How to Prepare Images for Newsprint

Preparing images for newsprint requires a little work, but the outcome is worth the extra effort. Images for newspapers need to be adjusted beforehand so that their appearance is optimized in black and white print. This includes setting up the color, tone and contrast.

• 1

  Run your photograph editing software. The software should allow you to change the image to display in CMYK format, such as Photoshop.

• 2

  Open the image in the photograph editing software. The image should be at least 200 dpi, with the optimal size being 300 dpi. DPI is a standard measuring scale which means "dots per inch." The higher the DPI, the sharper the resolution or image quality is. Discuss with the newspaper to see if they have a required DPI for image submissions.

• 3

  Sharpen the image. If using Photoshop, use the filter called the "Unsharp Mask." Be careful to not over sharpen the image so that either bright or dark outlines appear around edges of the subject.

• 4

  Adjust the contrast and tone. High contrast images with a full grey scan works best. This means that the image should have black, white and full scale of grey. The key is that the image should not lose detail within the darkest or lightest areas.

• 5

  Change the image to CMYK format. Switching the image to CMYK format at the end is best, as it is easier to adjust the contrast and tone while in RGB (default) format.

• 6

  Save the image. Find out from the newspaper which format it prefers, such as PDF or TIFF.