{"id":20207,"date":"2024-02-16T09:15:05","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T16:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/?p=20207"},"modified":"2024-05-22T01:04:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T07:04:01","slug":"the-best-resolution-for-printing-photos-banners-signs-and-more-signage-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/the-best-resolution-for-printing-photos-banners-signs-and-more-signage-101\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Resolution for Printing Photos, Banners, Signs and More – Signage 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
One of the most confusing aspects when it comes to printing photographs, signage, or anything else is determining the proper resolution at which to print. But what exactly is print resolution? Is there really one \u201cbest\u201d resolution that satisfies all printing needs? And does it matter whether you are printing a photograph, business card or 34-foot banner? Let\u2019s dive right in to find the answers to these questions and many more, and hopefully by the end of this read you will be much more confident in your understanding of image resolution and determining which resolution you should go with for your printing needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Before we get too carried away, let\u2019s define some of the head terms surrounding images, photos and resolution we will be frequently referring to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Image Resolution<\/strong> – Also referred to as \u201cresolution\u201d or \u201cprint resolution\u201d, image resolution is the value that determines the quality of an image when it is printed onto any given material (photo paper, vinyl, etc.). Generally speaking, resolution is measured by the number of pixels (or dots of ink) that run along a single inch of a printed image. The more pixels contained within an inch of printed material, the higher the resolution i.e., or the higher the quality of the photo.<\/li>\r\n
Image Dimensions<\/strong> – Also referred to as \u201cpixel dimensions\u201d, image dimensions designate the number of pixels that comprise the width and height of any given image. For example, if I were to take a digital image that is 1,200 pixels wide and 1,000 pixels high, then the dimensions for that image would be 1,200 x 1,000 pixels. The dimensions of an image are used as an indicator of an image\u2019s size. The higher the dimensions, the larger the image. The dimensions of an image are critical in determining how that image will look when displayed on a computer screen, monitor, or printed material.<\/li>\r\n
Pixel<\/strong> – Pixel stands for \u201cpicture element\u201d and is the smallest element or building block, used in the creation of an image. Every digital image is comprised of a grid of tens, hundreds, or thousands of square pixels, each containing a single hue\/color. When a group of pixels are placed together and viewed at the right distance, they give the appearance of a smooth, continuous image. However, if you were to look close enough at any image you would be able to identify each individual pixel making up that image. One thing to note is that each pixel actually gets its color from three subpixels (which are red, green, and blue in color) that blend together in a unique way to produce the needed color for that pixel.<\/li>\r\n
PPI<\/strong> – PPI stands for \u201cpixels per inch\u201d and is used to measure the digital resolution of an image. Each digital image is comprised of pixels, and PPI tells you how many pixels of that digital image will be contained along a single inch of material when that image is printed.<\/li>\r\n
DPI<\/strong> – DPI stands for \u201cdots per inch\u201d and is used to measure the printed<\/em> resolution of an image. When an image is printed, the printer places a large number of small dots of ink onto the material you are printing on, which produces the final printed image. DPI determines how many dots of ink are placed along each inch of the width and height of the printed image.<\/li>\r\n
Megapixel (MP)<\/strong> – One megapixel equates to one million pixels (1,048,576 pixels to be exact) and is a unit of measurement for the pixel count of a digital image. Digital cameras are assigned a megapixel count, which tells you how many pixels are contained within the image that is captured by the camera. For example, if I take a photograph using a 10mp (short for megapixel) camera, then that image will be composed of up to 10 million pixels. To determine the megapixel amount of any given image, take the image\u2019s width in pixels and multiply it by the image\u2019s height in pixels. For example, if I have an image that is 4,032 x 2,268 pixels then it would be 9.1 megapixels (4,032 x 2,268 = 9,144,576 pixels).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is the difference between PPI and DPI? Which should I use?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Both PPI (pixels per inch) and DPI (dots per inch) refer to the resolution of an image. Due to this fact, these terms are frequently used interchangeably, even though they technically are not the same thing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
PPI refers to the digital resolution of an image, counting the number of pixels that will be contained along one inch of printed material. PPI is used when you are figuring out the resolution of your image based off of the number of pixels the image contains compared against the actual size of your printed image. This means when you are looking at the pixel dimensions of your image on your computer or phone you will need to take the number of pixels in your image (width and height) and divide it by the number of inches you are wanting for your photo print (width and height). This will tell you what the resolution of your image will be based on the number of pixels per inch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
DPI refers to the printed<\/em> resolution of an image, counting the number of dots of ink<\/em> that will be contained along one inch of printed material. This measurement is the more literal of the two, as printers do not print actual pixels, but rather dots of ink that give the appearance of pixels when grouped together. Therefore, DPI is a specification that is tied to the printer you are using. There are some printers that are only capable of printing up to 150 dpi whereas others can print to over 1,800dpi. The more dots of ink that are contained along an inch of printed material, the higher the quality the photo print will be.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So, which should you use when determining your resolution? Honestly, this comes down to your personal preference. The reason we say this is that whether someone provides a print shop with an image that they have designated as either 300 ppi or 300 dpi, the image will be put through the same printing process and converted to the correct resolution based off of the printer being used. The relatively small (and frankly, quite confusing) distinction between the two is why you will see some photo editing software use PPI whereas others will use DPI.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Generally speaking, all you need to know moving forward is that PPI and DPI are indeed different, but they bleed over one another in so many applications that it has become very common to use them synonymously (we recommend leaving it to the print shop to worry about making the distinction).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
To avoid confusion with jumping back and forth between the two, from here on forward we will use <\/em>PPI <\/em><\/strong>when referring to resolution.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How do I determine the resolution of my image?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You have an image that you want to turn into an outstanding photograph, banner, or sign. Great! But how do you determine how good that image is going to look when printed? There are two things you will need to note when trying to determine the printed resolution of your image:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. The pixel dimensions of your image\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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2. The physical size of the photo or sign you want to print<\/p>\r\n
