by Louise Bruce, The BFA
If I had a pound for every time I’ve said, ‘I can’t use that photo’ or ‘could you send me a higher res version?’ I’d be a very wealthy woman.
Poor images are the bane of any PR’s life and clients rarely understand how important a good, high res image is. Put it this way, a good photo can make a story, a bad one will kill it immediately.
So, here’s my quick guide to how to take, store and send fantastic images, that will make your PR stories come alive and, put you in the strongest position to gain you some great coverage.
How to get the best PR images
Hire a professional photographer. Apologies if you thought I was going to say anything else. Good photography is an investment that will repay itself tenfold. You’ll receive top quality, high resolution images, that you can use in press and PR, on your website and in your marketing material and socials for at least the next 12 months. Make sure the firm you choose are specifically experienced in ‘PR’ photography, not just weddings and babies.
Taking your own images
If you have to take them yourself, make sure they are:
- Tight into the subject (avoid zooming in, it reduces quality, move forwards instead)
- Use a tripod if necessary or hold the camera steady
- Taken in portrait mode for editorial/Insta or horizontal for web/Facebook
- Well lit – natural light is fine
- Very smiley – now is not a time to be moody or arty
- High resolution – at least 1MB or 300dpi (see below for more info)
- Branding visible on clothing (editors will crop it out of the background)
- Absolutely no filters
Example: This photo of Jane James, taken by a professional photographer at her national conference is a great example of the perfect PR photograph. Jane says: “Using a professional photographer has been a game-changer for us. It’s critical to have images that authentically represent your brand and your people.”
Understanding digital images
To know how to work with digital images you need to understand how they work.
Resolution = image quality. It’s measured in pixels per inch (PPI) or dots per inch (DPI). For print, you need 300 DPI. For web, 72 DPI is fine. Too small and the image will be blurry. You want crisp images.
Understanding KB and MB: file sizes made simple
File sizes run from just a few kb’s (Kilobytes) all the way up to hundreds of MB’s (Megabytes) and eventually into GB’s (Gigabytes). They’re units used to measure file size — like how big a photo, video, or document is.
This will give you an idea of how big a file size is:
| Unit | Size in Bytes | Approx size in everyday terms |
| 1 KB | 1,024 bytes | A short paragraph of text |
| 1 MB | 1,024 KB | A high-quality image or a minute of MP3 music |
| 5 MB | 5,120 KB | A high-res phone photo or a short video |
| 50 MB | 51,200 KB | A 2–3 minute HD video |
| 1 GB | 1,024 MB | A full movie or thousands of photos |
Setting up your camera
If you are going to use your smartphone to take your photos, don’t assume it’s set up for the best quality by default. Find out how to adjust the resolution setting on your phone, then adjust for your requirements.
Sizes are usually shown in megapixels (MP) and you may see options like 12MP, 50MP or even 200MP.
Print-quality photos should be at least 1–2MB in size and 300 DPI. If your file is under 1MB, it’s probably not good enough for print. Around 50MP is ideal for high quality without creating huge files.
Recommended file sizes for images
When using images in a printed magazine you always want it to be over 1MB and more likely 2-5 MB.
| File Size | What It Means | Is It Print-Quality? |
| 10 KB | Tiny — like a thumbnail | ❌ No — far too small |
| 100 KB | Still very small — low-res | ❌ No — not suitable for print |
| 500 KB | Half a megabyte — moderate detail | ❌ Unlikely — still too small |
| 1 MB | One megabyte — better quality | ✅ Possibly usable for small prints |
| 2–5 MB | High-quality image | ✅ Yes — suitable for PR/print |
| 10 MB+ | Very high quality / large format | ✅ Yes — ideal for cropping and large print use |
Checking the resolution of an image
Accurately verifying the resolution of an image is essential before using it in any print or professional application or sending it to a media outlet. The process differs depending on your device. Head to YouTube for a tutorial if you get stuck.
On Your Smartphone:
– Android (e.g., Samsung Galaxy): Open the image in your Gallery or Google Photos app > tap the three-dot menu (⋮) or swipe up > select ‘Details’ or ‘Info’ to see dimensions like 8160 x 6120 pixels and file size.
– iPhone: Open the image in the Photos app > swipe up or tap the ⓘ info icon > view the pixel dimensions (e.g., 4032 x 3024) and other details.
On Your Laptop or Desktop:
– Windows: Right-click the image file > choose ‘Properties’ > click the ‘Details’ tab. Look under ‘Dimensions’ for the resolution. The file size is listed under ‘Size.’
– Mac: Right-click the image > select ‘Get Info’ > see ‘More Info’ for dimensions and file size.
– In image-editing software (e.g., Photoshop, Preview): Open the image > go to ‘Image Size’ or ‘Inspector’ to view both pixel dimensions and DPI.
Sending images
So, you’ve taken your high-res image, now how do you send it to the magazine for publishing without it being compressed? Here are my top tips:
| Method | Does it keep image quality? | Notes |
| WeTransfer | ✅ Yes | Free for up to 2GB. Great for sending multiple large images. |
| Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive | ✅ Yes | Upload files and share a link. Easy and reliable. |
| Email (as attachment) | ✅ Yes (if file is under ~10MB) | Works well for one or two images. Always attach — don’t paste into email. |
| ❌ No | Compresses images heavily — not suitable for print use. | |
| Facebook Messenger | ❌ No | Automatically compresses images. Avoid for anything professional. |
| Text message (SMS/MMS) | ❌ No | Often reduces image size dramatically. |
| Pasting into Word, PowerPoint, or email body | ❌ No | Looks fine on screen but destroys resolution — don’t do it. |
Once you understand how image sizing works, you’ll never go back to the ‘let’s email it over and see if it’s ok’ method.
Good luck and remember, a great photo can open more doors than a great headline.
Download our guide to taking, storing and sending digital images here! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask louisebruce@thebfa.org