So when looking at an image file you have three basic numbers that you’ll want to pay attention to. The first is the DPI, which stands for “dots per inch” and is also the resolution of the image. To confuse matters, people make a very poor distinction between this number and the second, which is the number of pixels an image has in both height and width. These are the dimensions of the image, but many people call these numbers the resolution. (See, confusing!) The final number you need to understand is the image size, or how much storage space it takes up.

Now, let’s break this down, shall we? DPI is the actual number of ink dots in a one inch line. It is a physical printing term. The higher the DPI of an image, the clearer the image is when it is printed. In addition, higher DPI images will be displayed more clearly on high resolution displays, such as high end tablet and telephone screens. There is less of a difference in how an image appears from higher to lower DPI on standard computer monitors because of how such equipment is made. (This does not mean, however, that you should reduce the DPI of images to a lower level if they are only intended for web use.)

The dimensions of an image are the number of actual pixels wide and high. Many people are used to a certain number of MP or megapixels in a specific image because of how digital cameras work. Changing the image dimensions reduces the number of MP in an image, and is a common way digital cameras can be tuned to take more pictures before running out of room. (But size is up next, remember!) An image with larger dimensions (and less DPI) can be printed out in larger format. So for example if a 5MP image that is 2338 x 3264 pixels is printed at 72 DPI you would get a 34 x 45.3 inch printout. That same image at 150 DPI would be 16.3 x 21.8 inches. 300 DPI is considered an appropriate print resolution for professional work, and that means that your image would now be printing at 8.2 x 10.9 inches. As you can see, the larger your images, the better blown up pictures you will be able to print out. (This is not the only thing that goes to quality, of course. A better camera sensor produces better images of course.)

Now, finally, we reach size. There are many factors which go into how much storage an image will take up. The larger the dimensions of an image the more space it will take up of course. But factors in the image itself have a great deal to do with this. As an example, using the same dimensions as above, 5MP images might range from as much as 4 megabytes to 0.5 megabytes. The first example would be a very complex image with a huge amount of color differentiation. The latter would be a very simple image with very little color deviation. This might be the difference between an image of a child behind a screen door on a sunny day as compared to a picture of light reflecting off of an object outdoors at night, with no flash.

So, now for these parting tips:

• Do not reduce the dimensions of your master copies of your images!
• When reducing the dimensions of your images, make sure you set them to a size appropriate for your medium, and no less.
• When setting the DPI of your images for online use, always go with 300+ when possible.
• When printing your images, go with the DPI that gets you the size of printed image you desire, while conforming to the printer’s specifications, but always use 300+ DPI for any high quality prints.
• Never skimp on storage, and keep backups of your images. DVD discs can make a good backup because you can store them away from your PC.

You should have a good grasp of what the three numbers you need to keep track of are for your images now. Bearing them in mind can make it so you are always sharing the best quality images online, and getting only the highest quality printouts.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The problem with any direct mail campaign is getting your prospect to open your package in order to view your marketing message and not throw it directly into the office bin. One of the best ways of achieving this is to create attention grabbing CD packaging and use the CD to deliver your message.

A study conducted by Cambridge Associates shows that using a CD can increase the response rate of a direct mailing campaign from typically 3% using only printed materials to 7%. This may be due to the fact that the recall of your content on a CD is typically 40-50% higher than if you were using a printed brochure. Your conversion rates may also increase by as much as 20%. Now it could be thought that the production and distribution of a CD is far more expensive than that of a printed brochure. According to the study, a CD campaign can cost 10-40% less than that of a brochure campaign. It is also worth noting that the high perceived value of the CD, your prospect is far more likely to pass it on to friends and family.

Let’s say you transfer your 32 page brochure into an exciting CD presentation with links to your website. The content is replicated onto a CD and packaged in colour printed cardboard wallets for example. You post 10,000 CDs out to a mailing list of prospects. Firstly, you have already saved as much as 40% on postage costs because you are mailing a much lighter package. Secondly your prospect receives the package and discounts that it is junk mail. Your package is opened and your prospect views the contents of the CD. Your prospect can connect to your website for immediate purchase or they may supply further information which will assist you with future marketing. Extraordinary success is possible using a CD and a strong marketing message.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The conventional way of winning new or existing business is to have corporate brochures printed that are eye catching whilst getting your sales message across to your potential client. However, there are problems associated with printed matter:

• Require large volumes to retain the quality and keep the unit cost down
• Wastage is high as information goes out of date fairly quickly
• You may have multiple products that are grouped in different brochures
• Storage can be bulky and distribution costs can be high

It would appear that nowadays people are 50% more likely to keep a CD or DVD brochure than a paper brochure.  Your company or business could benefit from crossing over to this new format to promote your services.

