Ah, resolution. As a graphic designer who has been working in print for longer than I’d like to admit, resolution and discussion surrounding it is almost a daily occurence here at PDQ. Most generally, the conversations revolve around the lack of resolution on one project or another. When thinking about important ideas to convey through our blog, resolution seems like an appropriate – and important – choice. Let’s start with the basics:
What IS resolution?
Resolution is the level of detail an image has. The higher the resolution, the clearer and crisper a printed image will appear. EVERYTHING in your print project, including both images and text, needs to be 300 DPI. Lower resolutions risk printing fuzzy, pixelated and unclear. This can make your project, and your company, look unprofessional.
What is DPI? What about PPI?
DPI stands for dots per inch. A 300 DPI printed image will contain 300 dots per square inch, while a 72 DPI image will have only 72 dots in that same square inch. The 300 DPI image will appear much richer and sharper because there are so many more dots that make up the image.
PPI refers to pixels per inch in a digital image. PPI will convert directly into DPI when printed. 300 PPI equals 300 DPI, they both refer to number of units per square inch of space.
Why are the images that look clear on my screen printing so poorly?
Digital screens – whether phone, tablet, or computer – are low-resolution devices. Most of the images used on and created for these devices are between 72 and 100 DPI. While these images will appear clear on screen, they will print poorly. Printed images require higher DPI per square inch to preserve clarity.
Can I add additional DPI to my low resolution image?
In a word – NO. Technically, you CAN resize a 72 DPI image to a 300 DPI image. The problem is, you won’t actually be adding any detail, since there is no additional detail to add. Your image will still print blurry or pixelated. When resizing images, you can only resize down – not up – if you want to retain data.
How can I make sure all my text and images are high resolution?
1. Make sure your image is 300 DPI at the desired dimensions. This is especially important if you are taking your own photos. Check your camera’s settings and adjust if necessary. For example, if your image spans an 8.5” x 11” brochure, that image needs to be 300 DPI at 8.5” x 11”. If an image needs to fill your business card, it only needs to be 3.5” x 2” at 300 DPI.
2. Use vector graphics and text. Vector graphics are a huge asset in print because they can be scaled to any size without losing detail. These graphics are usually created in programs like Adobe Illustrator. Make sure to always save vectors as .ai or editable .pdf files. Once vector art is saved as a .jpg, it becomes rasterized and can no longer be rescaled indefinitely.
3. Use stock images and graphics from reputable sites. Rather than downloading random – and possibly copyrighted – low resolution images from Google, consider purchasing high resolution graphics and images from sites such as Adobe, Shutterstock or iStock. When downloading your purchases, you can choose your resolution. Many of these sites have either multi-download plans or single images for sale.
At PDQ, we realize that sometimes you can’t avoid low resolution images. If you provide artwork with such images, we will contact you to make sure you understand low resolution and what it means for your project before continuing with the printing process. Our goal is to make sure we produce professional printed products that represent your company in the best light possible. When it comes to resolution, aim high! 300 DPI leads to great quality business cards, brochures and flyers.