The submission form will include the specific file requirements for the particular call (these may vary). While the form does NOT check the pixel size or file size on uploaded files, you will want to ensure that your images meet the specifications.
To check the pixel size of the image on your computer:
- Open the folder or file location where the image is saved.
- Right-click the image.
- Select Get Info (Mac) or Properties (Windows). For Windows users, you also need to click on either the Details or Summary tab for the information. The tab will depend on your operating system.
If your file exceeds the maximum pixel size, you will need to resize it smaller. This can be done using Preview (MAC), Paint (Windows), or other software products. There are also some online file resizers such as https://picresize.com or https://www1.lunapic.com/editor. In addition to pixel size, they also have the ability to resize image size in MB.
NOTE: If your file size is below the minimum pixels, you will need to get another picture. You cannot increase the number of pixels without a loss of image quality.
Even if your image file is within the specific pixel range, it may still be too large for uploading due to image resolution, number of colors, compression/quality, etc.
You can check the file size using the instructions above. Remember that 1000 KiloBytes (KB) = 1 MegaByte (MB). To reduce the file size, you may need to set a pixel size closer to the minimum requirement.
NOTE: A submission form cannot exceed 25 MB in uploaded image files (usually there are a maximum of 3 per artwork). You will receive an error if this limit is exceeded.
Since there are slight variations in how file sizes are calculated, we recommend a 24 MB target size for ALL your uploaded images (12 MB each if submitting 2 images or 8 MB each for 3 images). You can slightly decrease the image quality or resolution when saving the image to reduce the file size.
If you are accepted into a SAQA Global exhibition, you WILL be contacted if your image isn't suitable for print purposes.