Images printed at a low resolution will look pixelated and blurry, even if they are clear on the computer screen. The optimum print resolution is 300 PPI, which can be used for everything from postcards and business cards to booklet printing and pocket folders.
Resolution often needs clarification with image size, but it is vital to know the difference between these two measurements. The right resolution value can make or break the quality of a final product.
PPI
The number of pixels, or dots, per inch in a print is known as its resolution and is an important factor to consider when designing and printing high-quality images. A PPI value of 300 or higher will ensure that your image is sharp and crisp and will print beautifully on various products, including brochures, posters, postcards, business cards, stickers, and more.
The higher the PPI, the more detailed your print will be. Images used on the web are often created at a low PPI of 72 or 96, which allows for smaller file sizes and does not appear visibly pixelated on most computer screens. However, if these low-resolution images are printed at a higher resolution, they will appear fuzzy and blurry on the final product.
To avoid this, it is recommended that all photos and artwork for printing be at least 300 PPI. However, using vector-based logos or other graphics that do not contain pixels can be saved at any PPI without losing quality. The best resolution for printing can vary depending on your printer, project size, and viewing distance. When enlarged, you must design your artwork at 300 dpi or higher to avoid blurriness or pixelation.
DPI
In digital print (like a computer monitor or smartphone), pixel resolution is measured per inch. A higher pixel count means more detail, which is great if you want your print to look sharp and crisp. However, a high pixel count does not translate to a quality print when it comes time to get it printed on paper. For the best results, it is recommended to use a print resolution of 300 dpi.
DPI represents dots per inch, referring to how many tiny dots make up a printed image or document. Unlike pixel measurements, the print resolution does not depend on the paper size since the printer’s ink droplets will be the same regardless of your resolution setting.
While there is no definitive number for a maximum dpi value, most print shops recommend a minimum of 300 dpi to prevent the images from looking blurry and pixelated. However, it is important to remember that a low pixel count can still result in a good print. Generally speaking, the lower the dpi, the larger the file size and the slower it will be to download or upload. The simplest way to determine the proper dpi for an image is to divide the pixel dimensions by 300.
LPI
Regarding printing, PPI or dpi is important, but LPI, or line per inch, is the more accurate. This measurement determines the size of dots in a print and how sharp they look. A high LPI will produce a crisp and clear image, while a low one will cause the print to appear blurry or pixelated.
The minimum resolution for printing can vary between different printers and printing formats, so it’s best to check with your printing company before creating your artwork. However, 300 PPI is generally a good starting point for most projects.
A print is composed of thousands of tiny dots, which all work together to create a lifelike image when viewed from a certain distance. To achieve this, a printer uses a very high resolution. This is why choosing a high-quality printer is important when printing photographs and other images.
The higher the resolution of a print, the more details it will contain. However, too much resolution can also lead to pixelation or blurriness, so it’s important to know how to calculate the proper print resolution for your project.
CMYK
You must understand the basics of image resolution to create high-quality prints with fantastic definition and clarity. Image resolution measures how many tiny pixels live in a square inch of an image, and the more pixels, the better the quality. However, this type of resolution does not translate well to physical printing, primarily because it’s based on pixel dimensions rather than print size.
We recommend using images with a minimum resolution of 300 PPI (or DPI if your image contains text) to produce high-quality printed materials. If you use an image with a lower resolution, it will appear pixelated or blurry. This is because the print process relies on small dots of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink to produce colors, whereas digital screens emit color beams that combine to make white light.
Another factor to consider is the intended purpose of your print project. For example, images used on the web have a default resolution of 72 DPI, which allows for a small file size and doesn’t look pixelated on most computer monitors. These images will not print well because they do not have the proper pixel density for printing, so we strongly recommend against saving web-ready photos and graphics as CMYK files for your printing projects.
