What's new
Apple iPad Forum 🍎

Welcome to the Apple iPad Forum, your one stop source for all things iPad. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Full screen photo on ipad air

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
What is suggested size for optimum quality full screen photo on ipad air?

Thanks,
Q
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
What are you going to use it for?

Almost any photo taken with a modern camera will look great on the iPad's screen.

If you are talking about using it for a wallpaper, the recommended wallpaper size is 2048 x 2048. However, no matter how big the photo is, the way wallpaper works you won't be able to see all of it.

There are a few apps out there that will let you play with a photo to get a better wallpaper experience. The add things like boarders to change what part of the photo will show.
 
OP
Qwerky

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
What are you going to use it for?

I want to load a selection of my photos and use the Air as an in-person marketing show-and-tell to galleries and potential individual buyers.

I've understood that 72 ppi is as fine as necessary for viewing on traditional computer monitors. Since the Retina screens (et al) "arrived", I wonder if higher ppi will yield a larger color spectrum- Space, and the finest resolution.

Q.
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
There is little point in worrying about ppi these days. Not unless you are talking about print. Computers will adjust the ppi for the display you are using, as long as the picture contains enough pixels to support it.

The screen itself is a bit over 4 MP. Since most cameras these days take at least 5 MP images, it's not an issue. However, the display technology is great, and a 3 MP image will still look pretty darn good.

Color space has nothing to do with ppi. This is a depth of information function (how much information per pixel) rather than a number of pixels per inch issue (ppi).

The iPad Air has one of the most capable screens on the market when it comes to color range and accuracy. If the image contains the information, you'll be able to see it.
 
OP
Qwerky

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Thanks, TP.

Mostly confusion here;). I'm using a Sony RX100 (20 MP) so I'm aware that file size is very important (over sizing = horse choking).. In processing my 20 mp raw images for full screen viewing on the Air, what should the specs be: Lp x Wp - but don't bother setting ppi? Won't that be a horse choking file size for the Mac Mini upload to the Air, and the Air to downsize ?

I'm a print guy, and 240 ppi is high enough for the finest inkjet printers. I'm going to 24"x36" in house - producing very high resolution images. But obviously the screen world, with computers automatically adjusting resolution quality, out of my control.....that's a new world.

Whoops, just remembered.....What file formats can Air handle: .tif, .jpg, .psd? Boy, I sure miss the comprehensive user/specs manuals.

Q.
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
Kind of true-ish. The Photos app doesn't do anything with the RAW file, but it will display the jpg file that is embedded in most RAW formats.

This is why it's possible to import RAW photos from a camera and still see them in the Photos app. See the note near the bottom of this support page.

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14493

And yes, they are saying iPhoto, but iPhoto's image compatibility is the same as the Photos app. After all, it was pretty much just an extension of the Photos app.

RIP iPhoto for iOS
 
Last edited:

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
Thanks, TP.

Mostly confusion here;). I'm using a Sony RX100 (20 MP) so I'm aware that file size is very important (over sizing = horse choking).. In processing my 20 mp raw images for full screen viewing on the Air, what should the specs be: Lp x Wp - but don't bother setting ppi? Won't that be a horse choking file size for the Mac Mini upload to the Air, and the Air to downsize ?

I'm a print guy, and 240 ppi is high enough for the finest inkjet printers. I'm going to 24"x36" in house - producing very high resolution images. But obviously the screen world, with computers automatically adjusting resolution quality, out of my control.....that's a new world.

Whoops, just remembered.....What file formats can Air handle: .tif, .jpg, .psd? Boy, I sure miss the comprehensive user/specs manuals.

Q.

If you want the absolute smallest image possible while keeping most of the quality, reduce the image size so that the longest edge is 2048 pixels. Making it larger will probably improve the image a bit. It also gives you the ability to zoom in without pixilating. Nice if you like to show off the details.

Besides the formats that Johanna mentioned, you can also use png. Though a high quality jpg is probably your best compromise between size and image quality.
 
OP
Qwerky

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Whoops, sorry - out of circulation for a bit.......Thanks to all for the help. However my original question still seems to stand.

For my 15 years in digital photography (prefaced by 28 years as an architectural (film/soup) photographer) I've been reluctant to have my work (my client's creations) presented on computer displays..... Monitors have been notoriously "grainy" (72 pixels per inch), low resolution, poor color fidelity, too dark/light...all over the ballpark if not out in the parking lot. Therefore no control of fidelity of the subject matter. Hence, in the past, my celebration of the "House of Epson" and a long list of wide format printers. My opinion: from the outset of digital inkjet printing, they wrote the book on high fidelity reproduction.

