# When selling files to clients for web use...



## photographyfanatic (Feb 26, 2010)

Hello. I am wondering when you sell digital photo files to clients for web use only what compression do you use?

Would a resolution of 72 and a medium compresses jpeg be small enough to prevent theft of web but still look okay on website?

Also if my image file at 100 percent is 15x10 what size should I crop it down too if at all. 

My goal here is to provide the clients with a file that will work nicely on their site, but prevent them from being able to print that image if they did not purchase the licensing rights to do so.

Thanks!


----------



## Big Mike (Feb 26, 2010)

My philosophy on this subject, is that if you are going to give/sell the client a digital file....it should be a full resolution, full size file.  Of course, they have to pay well for it.

The problem with trying to sell them a small 'web only' image, is that they either don't know or don't care about the size of it.  They might print it anyway and it will look bad, which will reflect poorly on you, not them.  

Of course, there are exceptions to this.  For example, if you have a client who does actually know about file size & resolution and they purposely buy images for web use.  You could give them a smaller sized image with lower resolution, but I'd be wary about compressing it.  I'd leave that up to them.

One solution is to watermark images that are meant for web use.  If they want images without a watermark, they'd have to buy the full resolution files.


----------



## photographyfanatic (Feb 26, 2010)

Thanks for the reply.
When I sell them they get the option to buy only web use wich I tell them is not for printing and will be a low res file. Do you suggest that I only lower the resloution to 72, but leave it as a maximum jpeg? I also have the web use images with a copyright sign and my name in bottom right and within the terms they must agree to those files cannot be edited or altered.


----------



## Big Mike (Feb 26, 2010)

Resolution set to 72 PPI, yes.
More importantly, resize it to something only suitable for web viewing.  No more than 800 pixels wide, maybe even something like 600 or 400 pixels if they don't need it to fill a page.
Personally, I'd set the compression/quality to one or two notches down from full.  You can cut the file size in half by going down just that much.  If they request a small file size, for fast loading etc, then go ahead and set it lower.


----------

