Christina Keddie

Assuming you meant CS6, the add/subtract/intersect/etc. options should be in this dropdown menu:

PS6? The software that was released like 15 years ago? Or did you mean CS6?

Damien will want to see the photo you'd like to edit in this way.

No, I'm sorry, that isn't a link. Try again when you're not on your phone?

That resolution number means exactly diddly squat. PPI is pixels per inch, and there are no "inches" unless and until you define them (by cropping, for instance, and defining the width and height as well as the resolution parameters). So don't worry about the resolution box until you're changing the size of your file.

Are you shooting in raw? If so, and if you're using LR or ACR to read your raw files (rather than the proprietary Canon/Nikon software), then the in-camera noise reduction isn't going to apply. If you're shooting JPG -- please stop. And with JPGs, I'd still avoid using in-camera noise reduction -- it's a blunt force tool, compared to the scalpel of proper noise reduction which you apply yourself in LR or ACR.

If you don't want to use LR, then use Bridge. It comes with PS -- simply download it and install it and you're up and running. But of course, any workflow management tool is only as good as the files and folders you put into it. Bridge (and LR, for that matter) will view your files as they exist on your hard drive. And if they're a gigantic hot mess on your hard drive, they'll be the exact same gigantic hot mess in Bridge or LR. You'll have to use Bridge (or LR) to delete, reorganize, rename, keyword, etc. all of your files. Here's a video that gives you the basics of workflow management with Bridge, as a starting point for you!

There's this for figuring out how many pixels you'd be left with after cropping, and whether that's enough for printing. If you just need to find out the pixel dimensions of a file, simply go to Image > Image Size and see what it says there.

So has this lab sent you the exact CMYK profile that you need to be saving your files in?

Yeah -- what happens if there's a fire at your home/studio while you're in the middle of editing client work? Or a break-in, with your computer stolen? I know that's a remote possibility, but a good backup system has you covered no matter what. (And I love having simultaneous cloud backups of my work on a continuous basis. I have cloud backups of my edited files no matter how far I am into editing a session.)

Always follow the 3-2-1 rule of backup: at least three copies of your files, on at least two different types of media, with at least one copy off-site. Internal HD, plus external HD, plus cloud backup, for instance. Or internal HD, plus external HDs on site, plus a few external HDs off-site that you switch regularly to upload files onto.

Have you already read this article? (Also: I hope you're doing more than just storing your files on two internal hard drives for backup, yes?)

Yes, AIPP Is well-known for that ridiculous requirement. My bad for introducing confusion in this thread by merging in the other question!

@mrscranker, I'm merging your thread in with this one, as it should have been in this subforum and it's very in line with the question Sam was asking. (Did the merge at exactly the same time as Damien answered Sam's question -- was hoping to get this done before he responded, so sorry about any confusion!)

Wow, what lab is this? That's crazy if they wouldn't allow you to submit your own full design for the image wrap.

I'm sorry, I have no idea what you mean by it having "any of the old uncrossed version still showing." Can you explain that a bit? Because I'm not understanding why you'd ever need transparency when you expand you canvas size.

Just to rule out the obvious -- you're absolutely sure that you sent the lab files with sRGB embedded?

Mirroring means that you flip the bit you copy, so you get a mirror image -- so the exact same tones will be touching the edges, and you'll get a reverse gradient out towards the opposite side. Voila, perfect matching. But yes, try it out, and if it doesn't work, I'd go with a plain black edge rather than an image wrap.

Wouldn't mirroring the edges make more sense here, particularly for the top edge?

As long as you're shooting in raw, the in-camera settings don't apply to your files, so they don't matter from that perspective. But the camera histogram is based on the jpg preview, so it makes sense to have your camera set to sRGB. And you'll thank yourself if you accidentally switch to shooting in jpg without realizing it!

For the PDF issue -- you've created these files in 32 bits, so PDF isn't available. Again, go through the troubleshooter I linked above, and the second troubleshooter that's linked at the end of that, for how to fix your color space and bit depth problems.

Well, first of all, you've got a color space problem. Did you use your lab's template to create these, and therefore use the color space they recommended? Or did you make these from scratch yourself? Make sure to go through this to fix your general color space problems: http://www.damiensymonds.net/art_tscs000.html

Where are you printing this, and what is that printer's recommended minimum PPI? You'd have to make the file 4x6 at a given resolution -- the 4x6 is the right shape, but it isn't the right size (with the right number of pixels) unless you've set the resolution correctly. 4x6 at 300ppi (which is generally what print labs require) would be 1200x1800 pixels. Is that what you've got?

Just open Bridge, and use it to navigate to your files. Simple as that. Watch this video for tips on how to handle your files. (And seriously, get a card reader -- using a cable to hook your camera up to the computer is slower and more prone to file corruption and worse for your cards.) And then this video for a basic introduction into using Bridge for your workflow management.

That's a Finder window, isn't it? So you've already uploaded your files onto your hard drive?