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As mentioned above, the first step is to determine the pixel dimensions of your image. How exactly do you do this? There are several ways you can find out the pixel dimensions of an image:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
On your Android device <\/strong>– Finding the pixel dimensions for an image on your android will vary based on the model of phone you are using, but with most androids, all you need to do is select an image in your gallery and view the details of that image (usually contained within some kind of menu icon). Here is how you would find it on a Samsung Galaxy S24:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Go to your image gallery.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2. Select the photo you want.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3. Click the … found on the top right.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4. Scroll to bottom of page to find image size (labeled as the resolution).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
On your iPhone<\/strong> – If you are using the Photos app, here\u2019s a quick guide on how to view an image\u2019s resolution.<\/p>\r\n
1. Open the Photos app and select the image you want to print.<\/p>\r\n
2. Swipe the photo upward to see the specifications of the file.<\/p>\r\n
3. You can also click the letter i found at the bottom of the screen to see the image\u2019s ppi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
On your PC<\/strong> – To find the dimensions of an image you have stored on a PC (running Windows 10 or later), follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Open the File Explorer and find your image.<\/p>\r\n
2. Right-click on the image and click on Properties.<\/p>\r\n
3. Click on the Details tab in the window that pops up.<\/p>\r\n
4. You can now see the dimensions of your image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
On your Mac<\/strong> – To find the dimensions of an image you have stored on a Mac (running macOS Sonoma), follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Open the Finder application and locate your image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2. Double tap the trackpad and click on Get Info.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3. In the window that pops up, click on More Info.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4. You can now locate your image\u2019s dimensions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Through Adobe Photoshop<\/strong> – Follow these steps to find the dimensions of your image using Adobe Photoshop 2024:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Open your image in Photoshop.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2. Go to Image > Image Size.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3. You can now see the dimensions of your image. In this window you can also play around with the Width and Height to figure out what resolution your image will be at whichever size you input.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Through Adobe Illustrator<\/strong> – Follow these steps to find the dimensions of your image using Adobe Illustrator 2024:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Open your image in Illustrator.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2. Select the image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3. Navigate to the Properties tab on the right-hand side of the window.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4. You can now see the dimensions of your image. You can change the pixel dimensions of your image here, but if you increase the size past the original file size you will end up with a blurry image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Now that you have found out the pixel dimensions of the image you want to use it is time to move on to Step 2. This step is easy because it is entirely up to you. All you need to do is determine how big you want your printed photo to actually be. Are you just looking for a cute little 4\u201d x 6\u201d photograph to put in a scrapbook, or do you need a banner that is 12\u2019 wide and 6\u2019 tall? Whichever size you need, your image has to be large enough for you to create a crisp print.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Once you identify the pixel dimensions of your image and the physical size of your print, you are ready to get a clear sense of how good your image is going to look when printed. To do so, simply use the following formula:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Image width or height (pixels) \/ Print width or height (inches) = Print Resolution (ppi)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
As an example, let\u2019s say I have an image I took on my smartphone that is 2,400 pixels wide and 3,000 pixels tall (2,400 px x 3,000 px) and I want to use it to print an 8\u201d x 10\u201d photograph. Let\u2019s take this and apply it to our formula:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Image Width (2,400 pixels) \/ Print Width (8 inches) = 300 pixels per inch (ppi)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Image Height (3,000 pixels) \/ Print Height (10 inches) = 300 pixels per inch (ppi)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This equation tells us that if I were to print a 8\u201d x 10\u201d image, the resolution would be 300ppi (translation: there would be 300 pixels along each inch of printed material). Check out the following table to see a few more examples of image sizes and their resolution at certain print sizes:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Now back the question we are trying to answer \u2014 what is the best resolution? Is it 300, 150, 75 ppi or something else? The truth is, it\u2019s a case to case basis. Let\u2019s continue forward to find out.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is the Best Resolution for Banner Printing?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
One of the most \u201crecommended\u201d, \u201cbest\u201d, or \u201cstandard\u201d resolution you will read or hear about is 300 ppi. The main reason for this is that the standard human eye is rarely unable to discern greater detail in images printed any higher than 300 ppi, thus making it the general cut-off line for resolution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While this is usually a great resolution to print at, it is incorrect to immediately jump to the conclusion that this should be used for all print jobs. In some circumstances, this may be a much higher resolution than it needs to be and in others, it may be lower. Ultimately, the best resolution for printing comes down to two main factors \u2013 expected viewing distance<\/strong> and what it is you are printing<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The expected viewing distance is the most important factor in determining what resolution you should print in. When getting ready to print a banner or signage, ask yourself generally how close will people be when viewing it. The answer to this question makes all the difference. A general rule of thumb to follow is the closer the expected viewing distance, the higher the resolution the image needs to have.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-PPI-and-DPI.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Table](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Table-Showing-PPI-Based-on-Image-and-Print-Size.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Table](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Table-Showing-Recommended-Resolution-Based-Off-of-Viewing-Distance.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Printed](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Printed-Mediums-with-a-300-ppi-Minimum-Resolution.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Comparison](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Comparison-of-300-ppi-vs-72-ppi-from-a-Distance.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"300](\"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/300-ppi-Image-Up-Close.jpg\")
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