HELP PLease!!! Printing photos from photographers disk after exporting from LR5

[Kathy O]

A photographer took photos for my mom's 80th birthday. She sent me the disk, after looking at them on my computer I was very disappointed with the editing so I imported them to LR 5 and edited them myself. I exported them to my computer. I am now ready to order prints, I want to order a 16 x 20 but shutterfly says my photo has too low of resolution, it will only print up to a 5 x 7. The photographer says the quality of the photo should print to a 16 x 20, which leads me to believe that my settings are wrong when I exported my photos from LR 5 to my computer. If I try to order staight from the disk she gives me it works. Is there anyone out there that can help me out with this??? Thanks so much

[RichardTaylor]

What are the dimensions, in pixels, of the exported photographs?

[Manfred M]

Are you sure that these images are not just low resolution proofs?

Many photographers will only supply low resolution images on disks to prevent you from having prints made.

Photographers make money on selling you the prints, and they do own the copyright on the images so what you are planning to do is illegal, unless authorized by the photographer. The other reason they do this is to ensure that prints are made by someone who they trust to do their work because poor quality prints can ruin their reputation quite quckly.

[Kathy O]

What are the dimensions, in pixels, of the exported photographs?

I have exported the photos in 2 different dimensions (experimenting) and nothing neither seemed to work, the dimensions are below:
1000 x 667
1600 x 1067

[Kathy O]

Are you sure that these images are not just low resolution proofs?

Many photographers will only supply low resolution images on disks to prevent you from having prints made.

Photographers make money on selling you the prints, and they do own the copyright on the images so what you are planning to do is illegal, unless authorized by the photographer. The other reason they do this is to ensure that prints are made by someone who they trust to do their work because poor quality prints can ruin their reputation quite quckly.

Thanks for your response, I am sure they are not low resolution proofs, if I try to order the photos directly from her disk I do not get the low resolution message and she also told me that we can get prints made anywhere we want. Thanks for your help

[pnodrog]

Have a look at the pixel size for the as they are in LR5. When I hand someone a disk with photographs I have taken for them I usually give them two sets. One low res for use on the web the other at full res. for printing from. Make sure that has not happened and you have imported the wrong set. However if they show up in LR5 over say 3000x2400 then you may have had the export or print modules options of LR5 set to reduce the size being outputted.

[pnodrog]

I have exported the photos in 2 different dimensions (experimenting) and nothing neither seemed to work, the dimensions are below:
1000 x 667
1600 x 1067

Do not reduce on exporting if they are to be printed.

[RichardTaylor]

Those dimensions you have used to export them are much too small for larger photographs.

[Manfred M]

I have exported the photos in 2 different dimensions (experimenting) and nothing neither seemed to work, the dimensions are below:
1000 x 667
1600 x 1067

Those are tiny, web-sized images, so no wonder that these are not working for you. What size are they on the disk?

[Kathy O]

Have a look at the pixel size for the as they are in LR5. When I hand someone a disk with photographs I have taken for them I usually give them two sets. One low res for use on the web the other at full res. for printing from. Make sure that has not happened and you have imported the wrong set. However if they show up in LR5 over say 3000x2400 then you may have had the export or print modules options of LR5 set to reduce the size being outputted.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! My pixel size for the width and height were not set large enough when I exported my photos.

My resolution when exporting is set at 300, will that setting work ok?

Again thanks so much for your help!!

[Kathy O]

Those are tiny, web-sized images, so no wonder that these are not working for you. What size are they on the disk?

What would you suggest for the resolution setting when exporting these prints, I have it at 300 right now. Thank you so much for your help!! I am very inexperienced with LR 5, this information has helped so much!

[Manfred M]

Kathy - 300 ppi is a fairly common printer setting.

In the image sizing part of the export panel, you can enter the final print size (you want 16 x 20); change the settings from pxiels to inches. I'm looking at Lightroom 5.3

[Kathy O]

Kathy - 300 ppi is a fairly common printer setting.

In the image sizing part of the export panel, you can enter the final print size (you want 16 x 20); change the settings from pxiels to inches. I'm looking at Lightroom 5.3

Thank you once again, you have been so helpful!!

[Manfred M]

Thank you once again, you have been so helpful!!

Just check you file size; it may be huge.

[Black Pearl]

Just changing the ppi to 300 will make no difference - at all - it is a meaningless number if you are specifying a pixel dimension.

You need to stop LR from making the file smaller by not limiting the pixel dimensions.

When you export make sure the Resize to Fit isn't ticked.