Printed images require higher-than-monitor resolutions to look good. Since a Photo CD image consists of five files -each at a different resolution- here's how to choose the right one to import into your imaging program. The file sizes in the table are for color images; B&W (greyscale) pictures will be about 1/3rd the size.

Import a Photo CD file at this pixel resolution:	For output to these size images in inches:	The file size will be:
Base/16: 192 x 128	Web: 2.67 x 1.78 or smaller	70 K
Base/4: 384 x 256	Web: 5.33 x 3.56 or smaller	280 K
Base: 768 x 512	Web:10.7 x 7.1 or smaller Prints up to 4 x 6 or 5 x 7	1.1 MB
4X Base: 1536 x 1024	Prints up to 8 x 10	4.5 MB
16X Base: 3072 x 2048	Prints over 8 x 10	18.0 MB

Most of the time you'll be using Base or 4XBase resolutions for good quality print output. But if you want to experiment with many different effects (especially when you're first learning your imaging program) import your pictures at lower resolutions. The fewer pixels the computer has to march around after you give your commands, the faster they'll get into formation. While "sharpen" might take 10 seconds for a 4.5MB image, it's only a blink-of-the-eye operation at 280K.

And that's all there is to it...in the beginning. Of course there's much more to learn and you'll pick it up as you go along. I've listed some good places to start in our RESOURCES section.