Accepted File Types:

We prefer a JPG file since it’s far smaller than a TIFF and doesn’t diminish quality, but do allow TIFF (up to 100MB for online orders). Yes, TIFF is a lossless file format, but if you make your final save as the highest quality JPG, you won’t see any difference in print quality between a TIFF and JPG.  We understand many photographers prefer using TIFF and that’s fine, just be sure to use 8 bit with LZW compression. If you're going the JPG route, save your final file at quality 10 or higher (Photoshop's Maximum setting) with the Adobe RGB (1998) color profile embedded. Whichever format you choose, keep the file name under 40 characters.

Our online ordering system doesn’t accept PDF files so please contact us if you need to place an order with a PDF file.

File Size & Resolution:

Size your file to the finished print size plus 0.25” for bleed (Image > Image Size in Photoshop). Your image may not be an exact fit, but make sure the smallest dimension includes the extra 0.25”. Resolution should be 100 ppi or greater at that size; 240 is ideal. If the resolution shows a decimal, drop the digits after it. Then crop to the final proportions either by changing the canvas size (Image > Canvas Size, with Relative unchecked) or, for more control over what gets clipped, with the Crop Tool set to Ratio using your dimensions plus 0.25”.

Our online order system accepts files 100MB and below. Files can get very large when using TIFF without compression. If you’re over 100MB, consider using LZW compression to keep the file size down while maintaining print quality. We can accept very large files with no size restriction (but prefer not to).

If you need to place an order with a larger file you can place the order with a lower resolution and send us the print files afterward to www.bumblejax.com/upload OR send us the files before placing the order and we can send you a payment link after reviewing your files and discussing what product and size you’d like.

Our online ordering system will let you know if you have enough resolution for a print as well as how large the file can be printed. If our online ordering system isn’t allowing a larger size that you’d like we’re happy to review the file for you manually to determine exactly how large it can be printed.

How To View Your Image At Actual Print Size In Photoshop

Many people we speak with think that just viewing at print size or viewing at 100% in Photoshop is enough to see how their photo will look at the print size.  It is not.  Please follow the steps outlined in this article to make the adjustment in Photoshop to make it work properly.  This is the exact process we use on our end and will save you a lot of time during process of determining how large you can print a particular file.  If you don't have Photoshop or having trouble setting it up give us a shout.

Color Spaces (sRGB vs Adobe 1998 vs ProPhoto):

Please be sure your files are in RGB color, not CMYK. If they are in CMYK, we’ll convert to RGB before printing. Please embed the Adobe RGB (1998) profile in your file — it’s our preferred source profile and minimizes color discrepancies between your monitor and our printers. In Photoshop, select Edit > Convert to Profile and set the Destination Space to Adobe RGB (1998). Do not use Assign Profile, which will likely shift your colors. If you’re coming from sRGB you’ll see little or no change; if you’re coming from a larger space such as ProPhoto RGB you may see some color shift due to gamut compression.

Should I Add Bleed?:

Yes — add 0.25” to your finished dimensions (see File Size & Resolution above). Some of the image has to be trimmed away during the mounting process, so expect to lose up to ⅛” of your print on all four sides. Please keep important details such as signatures away from the edge at least ¼”. If you have critical detail area on the edge that absolutely can’t be removed it’s possible we can use content aware to save it. We manually review every file that comes in before going to print and would typically contact you if we feel there is detail on the edge that could be cut. Having said that, it’s best you contact us if you’re concerned about edge detail.

Color Accuracy & Brightness (Monitor Calibration, ICC, Test Print):

Our printers are calibrated with a G7 process for neutral print density, and we use ICC profiles to convert the colors in your file to our printers. That said, even today’s best printers can’t reproduce every color a modern camera or monitor can, so extremely vibrant or saturated colors may shift slightly in print as they’re compressed into the printer’s gamut. Every monitor is different too, so no workflow gives 100% accuracy 100% of the time — but a calibrated monitor and an embedded Adobe RGB (1998) profile will get you very close. Some of our customers (particularly photographers) want to be sure that the color they see on their monitor is going to match our print output. If this is a concern for you, it’s absolutely critical to have a properly calibrated monitor for color and brightness. That means investing in a pro color calibration tool and consistently calibrating every 30 days or so. You can get one for around $200. The i1 and ColorMunki products from X-rite as well as the Spyder color calibration products are the most popular and often recommended.

If you are working with a calibrated monitor and would like to soft proof with our ICC profiles you can download those below.

• Epson Satin Paper / HPDesignjet
• Epson Gloss Paper / HPDesignjet
• Lexjet Sunset Metallic Paper / HPDesignjet

If you’re working with a properly calibrated monitor using a pro tool from Xrite or Spyder and using our ICC profiles, the color should be very close, but there is no perfect substitute for ordering an actual paper print. If exact color matching is absolutely critical we highly recommend ordering a paper proof before ordering the full piece.

Avoid Prints That Are Too Dark:

One common mistake that people make when printing and mounting their photos is comparing the print to a backlit monitor at full brightness.

Monitors project light while prints reflect light so before making a judgment that the print color is off or is too dark, it’s really important to not only adjust your monitor brightness but also view in plenty of natural light or overhead art lighting. The calibration tools above will adjust the monitor brightness for you according to the light in the room, but if you’re not a pro photographer with pro calibration tools, we recommend just simply adjusting your monitor brightness down to about 50-60% to get a more accurate view of how the print will look. We get asked this question a lot. Do you offer color correction? This is quite subjective as I’m sure you know. What looks good to us may not look great to you. We will almost never adjust color without a discussion with the customer for this reason. Things we will do in order to improve the file by default (if needed) is denoising, sharpening, and lightening to achieve an optimal print.

Color Correction/Photo Editing:

If you have any concerns at all about a file or want us to look at something specific please contact us. We do not nickel and dime our customers for straight forward and one off photo editing. If you need red eye removed, a couple blemishes cleaned up, etc we can do that with specific instructions at no extra charge. For more complex work or work with many files, we would need to charge for the work and can get you a quote.

Every single file is manually reviewed before going to print and we will contact you if there are any obvious issues.