A photograph of a property can end up in a printed brochure, on a listing website, in an email to an investor and on a social media post, often within the same week. Each of those places asks for something different from the same file. A brochure needs detail and accurate colour on paper. A website needs images that load quickly and look sharp on a screen. Sending one file to every destination is the most common reason a property looks good online and disappointing in print, or the reverse. Understanding the difference helps you ask for the right files from the start.
Why resolution behaves differently
Resolution is the amount of detail an image holds, and the right amount depends on where the image will appear. For print, the working figure most designers use is around 300 pixels per inch at the size the image will be printed. That is a high density, and it is what keeps fine details such as the grain of a timber floor or the edge of a lamp crisp on the page. A file that looks sharp on a laptop may look soft in print, because the screen simply does not reveal the shortfall.
For the web, the aim is different. A listing page needs an image that looks sharp on a screen at the size it is displayed, but not an enormous file that takes a long time to appear. Very large files slow the page, and buyers who are browsing on a phone are often the first to notice. A web version is therefore sized for the screen and compressed sensibly, and the print version is kept at full size.
Colour is not the same on paper and on screens
Screens show colour as light, using a standard colour space that most websites and devices understand. Printing uses inks on paper, and the printed result depends on the press, the paper and the colour profile used. A file that is correct for a screen can look different when printed, particularly in deep blues, warm woods and bright whites, which are common in luxury interiors.
This is why a print file is usually prepared with a colour profile suited to professional printing, and the web file is prepared for the standard colour space of screens. Your designer will normally tell you which profile the printer expects. If you are unsure, it is worth asking before the files are sent, because converting after the fact can change how the images look.
Crops and the shape of a layout
A brochure is designed around a page, and a listing is designed around a grid or a slideshow. The same photograph may be cropped differently for each. A wide landscape image that works across a spread may need a tighter crop for a square tile, and a vertical brochure panel may need a different composition again. Crops should be planned with the layout in mind, not added at the last minute by squeezing an image into a space it does not fit.
For this reason, it helps to receive a set of images that already includes the main orientations you need: landscape, portrait and, where relevant, square. Our studio delivers images in print and web quality, and it is worth discussing in advance which crops your brochure or listing will need, so that the important part of each room stays in the frame.
Why you need both versions
A good property campaign uses both formats, and it is rarely one or the other. The brochure carries the physical presence of the property, the paper and the finish that a buyer can hold. The website carries the depth of the listing, the gallery and the ability to browse at speed from anywhere in the world. Each medium does a job the other cannot, and the same photographs are asked to do both.
Keeping both versions also protects the value of the original shoot. If the web file is used in a brochure, it may look poor on paper. If the print file is used on a website, it may load slowly and frustrate the very people you want to reach. Having the right file for each place means the shoot continues to work across the whole campaign.
What to ask for
Before you commission photography, ask the photographer to confirm a few points in writing:
- Whether you will receive separate files for print and for web.
- Which colour profile each set uses, and whether it suits your printer.
- Which orientations are included, and whether square crops are available.
- How the files are named and organised, so the right version is easy to find later.
These details are simple to arrange at the start and much harder to fix after the brochure has gone to press. If you would like help planning files for a particular property, you can contact us through the contact page. We are happy to explain what we deliver and how it fits your print and web needs, and our services page outlines the full range of work available.
