Most of us set important goals for the new year, whether they’re regarding our health, our finances, or our hobbies. But if you’re in the business of print, you should set some print resolutions for 2018! The most important? Understand “resolution”–for printing, that is!
What is Resolution?
Resolution is essential to getting a good picture! It refers to the clarity of your image. In other words, is it grainy and full of pixels, or sharp enough you can catch any detail?
Higher resolution on printed products results in a much clearer, better-looking image. For printing, you need at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) to make your photo or design look sharp.
Anything less than 300 DPI is considered low resolution. Low-resolution photos will look blurry or pixelated, like the subject is made of Legos. It gets worse if you try to print a small image at a larger size!
But My Photos Look Fine on My Computer…
Your screen is likely to display around 72 DPI, depending on how new it is. So the chances are that you won’t be able to tell the difference between a low-resolution photo and a high-resolution photo on your screen alone.
Your printer, however, can tell the difference! And that’ll come across the minute you hit Print.
How Do You Get High-Resolution Photos?
Luckily, this is an easy task! It’s as simple as using any good graphics app, probably the one you used to touch up the photo in the first place.
Simply use any Image menu and find options like Image Size or Resize. There, you’ll be able to adjust the resolution.
Then, save your photo as a JPEG, not a PNG. The latter is meant for screens, not printing, and it will show on a physical product.
Remember that your screens will show around 72 DPI, as opposed to the 300-400 you need for print. So always make sure your photos and images are high-resolution before sending them to print!
