Choosing the right image size and resolution when submitting files to print can sometimes be difficult. With so many different options, it can be confusing to know which one you should choose. When creating art for print, you’ll want to pay close attention to image size and resolution in order to ensure that your design looks as sharp as possible in the finished product. Let’s take a look at each of these specifications in detail.
Choosing a resolution for printing
Resolution—the amount of detail an image holds, measured in pixels per inch (ppi)—is important when printing images. If your resolution is too low, an image will appear pixelated or blurry; if it’s too high, there won’t be enough pixels to fill a large printed size. In other words, if you want to print a very large picture at a high quality on paper with a thick stock (such as photo paper), then your resolution has to be higher than what’s required for smaller printing service in London. The tricky part is finding out which resolution works best with any given project—and that depends on many factors.
Choosing an image size for printing
When it comes to resolution, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, don’t be deceived by megapixels. The resolution of an image is independent of its megapixel count; that is, one 12-megapixel photo will not necessarily be higher quality than another 36-megapixel photo. In fact, photos with smaller file sizes can actually provide greater detail than their larger counterparts if they’re taken with a high enough resolution camera—provided that both were shot in a properly lit environment without excessive grain or noise.
Printing with quality in mind
Resolution. What is resolution, really? The resolution of a photo is based on two different concepts: pixel dimensions and ppi (pixels per inch). Pixel dimensions tell us how many pixels we have; ppi tells us how those pixels are spaced. The final size of your photo depends on both factors—which is why it’s important to set up your camera correctly. It’s also why, in almost all cases, you don’t want to throw away images just because they aren’t large enough when printed as-is. So what size do you need for each type of photo? Here’s a quick rundown
Some final thoughts about printing your photos
Resolution, image size, dpi, ppi, jpg vs. raw, color space: Digital cameras make it easy to take pictures and download them to your computer at a high quality. However, your printer can’t read your digital files—it needs to have a set of instructions that says how much ink to use where.
This is called printing resolution or dpi (dots per inch). If you have an inkjet printer with a resolution setting of 400 dots per inch (dpi), it will automatically adjust your photo so that it prints well on that paper. But if you try to print that same picture on photo paper with a higher resolution of 600 dpi, it won’t look as good because your printer doesn’t know what to do with all those extra pixels. To avoid issues like these. I recommend making sure that both your camera and your printer are set up correctly before printing any photos.
