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good advice... there are folks still on dial up which results in a very long process to view images... the samller we make them the easier it it for all to view...

Thanks for the tip Urban

I'm a little confused. In my computer graphics course, we were taught that all computer images display at 72dpi, so I don't see where the benefit is in setting the resolution to 600dpi.

Even when dealing with printing, where you need higher resolution, we were taught that the standard is 300dpi. I would think that higher resolution than that would only be appropriate when dealing with large photographic enlargements, if then.

I am not terribly well versed in this stuff, having only the one course, so I hope you can add to my knowledge.

I scan my drawings into Photoshop, and I create my digital work in Photoshop. When I save for web, I set it at reduce it to the size I want, set it to optimize and usually reduce the kb to under 500 kb if needed. I try to get the highest quality I can.

My biggest problem is getting a good scan. My HP picks up every artifact, grain and roughness, and I hate it. Sometimes the only way to get near what it really looks like, I have to do more filter work in PS. I purchased another scan editor called VueScan, and it does a little better job. There is much more ability to adjust the scan process itself in that program. I'm still learning and adjusting in that now.

300 dpi is fine. Otherwise follow Urban's rules. They work. Been using them for 2 years.

This will probably be a lengthy post but image resolution is a pet peeve of mine. I am not an expert, but I've built websites and managed networks where image sizes for presentations and emails were always an issue. In my experience...

High resolution images for the web are a waste of bandwidth, storage space, and a huge nuisance for people with slow connection speeds. I remember many years ago when I was on dial-up there were many images that I never saw because they locked up my computer or took so long to load that I didn't have the patience to wait. Why would you want to cut out a portion of your audience?

All the high resolution does for the most part is make the image larger in length and width as well as in bandwidth. I'm sure you have all received a photo of someone's precious baby in your email that takes forever to load. When you finally get it downloaded all you can see is a cheek or a portion of an eye. Then you have to fiddle with your zoom adjustments to get it zoomed out enough to actually see the photo in it's entirety. That, in my opinion, is a pointless waste of bandwidth.

Super high resolution allows for super big photos. If you want to use the photo of your grand baby on a billboard by the interstate, then yes, you need all the resolution you can get. On the web, however, higher resolution is pointless unless you want people to have the option to zoom it in and look at fine details.

That being said, you can scan at any resolution you want, then use your image editing software to change the dpi to suit your purpose. As a general rule, you can't scan at a low dpi then convert it to a higher dpi with good results. So scan high, then reduce.

I usually try converting to 72 dpi first. Then I open it in my image viewer and set the zoom to 100%. That way I'll see it as it really is. If the photo looks good at that point, I post it at 72dpi. That usually works great for thumbnail images. If the photo is too small at 100% zoom, then I will adjust the dpi upward. I wouldn't go over 300 dpi on the web or in email unless, of course, you want people to be able to zoom in to the level of one eyeball filling a screen.

So, in a nutshell, scan high. Post low. Finish high for billboards. Finish low for the web.

Also, the lower the resolution, the more difficult it is for someone to copy your work and call it their own. If the image is posted at 72 or 100 dpi then they can't blow it up large enough to make a useful print from it.

All that being said, I have never taken a class in graphic art or photo editing. My comments are based on my experience in having to make things work when end users created presentations, booklets, or whatever. I've seen many a power point presentation created with unnecessarily high resolution images that were intended for emailing throughout the world. I would always have to take the presentations apart, adjust the image resolution to a reasonable weight, and put it back together.

......That's after the presentation has been sent via email to everyone on the network and my phone starts ringing off the hook because everyone's email is locking up. What a mess. Nobody ever asks the advice of the information technology department until after the deed is done. Grrrrr....