|
The ZAPP Images Format Problem |
|
call me if you have any questions -
412-401-8100 |
|
If you need free ZAPP image
formatting
use my JuryImages.com web site |
| Every artist needs to be made aware of
the image formatting issue before uploading images that will put them at a
disadvantage in the system. The problem is that the artists that need help
the most won't read this page and should be made aware of the situation.
And artists that don't have the skills to prepare their images correctly
aren't optimizing how they appear to the jury. Just formatting images is
not the solution. The best jury images are color corrected, cropped and
formatted properly so your work can compete with your competitor's work. |
| Your jury slides are the most
important asset you have and are the only thing that can get you accepted
to the shows you apply to. If I've prepared your images, they
have been done correctly and will always look the best to the jurors no
matter how they are seeing them. |
| Recently new image specifications have been
added to the ZAPP web site. The new size they are specifying will put
artists at a disadvantage in the jury room. Especially since they haven't
changed how the images are seen by the jurors. The only thing that has
changed is the wording on the ZAPP web site.
DO NOT FOLLOW THE NEW INSTRUCTIONS
The original ZAPP size of 1920x1920 pixels (with rectangular images
masked in black) will always best present your images to the jurors.
And uploading 1920x1920 images is the only way to insure the jurors will
see the images exactly as you've uploaded them.
Especially since you'll be competing against over 500,000 properly
prepared images already in the system. And make sure your jury slide
photographer provides you with 1920x1920 pixel square ZAPP images because
you'll need them to apply to other shows not using ZAPP but asking for
that image size. Otherwise horizontals view larger than verticals - not
fair for any artist jurying with images of vertical artwork. |
|
shows that
project the images |
| Every day I get phone calls and e-mails from
artists asking about the new image format, and unfortunately also get
calls from artists who have already gone through all their images removing
the black borders, not realizing that ZAPP will be adding them back and
resaving their JPEGs when they apply to the shows that project the images. I even got a
phone call from a ZAPP show asking about all the different size images
they were receiving because they were having trouble creating their
program in which they show an image from each artist. |
| In December 2009, ZAPP flew me to Denver to
consult with them about ways to improve both the web site and the ZAPP
system. After spending an afternoon observing the Cherry Creek jury, I met
with the ZAPP people the next morning and was able to address the image
format problem first hand, because I had seen some images that had
projected smaller in the jury room the previous day. |
| There are only negative consequences of
following
the new image format instructions. The
most important is that if you size your images smaller than 1920 pixels
long
dimension, ZAPP will add black 1920x1920 pixel borders, leaving your
images smaller, and your images
will be resaved as a JPEG and project smaller than your
competitor's
images if you apply to any of the shows using digital projectors, which
are
the top shows in the country.
And even if you upload rectangular images at
1920 pixels long dimension, ZAPP will add black borders and resave your
JPEG's possibly degrading them. When I observed the Cherry Creek jury, I saw
examples of smaller images first hand, as did the other artists in the room who were
also observing the jury. I've heard from a number of show directors that
they
didn't notice the different size images in their own juries, but the show
directors have no stake in you having good looking jury slides. I compare
this to the art shows that offered to scan slides for artists and didn't
make any
attempt to color correct them, which resulted in artists having bad
looking
images in the system. Your jury slides are the most important asset you
have and are the only thing that can get you accepted to the shows you
apply to. For monitor jurying, there is virtually no difference
because the black borders were never seen by the jurors because they
viewed the images on a black web page background. Therefore there is no
need take the black borders off
your
existing images, which some artists have done because of the confusing
wording on the ZAPP web site. |
| The last consequence of the new image format is that you'll have the wrong
size jury images on your computer for the many shows not using
ZAPP but asking for the 1920x1920 pixel images on CD. We've spent years
campaigning the shows to adapt the 1920x1920 pixel square jury image
format as the only fair way for shows to view both horizontal and vertical
images exactly the same size because, like 35mm slides when rotated, the
opening stays the same. This is especially important as monitors are
getting
more wide screen and horizontal images will could have an even larger advantage
if shows stop asking for the square image format. |
| Please contact every artist you know and tell them about the ZAPP image
formatting issue. If you need help, call me (412-401-8100) or use the free
ZAPP image format processor on my
Jury Images web site. |
| Here's a comparison of
image size
differences when projected if you upload images based on the new image
size. |
left - 1920 pixel image squared with 1920 black borders.
right - 1400 pixel image squared with 1920 black borders. |
| If
I've prepared your images, they have been done correctly and will always
look the best to the jurors no matter how they are seeing them. And I send
everyone a CD so that they have the correctly sized images on their
computer also to apply to other shows. |
|
Hire me
to Prepare your Digital Jury Images |
