How do i make a 24 bit color in Photoshop (for green card)?

[tori]

Hi,
This is my first post - I guess this is the place where some Photoshop geniuses are to be find.... I hope someone can help me:

I'm to apply for a Green Card in the US lottery, and they're pretty specific with how the submitted photo have to be. The problem is that they're requiring a "24-bit color" photo, and on my Photoshop there's only 8 and 16 (and as far as I understand "24" doesn't exist in Photoshop, only 8, 16, 32)

I read somewhere that "24" IS 8, as it's three colors of 8; 8+8+80=24.

Is that right?

Here's what they've written in the application:

Technical Specifications
The submitted digital photograph must conform to the following specifications or the system will automatically reject
the E-DV entry form and notify the sender.


Taking a New Digital Image. If a new digital image is taken, it must meet the following specifications:


Image File Format:

The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
format.


Image File Size: The maximum image file size is 240 kilobytes (240 KB).


Image Resolution and
Dimensions:

Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels
(height). Image pixel dimensions must be in a square aspect ratio
(meaning the height must be equal to the width).


Image Color Depth: 24-bit color [Note: Color photographs are required. Black and white, monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale
will not be accepted.]

I'm grateful for any help!
Tori

[jerryb]

hi,
I am no genius...lol...
there is a difference between editing in 8 or 16 bits pixal depth and working with a image that a color depth of 8 or 16 or 24 bits, etc... there really 2 different things....

when you save you image as a jpg... the standard jpg format is that it is saved in 24 bit color!! so there should be no issue there... as far as your picture .. it will be 24 bit color!

note: png , when you save in that format, you do have a choice of 8 or 24 bit color depth.....

now your image.. you can go ahead crop your image to that 600x600 and do whatever editing.... then i suggest you choose "save for the web" from your file menu, now there you can then adjust the quality/compression of your jpg file to where you can get the file size you want!! and that it..

ok on the 24 bit color which also is called true color... does consist of 8 bit assigned to blue, 8 bits assigned to geen, 8 bit assigned to red ...

Hi,
This is my first post - I guess this is the place where some Photoshop geniuses are to be find.... I hope someone can help me:

I'm to apply for a Green Card in the US lottery, and they're pretty specific with how the submitted photo have to be. The problem is that they're requiring a "24-bit color" photo, and on my Photoshop there's only 8 and 16 (and as far as I understand "24" doesn't exist in Photoshop, only 8, 16, 32)

I read somewhere that "24" IS 8, as it's three colors of 8; 8+8+80=24.

Is that right?

Here's what they've written in the application:

Technical Specifications
The submitted digital photograph must conform to the following specifications or the system will automatically reject
the E-DV entry form and notify the sender.


Taking a New Digital Image. If a new digital image is taken, it must meet the following specifications:


Image File Format:

The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
format.


Image File Size: The maximum image file size is 240 kilobytes (240 KB).


Image Resolution and
Dimensions:

Minimum acceptable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels
(height). Image pixel dimensions must be in a square aspect ratio
(meaning the height must be equal to the width).


Image Color Depth: 24-bit color [Note: Color photographs are required. Black and white, monochrome images (2-bit color depth), 8-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale
will not be accepted.]

I'm grateful for any help!
Tori

[tori]

Thanks a lot, jerryb!
I'm sorry for the late reply, but I had to take some time to edit a photo to see if I'm getting it.

So thanks for explaining the difference between "bit pixels" and "color depth".

But I have a couple of questions:

1. Is there anyway I can see that it's a 24 color depth when I "save it for web" in JPEG?

2. When I'm working with the photo in Photoshop it says 240 KB in image size, but after I've saved it for web in JPEG format it says only 40 KB - even when I'm choosing "maximum" on settings and 100% on "quality". What's with that?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Tori

[tori]

Ok, I think I can answer my own second question; I simply change "resolution". I had it at 72, but changed it to 200 - and now it's about 214 KB.

But I have a third question; is there anyway that I can make a photo totally square? I mean, is there any tool I can use?

Thanks in advance,
Tori

[tori]

So now I found the answer to my first question on this website;

Resolution = (Pixel Dimension) / (Print size)
The issue of image size and resolution is a major source of confusion. Thoroughly the relationship above is essential. Also remember that resampling means that pixel dimensions are changed.
Color Depth means the number of different colors that can be assigned to a pixel.
That number in turn depends on how many bits are assigned to the pixel, which can range from 1 bit (2 colors) to 48 bits (281 trillion colors). For photographic work 24-bit color (16 million colors) and 8-bit greyscale (256 shades) are generally sufficient.
Different file formats are suited to different purposes.


