How to Make a Photo Reference Book – Step 3

So, you’ve taken pictures of all your friends, scanned everything in all the photo albums you have, done some horse-trading with other forensic artists, and still you need more photos. Here’s the good news: you can get more online…Here’s the bad news: You may not be able to use them.

One reason might be low resolution. Just because something looks good on your computer screen doesn’t mean it’s going to print well, especially if you enlarge it even more.

This is because you are viewing images at the screen resolution of 72 ppi (pixels per inch). When you try to download what looks like a 1×2 photo on screen, enlarge it by 50%, then try to print it at 150 or 300 dpi, it’s going to look horrible. Something like the above.

The other reason is copyright protection, and privacy laws. Many people think mugshots are fair game, because they believe that they are public domain.  Some of them may be. Or, they may not.

It’s your responsibility to make sure that any photo you use, you are allowed to use. When in doubt, contact an attorney. The last thing you want is to get in trouble, or sued. Just like several major companies are being sued by Patrick Tribett, who found himself on T-shirts and coffee mugs after this  unfortunate mug shot was posted online:

So, if you look for digital photos online, be very careful which photos you choose, and keep control of whatever book you assemble.  Have a great weekend, and I plan on wrapping up this entire tutorial by the end of next week. Get ready for Step Four!