Help with picture quality

[Former_Member]

Hi, I wonder if you can help me.

I used to take my pictures with a compact camera, as many of you, I guess.

But last Monday, my boyfriend and I decided to invest in a reflex camera, a Canon Rebel T3i. So far, we are loving it.

We took many pictures, because I feel pictures have always been a flaw in my Etsy shop. Very happy with the results, I upload my pictures to Etsy... to see the quality of the picture incredibly lowered.

Why? I read some articles in the Help space and resized my pictures, but they still look worse than the original picture when I upload them to Etsy.

This is the listing I am talking about: https://www.etsy.com/listing/109013611/brown-pocket-journal-sunset-sea

Do you see what I mean? The original pictures had a lot more quality and definition and we are very frustrated for that! What is worse, if you compare those pictures with any other listing... they are worse! The photos taken with the compact camera look even better than those taken with the reflex camera.

Do you have any idea what are we doing wrong? Have any of you seen the quality of your pics lowered too? Any solutions?

[Former_Member]

Anyone can help me?

[elainesgems]

Have you tried using picmonkey.com ? Click on the sharpen feature. I set the sharpness to 13% and the clarity to 33%. It makes a big difference.

[Former_Member]

But the pictures are good before I upload them to Etsy :( The problem is with the uploading, not with the pictures themselves :(

[Former_Member]

Is something happening to the pixel ratio when you export them?

[Former_Member]

I don't think so, because I adjust the pixels before uploading them, so that they will fit. I do that with picmonkey and I put 1000 and it automatically changes to 667 the height, so it keeps the ratio.

I am really worried, I see incredible photos around Etsy and my photos are like those just before uploading them to Etsy :(

[Former_Member]

Anyone else with the same problem? :(

[Former_Member]

I assume you're using the best quality with largest file size from picmonkey?

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

I must be missing something because the photos look fine to me. I can clearly see the grain in what I assume is a leather background and the texture of the fabric cover.

[Former_Member]

Yeah, I took a closer look too. Maybe you're seeing something we're not but they look clear and I can see detail...

[Former_Member]

I know what you mean... because if you don't see the originals, you can think that those are great.

But look at this: http://gatzbcn.tumblr.com/post/41482389114/a-nice-pocket-journal-with-a-magnet-to-seal-it

They are the same pictures I upload to Etsy. Do you see what I mean now?? The pics look greater in tumblr, even though they are the same ones that I upload in Etsy :(

[Former_Member]

Your pics on Etsy and your pics on tumblr look just about the same to me, and I have a fair amount of experience with graphic-making, Photoshop, having a DSLR camera and such. Maybe it's your browser?

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

They look the same to me too.

[Former_Member]

Oh, wow!!

I am using Firefox and I opened the page with Google Chrome... and guess what!! NOW they look the same!! It was the browser!!!! The browser!! I would have never thought of that!! Thank you so much Lix Hewett for the idea!! And to everyone who helped me with this :) I am no longer frustrated :D