About Image Resolution

Resolution is the measurement of how many dots/pixels fit into one inch.
The higher resolution, the sharper the image will be. Printedinchinaonline.com recommends resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) for crisp, clear results. Lower resolution images appear fuzzy, jagged and blurry.

Resolution rules:

1. Images should be 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the final size in the layout.
2. Images which include text should be 400 dpi at the final size in the layout.
3. Low resolution images print fuzzy, jagged and blurry.
4. The settings used during the original "capture" of an image (ie: scanning, digital camera, etc) determine its base resolution. Resolution can only be improved by decreasing the image size, or by recapturing the image at a higher quality setting.

Things to avoid:

1. Web images are predominately low resolution (72-96 dpi) GIF or JPEG files. This resolution is good for quick transmission over the internet, but is not acceptable for use in printing. Do not save images or graphics from a website to use in your print project!
2. Upsampling is when a low resolution image is saved to a higher resolution with no changes in dimensions. Upsampling adds more pixels/dots per inch (dpi), but creates blurry images, ugly blocks of color, and high contrast in images. The only way resolution can be improved is by decreasing the image size, or by recapturing the image at a higher quality setting.

More Helpful Tips:

• Your screen resolution doesn’t accurately reflect your image resolution because monitor displays usually have about 72 to 116 ppi. To view print resolution of your image, zoom in up to 300-400%.
• When taking pictures from a digital camera for your print project, it’s best to set your camera to the highest resolution setting.
• Four-Color Process Printing uses the CMYK color mode. Convert RGB images to CMYK using graphics editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.
• Save your images in a lossless file format such as .tif and .eps to maintain accuracy and quality.