P & M – Printing Tips

When sending in files for printing that contain images or were created using an image editor such as Photoshop (or a Photoshop type program), we recommend that the images are formatted at a certain resolution for the best printing.

Image resolution – sometimes called dpi (dots per inch) – is a very important thing to think about early in the design and/or layout process. Setting the image resolution early ensures that your project will come out looking the best that it can be. We recommend that your images be prepared at 300 dpi when they are at the actual size that they are going to be used in your design. For example, if you are going to have a photo on your postcard at six inches wide and four inches tall, then the image should be set at 300 dpi (or higher) at that actual 6″ x 4″ size. If your photo is only at 72 dpi (for example) at the 6″ x 4″ size, then the quality of the photo will not be very good and will appear slightly blurry and/or jagged on the final printed piece.

Images that were used on the Internet, are usually set at only 72 dpi because of two important reasons. One is that computer monitor resolution is around 72 dpi, so that size is perfect for viewing. The second is that a lower dpi setting makes the image smaller in memory and works on the Internet faster and more efficiently. It is not a good idea to take images right off the Internet and then expect them to print with very much quality.

At the same time, taking an image that has a low dpi and then upsampling it to a higher resolution, is not a recommended method either. Upsampling is using software to increase the dpi of an image. It usually creates blurry images, ugly patches of color and high contrast in images and the final result is not good for printing. The best way is to start with good, high quality, high resolution images.

Call us at 541-737-4941 if you have any questions about images and resolution. We are more than happy to help you out with this subject, or any other printing question you may have.