* TIFF: up to 48-bit color; lossless compression. The best format for archiving.
* JPEG: 24-bit color; lossy, adjustable compression. Use for web distribution of photographs.
* GIF 8-bit color, lossless compression. Use for web distribution of illustration graphics. Not for color photographs.
* Photoshop: 1-bit to 16-bits-per-channel color. Lossless compression. Use to preserve layered structure for later editing.

Thanks again for the reply.

My only unanswered question is: is there any way that I can make a square photo?

Thanks,
Tori

[jerryb]

hi,
when yo save in jpg it will always be 24 bits.....!! so you don't have to worry about that....

your 2nd question about jpb file size...
the quality and compression work in tandom and and inversely propotiona
the higher the quality the lower the compression and visa versa.....
if you noticed as you move the slide bar on the cmpression.. not ony does the file size change but in the quality window it changes...!!

in the more extreem case where very high compression you can lose significt quality ie, fine lines maybe become dotted, you get more artifacts, colorshades become slightly different, etc...

Thanks a lot, jerryb!
I'm sorry for the late reply, but I had to take some time to edit a photo to see if I'm getting it.

So thanks for explaining the difference between "bit pixels" and "color depth".

But I have a couple of questions:

1. Is there anyway I can see that it's a 24 color depth when I "save it for web" in JPEG?

2. When I'm working with the photo in Photoshop it says 240 KB in image size, but after I've saved it for web in JPEG format it says only 40 KB - even when I'm choosing "maximum" on settings and 100% on "quality". What's with that?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Tori

[jerryb]

hi,
on the square photo... well you could resize but that would end up with distortion and that not good so what your looking at is cropping your photo, they only want to see your face....

this is one way to do it.....

1. click your marquee selection tool
2. now click "style" there at the top and select fixed size
3. next to it put in the values you want ie; 600 x600
4. now just click on the image.... automaticaly you will get a selection box
that is 600x600 and all you need to do is just postion the box the way you want and go to the edit>crop and that it...

So now I found the answer to my first question on this website;

Resolution = (Pixel Dimension) / (Print size)
The issue of image size and resolution is a major source of confusion. Thoroughly the relationship above is essential. Also remember that resampling means that pixel dimensions are changed.
Color Depth means the number of different colors that can be assigned to a pixel.
That number in turn depends on how many bits are assigned to the pixel, which can range from 1 bit (2 colors) to 48 bits (281 trillion colors). For photographic work 24-bit color (16 million colors) and 8-bit greyscale (256 shades) are generally sufficient.
Different file formats are suited to different purposes.


* TIFF: up to 48-bit color; lossless compression. The best format for archiving.
* JPEG: 24-bit color; lossy, adjustable compression. Use for web distribution of photographs.
* GIF 8-bit color, lossless compression. Use for web distribution of illustration graphics. Not for color photographs.
* Photoshop: 1-bit to 16-bits-per-channel color. Lossless compression. Use to preserve layered structure for later editing.

Thanks again for the reply.

My only unanswered question is: is there any way that I can make a square photo?

Thanks,
Tori

[djtonic]

600x600 image. The instructions clearly say that is the very minimum size they can print from.
Hope you get your green card but I am wondering why all the messing with photoshop?
Just take the picture with your digital camera at a lowered resolution setting so the file size isn't too large and if you have to use PHotoshop to make a square then just crop the image around the face then change image size(image>image size, un check constrain proportions) to make it square and larger than the minimum accepted size. then save as jpeg

much easier i think

Dj

[tori]

Thanks jerryb and djtonic!

I found the easiest way was to do as jerryb said - I didn't get how to use the "constraint" image.

Anyway; now I have a photo that meets all the requirements!

Thanks again and have a wonderful day.


tori

[jerryb]

hi,
your welcome... you have a good week and enjoy

Thanks jerryb and djtonic!

I found the easiest way was to do as jerryb said - I didn't get how to use the "constraint" image.

Anyway; now I have a photo that meets all the requirements!

Thanks again and have a wonderful day.


tori