But now, for me, enter the Retina display, and super graphics cards (still called? :) ), and the "Air"..... the wonderful display of fine resolution, hue, saturation, contrast, and hopefully, also the subtleties of the art and artifacts that I'm paid to reproduce, and market. Also, the selection of the appropriate color space, and the source of the largest migraine - Color Management....to match the display of images on Mac Mini/Photoshop with the Air.

Therefore as I begin the migration of my images onto the Air, for marketing to galleries, artists, publishers - clients.....much of it in-person, my question: What is the suggested file size (pixel length & width, ppi, & bit depth) for optimum quality full screen B/W & color images... on iPad Air?

It seems that the answer starts with knowing the parameters/limits of the Retina screen....and of course the specs of the chosen vehicle...the image app. Then I can upload files that contain just that much data....read: optimum reproduction while avoiding harddrive overload.

If the case "all this stuff doesn't matter, just load an image into the 'Pad, It'll decide how much & how to use it" .....if that case is persuasive, I'll just have to conclude that I'm barking at the moon.

Thanks,

Qwerky
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
From the sounds of things, you're not going to find anyone here with more experience than yourself. I certainly don't have it.

I propose a simple experiment. Pick a few of your more challenging images (lots of contrast, color depth, etc.) and export them in a variety of sizes and formats. View them on the iPad and decide for yourself what looks good enough.

Because, really, that's what it is about. Not being perfect, just so good that your clients don't know it isn't' perfect. Having all the exact parameters, if that's even possible with jpeg, isn't going to save you enough space to make this head ache worth the effort.

Well, not my head ache anyway. :)

But, if you must, here is everything Apple publishes about their display for the iPad Air. It's isn't much.

http://support.apple.com/kb/SP692

I'd like to say one more time, that you may find having the exact size a really bad idea. One of the nice things about using an iPad to display images is that you can zoom in (approximately 2x), and pan around. That's not going to look as good as it could if you're picture is exactly screen sized. So, add that to your experiment, and see what will still wow your client when you zoom into show some details.

Past midnight here, and my thinking is starting to get fuzzy, if it wasn't before. So I better stop.
 
Last edited:
OP
Qwerky

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Thanks twerppoet, for your suggestions and the Apple Tech link which hit the spot! The Retina Air display is 2048p x 1536p @ 264 pixels per inch. Therefore the Air screen size is 7-3/4" x 5-7/8" (a very tiny decimal from that) which is just what I was looking for....the 264ppi.

BTW, the digital display "world" for images is my weakest link, along with web searching for tech info, therefore the prime reason for my being here.

While this thread was percolating, I ran into some interesting notes. The word pixel (PIX picture-ELement) combo first saw the light of day in 1888 by way of Paul Nipkow's German patent... bildpunkt....picturepoint. That 1888 is not a typo folks.....just what is new under the sun???

BTW, the .jpg file format is not embedded in a raw file. Probably all cameras that capture raw files have menu setting options to capture a raw file, a raw plus a jpg, or just a jpg. The choices to help minimize card and HD overload. The .jpg format is a compressed file....a certain percentage of pixels "produced" from the camera's sensor are tossed in the trash can....a lossy, low resolution format. .tif on the other hand is called a lossless, higher quality format.

Again, Thanks twerppoet!!! Another BTW - personal: I have a batch of photographs (negs) in my architectural photography files of the (then called) Walla Walla Community College - 1975 . :)

Qwerky


.
 

twerppoet

iPad Fan
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
24,150
Reaction score
15,397
Location
Milton-Freewater, OR
No problem.

You are right that most cameras have a jpeg + raw mode. However, many raw formats (there are several) also include jpeg in the raw file itself. It's used to to quickly display the image without having to process the raw file data.

Check out the file format section of this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format

Thanks for the history. Enjoyed it.

I wasn't raised here in Walla Walla, but I did, briefly, attend WWCC in the early 80's.
 
OP
Qwerky

Qwerky

iPF Noob
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Thanks, I see.

Also note your 16K + messages on here. Kudos for an amazing contribution to iPad users everywhere!!

Q.
 

Most reactions

Latest posts

Top