What to record before ordering prints from another supplier

A good photograph can still make a poor print if a few details are missed. The size, the crop, the file and the approval each have a part to play. Recording them takes minutes and protects the money and the memory.

This guide belongs to our wider guide to event photo delivery, editing and preservation.

What do you need to write down?

Make a short order sheet before you contact the supplier. It acts as a reference if anything goes wrong.

Item	Why it matters
File name	Identifies exactly which photograph is printed
Print size	Sets how much detail the file needs
Quantity	Avoids misunderstandings about the order
Paper or finish	Changes the look of the result
Crop	Decides what stays in the frame
Proof approver	Names who signs off

Our photograph print size calculator helps you compare the dimensions of a file with the size you want. The calculator offers guidance, and the supplier's own requirements take priority.

Does the file suit the size?

Larger prints need more detail. As a general idea, a file with more pixels can be printed larger before it begins to look soft. A heavily cropped image has fewer pixels left than the original, so it supports a smaller print.

We cannot promise that every delivered photograph will suit every size. Ask your print supplier what dimensions they need for the size you want, and compare that with the file. If the file falls short, consider a smaller print or a different photograph. What to approve before an album or photo print is produced covers the approval side in more detail.

How will the crop affect the print?

Prints come in standard shapes, and your photograph may not match them. A portrait-shaped print from a landscape photograph needs a crop, and the crop decides which parts of the scene survive. Faces near the edge are at risk.

Decide the crop in advance, and note the subject that must stay in view. If the standard shape cuts off something important, you may need a different crop or a different photograph. How to request a different crop without losing essential image content explains how to ask.

Who approves the proof?

Name one person to approve it, and ask for it in writing. Check the crop, the spelling of any text, the colour and the orientation. Once you approve, the supplier is entitled to print what you saw.

Keep the proof message with your order sheet. If the finished print differs from the proof, you have evidence. If it matches the proof but not your hopes, you also know where the difference came from. Why photographs can look different on screens and in print explains why a print may never match a screen exactly.

A worked example

For example, imagine a family ordering a large framed print of a wedding group photograph for the living room. They send a social-media copy to the shop because it was handy.

The shop warns that the file is small and the print will look soft. The family goes back to the delivered final file, which is much larger. They record the file name, the print size and the crop. The proof shows the grandmother cut off at the edge, so they request a wider crop and approve the new proof in writing. The print arrives as approved, and the order sheet is kept in the family folder.

What is the photographer's role?

If print ordering is part of your agreement, the quotation will say so, and the photographer handles it as agreed. If you are using another supplier, the photographer's role is the delivery of suitable files, not the print. Ask before you order whether a particular photograph will hold up at your chosen size.

Prints are also a cost to plan. Optional retouching, albums and print costs explains how they are usually quoted. Rights to print and reproduce are covered in copyright ownership and permission to use event photographs. Check the file you plan to send against the photo delivery acceptance checklist first.