Help Image Resolution Standards

Untitled Document Resolution refers to the number of colored dots or pixels that make up an image.  Resolution is commonly expressed as DPI or dots per inch.

Some simple rules to remember regarding resolution.

  • The higher the dpi, the greater the resolution, the better the image quality.  It is possible to go overboard, higher resolution can create larger file sizes which makes these files more difficult to manage.

  • Image resolution is directly proportional to the physical size of an image.  When the resolution of an image is increased then its size should be reduced.  Conversely, when an image is enlarged, the resolution should then be lowered.  Otherwise, the image could print poorly.

  • For images being readied for printing, the ideal resolution for images should be 300 dpi.

Helpful Tips:

  • Screen resolution does not accurately reflect image resolution because monitor displays typically have 72 to 116 pixels per inch.  To view the image at print resolution you may have to zoom in up to 400% for a reasonably accurate representation of the image resolution.

  • When taking picture from a digital camera for your print project, it is probably best to just set the camera to its highest resolution setting.

  • All four-color process printing uses the CMYK color mode,  Convert RGB images from your camera to CMYK using graphics editing software in order to best portray the actual printing of your image.

  • Images should be saved in a lossless file format such as .tif, .eps or .pdf in order to maintain accuracy and quality.