Let’s exam some of the reasons why.

A CD brochure is practically storage free and is much simpler to find what your potential client is looking for. If your brochure contains many products and/or articles, they can be presented in an index just like at the front of a paper brochure.

Digital CD Brochures will help you to:

• Reduce costs of printing and distribution
• Increase sales and profits
• Increase circulation and readership
• Expand your marketing reach
• Create an all-inclusive and progressive presence for your company and product.

CD brochures provide a faster and more efficient way of targeting. It is fully interactive, meaning you can promote your product(s) or service(s) in an interactive environment – with video, high resolution images, specifications, articles and even videos of client testimonials. You are only limited by your imagination as to what you can display in a Digital CD Brochure. With wonderfully clear, full colour images, you cannot fail to impress your clients.

Huge savings can be made over traditional paper distribution. An existing paper brochure can be converted into a Digital CD Brochure in a matter of days, and at a fraction of the cost can be ready for Duplication, Printing and Circulation.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Besides standard DVD format, there are some non-standard DVD formats. Below is some information explaining the differences of these formats.

DVD-VCD is a DVD-Video disc that has data on it which has been encoded by using the MPEG-1 video format with the same definitions VCD has.

DVD-SVCD is also not a valid DVD standard, since the DVD standard does not support the SVCD resolution. The term DVD-SVCD is used to describe a hacked, or non-standard DVD-Video disc that has SVCD compatible content on it.

DVD-MP3 is created with and contains only digital audio files in the MP3 format. It should be noted that not all DVD players can play DVD-MP3 discs.

DVD-D is a disposable DVD format that provides a limited play time with duration of up to 48 hours after the packaging has been opened. After the designated time has passed, DVD players are unable to read the disc. The packaging of the disc is airtight and the DVD itself has a special coating that begins to deteriorate when exposed to air. The DVD-D format is currently being used for video game and movie rentals where not only can intellectual property rights be better protected, but consumers have no need to worry about the hassle of DVD rental returns. According to the manufacturer’s Web site, both the DVD-D disc and the cardboard packaging it comes in can be recycled. The DVD-D format was developed by German company FDD Technologies AG, and while no official definition of the D has been offered, many use the abbreviation to mean DVD-Destroy or DVD-Destruct.

HD-DVD which is short for high definition-DVD is a generic term for the technology of recording high-definition video on a DVD. In general, HD-DVD is capable of storing between two and four times as much data as standard DVD. In February 2008, Toshiba issued a release stating that it would no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. Several major retail chains, such as Wal-Mart in the US followed with plans to no longer carry the product, and major Hollywood studios have also dropped plans to release productions in HD-DVD format as well.

Blu-ray Discs are distinguishable for they use 405nm-wave length blue-violet laser technology, instead of the 650nm-wavelength red laser technology used in traditional DVD formats. The rewritable Blu-ray disc, with a data transfer rate of 36Mbps (1x speed) can hold up to 25GB of data on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. On a 50GB disc, this translates into 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video or approximately 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) video. The Blu-ray format was developed jointly by Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Thomson, Hitachi, Matsushita, Pioneer and Philips, Mistubishi and LG Electronics.

AOD and Blu-ray are similar in that they both use 405nm-wavelength blue-violet laser technology. While Blu-ray has a storage capacity of 25GB on a single-layer disc, AOD can store 20GB on a single-layer disc and has the capacity to hold 30GB on a dual-layer disc. AOD was developed jointly by Toshiba and NEC.

Several technologies are seen as successors to the standard DVD. These include HD-DVD, Blu-ray, AOD and HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc). With so many formats competing, it is similar to the old VHS versus Beta wars, but with one main exception; the difference in quality between VHS and DVD was extremely noticeable, and this encouraged consumers to quickly and easily transition to DVD from VHS. With these new standards, however, consumers are not seeing the drastic quality difference of, HD-DVD over DVD for example, and adoption has been slow.

Additionally, the media players and the media itself is still more expensive then standard DVD media. Overall the industry suggests that consumers are just not ready to leave DVD behind quite yet.

ever wondered what work goes in2 a high profile Hollywood title, this is the book to read; http://amzn.to/IAwJ9G

Republished by Blog Post Promoter