for preparing quilts for digital show entry
• and more as Gloria answers your questions on using digital images

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master on October 2nd at 8 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Click here for more info.

Sarah Smith published a glowing review of my new book, Digital Essentials.  Now, granted, Sarah is bias because GloDerWorks created her website.  Even so, I still very much appreciate it.  

People have been emailing and asking if I will be taking preorders for the book.  This coming week, I plan on beginning that process.  I’ll have information here soon about it.  Stay tuned!

The ad for my new book, Digital Essentials, the quilt maker’s must-have guide to images, file, and more, has been in a couple magazines, most recently the August/September issue of Quilting Arts magazine.  I’m told the advance copies of the book are arriving and that the book should be shipping in mid-September.  Once the book is available, I’ll post here.  I’ll be selling it directly from my site, too!

I also plan on answering questions, posting helpful URLs, and expanding some of the tutorials or adding new ones.

Hopefully I’ll be posting a PDF of a chapter so you can get a taste of the book.

I am excited to share the cover of my new book which will be published this fall by the Electric Quilt Company .  Penny McMorris interviewed me for the February issue of EQ’s newsletter.

She writes, ” Meet Gloria Hansen, whose newest book, “Digital Essentials: The Quilt Maker’s Must-Have Guide to Images, Files, and More!” will be published by EQ in the Fall of 2008. Gloria is legendary as the quilt world’s “go-to” person for questions involving computers and quilting. Her new book will show exact steps for using photos and quilt images in Photoshop, Elements, PaintShop Pro, EQ6 and other programs.  Read more …
Wow, who knew I was a “go-to” person! Here’s a secret:  When I’m stumped, my go-to person is my business partner.