how to use picturesforpress
FAQ
picturesforpress was established in May 2002. The business has been steadily growing since then, to provide more journalists and picture editors with high quality, free and convenient press release images. The bespoke web-based system we use to do that is now in its third incarnation.
This current system went live on Friday 14 October 2005.
Quick-start Instructions
- If you are new to picturesforpress you will first need to complete our registration form.
- Once this form is submitted, you can add the Account Details given to you by the venue which referred you.
- When the account details are entered correctly, you can begin browsing and downloading high resolution images from that venue straight away.
- Next time you visit the site you can login using the password we send you; this website will remember which venues you are allowed to download from.
- That's it ! If you need access to images from other venues you will need to obtain their unique account details too.
How do I access the images ?
You join picturesforpress by registering with us, then we automatically keep track of which venues you are allowed access to.
All you have to do is sign-up for the venues you need.
You can add venues at any time by contacting the venue directly and obtaining their account details - just as with the old system.
First of all you need to join picturesforpress: It's completely free, takes a couple of seconds and lets our system know who you are.
If your registration is accepted, then we will e-mail you a password, by return.
Once you have received your unique picturesforpress password, you can log-in, add venues to your own account and download images.
How long should I wait for a password to be sent to me ?
If your registration is successful, the e-mail containing your password and a copy of the terms and conditions of use of this site, will leave our servers within seconds of receiving your request. The e-mail will come from the address registration@picturesforpressmail.co.uk - please do not reply to this message.
How do I download Images ?
If you are using a two button mouse, that's usually Windows® PC and desktop Linux users, then Right-Click on the thumbnail of the image you require.
If you are using a Mac® with a one button mouse you should hold down the Control (ctrl) key while clicking on the thumbnail, and follow the instructions above.
You will see an option to Save Target As or Save Link As. The exact wording will depend on which web browser you are using. Select this option and follow the instructions to save the high resolution file to your computer.
In all cases you should ignore options to Save Image As, because it will only save the thumbnail image which you can already see.
Shortcut: Most Mac® browsers also allow you to alt or option click on the thumbnail to begin an automatic download to your default download location.
Do I need to credit the photographer ?
The short answer is Yes. Under Sections 77-79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, a photographer is entitled to assert their right to be identified as the author of images which they have produced. It is safe to assume that most photographers do insist on their right to a credit.
We make every reasonable effort to find out and pass on all credit and copyright information to picture editors downloading from this site.
Do I have a licence to use these images in my own publicity or merchandising ?
No - these images are provided strictly for press coverage of the relevant shows or events at each venue. Please review the Terms and Conditions if you are unsure, or better still contact the venue directly.
Where can I find more information about copyright and licensing in photography ?
For more information about copyright in photography, see: www.copyright4clients.com
I've forgotten to make a note of the caption - where do I find it ?
The latest caption, credit and copyright information for our images is always available in the standard IPTC/XMP metadata fields embedded in the image file. The usual way to access this from the 'File Info' command in Adobe® Photoshop® (full retail versions only).
However there are a growing number of alternative commercial and shareware applications for extracting this information. The following list does not imply a recommendation. GraphicConverter (Mac®), ImageInfoToolkit (Mac® and Windows®), Informator (Mac®), PixVue (Windows®). There are also published IPTC libraries and routines available around the web for developers.
For more information about IPTC standards, this site: www.controlledvocabulary.com is a good starting point.
This high res image I downloaded isn't 300dpi - how come ?
On this site, all the high resolution images which you can download will have enough pixels to cover a sheet of A4 paper at 300 pixels per inch.
Occasionally, between the image leaving here and arriving at your computer, things can happen to the image which result in its resolution being reported as something different to 300ppi, but the total pixel count will always remain the same.
In the caption next to each image you will see that we have worked out the exact physical dimensions of the original image at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, so that you can see if the image will be suitable for use in your layout.
Since each original image will have enough pixels to cover approximately A4 at 300ppi, you will be able to change the effective resolution in imaging software such as Photoshop® without affecting the image quality in any way.
How do I change the resolution of an image without affecting its quality ?
To resize the image without affecting the image quality, go to "Image Size" in Photoshop® and uncheck the "Resample Image" box, enter 300 in the "pixels/inch" resolution box. As long as "Resample Image" is not checked, the image will not be resampled and the quality will not be affected.
The terms "ppi" [pixels per inch] and "dpi" [dots per inch] are often used interchangeably when talking about digital imaging. We prefer "ppi" because it's what Photoshop® uses in its dialogue boxes. "dpi" was a term used in the printing industry before pixels were invented.
What format are the images ?
All images downloadable from this site are colour-managed and profiled AdobeRGB(1998). In some cases this means images supplied to us correctly tagged for colour management, will have to be converted and reprofiled - this is done purely for consistency.
When we started out, it was unusual to receive colour-managed image files. We took the decision to supply in AdobeRGB because there is a theoretical benefit when converting to CMYK for press. Everyone's CMYK conversion is different, so we leave that to you and your Printer.
The images are supplied as compressed jpeg files to reduce download times, and wherever possible these files are compressed to around 1.5Mb or less. They correspond to about a 25Mb scan size.
Who should I contact if I have problems using the site ?
If you experience problems using this site, contact us at picturesforpress.
We do our best to answer all e-mail support requests the same day.
support@picturesforpress.co.uk
We prefer e-mail rather than phone for support enquiries, but if you would like to speak to us, please telephone 0161 792 1517.
Can I change my password ?
Yes, of course ! Once you are logged-in, the login box on the left of the screen changes to include a link called 'change your password'. Please try not to use a valuable password, as occasionally it may be e-mailed back to you in plain text.
