Many of our subscribers include a photo on the front page of their newsletters. We receive many questions from clients and prospects who aren’t sure just what kind of quality photo we need to use for their newsletter.

Here is a list of things to keep in mind if you are thinking of including a quality photo on your newsletter:

• Generally, the best reproduction will come from a 35mm photo taken by a photo studio. Occasionally we will get good results from a passport photo, but it depends entirely on the quality of the original photograph.
• If you have a digital photo, please send a .jpg or .tif file. The resolution should be at least 300 dpi for good quality.
• Pictures with a light background work best. If there is a dark background, the person’s hair may blend in, making it difficult to get good contrast. Also be careful not to have shadows behind your head, especially if you are using your own camera.
• Plain backgrounds work better than busy ones. If there are a lot of “objects” in the background, it will dwarf the main focus of the picture.
• Make sure your face does not appear “washed out.” This often happens in photos taken with your own camera. Professional photographs will contain contrast on different parts of your face so that your features are discernible.
• Pictures that have a soft look to them (such as glamour shots) will appear fuzzy when reproduced.
• Try not to send us a group photo that we need to “cut” you out of. Usually in those cases, we have to cut the picture off center and someone’s hair or shoulder still appears in the photo.
• The usual size of the picture on your newsletter is 1.25 inches wide by 1.5 inches high. Especially with digital photos, it is better to send a much larger photo, which we will reduce to fit.

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