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File Types and Color Management
Anyone who's ever used Adobe Photoshop can tell you there are about 20 different ways to save an image file. Then there's the issue of color profiles. Ask 10 different graphic designers about the best way to save files and you're likely to get 10 different answers. That's fine for the designer, but from our point of view, we want to get you files in the way that will give you the best quality without any undue headaches.
Often ad agencies and larger design firms will have a dedicated production manager who's job it is to manage all of this stuff. If that's the case we'll work closely with them to make sure we get the files to the client in a way that will work into their workflow easily.
Many other clients do not have a dedicated production person. For those clients we recommend a couple of things.
- Read over the guidelines from the UPDIG working group here.
- Understand that no single file type is best for all applications, and so we will often deliver the same image in a number of file formats and sizes
We archive all jobs in a couple of different formats. First we keep all of the RAW files from the shoot. Second, all selections are saved in 16bit RGB tiff or psd layer files. This allows for the greatest flexibility should any further adjustments be needed down the road. Our system is fully calibrated using ICC profiles and we embed the working profile into all files. This allows client to embed their profile of choice on their end. By working in this way we can ensure that the final output will match what was intended.