Don’t Get Fuzzy: Why Resolution and Proper Press Files Matter

Although much of our world has gone digital, print materials are still a very important part of marketing your business. At Articulate Solutions, we put our entire creative team to work making sure every ad, brochure, bus wrap or billboard we produce delivers real results for our clients. And that starts by ensuring that images are high resolution and press files are properly prepared.

As we discussed in a recent blog, your organization’s reputation is based on how customers feel any time they interact with your brand. It’s always important to make a good impression! Paying attention to small details like the resolution of your images or proper printing colors will make your organization look more professional—and that makes customers more likely to do business with you.

DPI for Dummies
Say you own a small café. You might want to boost your marketing efforts and increase sales, so you decide to design some flyers to hang up around town. To add some visual interest, you add a cool photo of a steaming cup of coffee that you took or purchased from a stock photography website like Shutterstock or iStock. It looks great on your computer monitor, but when you go to print out the flyers, they come out looking something like the example on the left:

See how the image on the left looks fuzzy and blurry? That’s because it’s a low-resolution image, probably only 72 dots per inch, or DPI. Most images that you download from the Internet are 72 dpi. These types of images have a smaller file size so they can load faster on websites. They usually look fine on your computer screen or mobile phone, but are not high enough quality for printing.

Most print jobs require images that are at least 300 dpi. And, unfortunately, it’s not usually possible to convert a low-res image into high-res. You really need to start with high-resolution images (like the one on the right) for any projects that will be printed.

A Press Files Primer
If you’re taking a print job to any commercial printer (including your neighborhood Staples or FedEx store), it’s important to send a properly prepared “press file.” Any time you prepare a digital file for print, you should consider the following technical fundamentals:

We work with many clients who frequently require large format designs like billboards and bus wraps. For example, we regularly produce environmental campaigns for the City of San Jose and San Jose Sharks. These campaigns include billboards, large posters and bus wraps.

What You Need to Remember
Here are a few simple rules of thumb to keep in mind as you prepare for your next print project:

By following these simple guidelines, you can feel confident that your images or ads will stand out among the competition—and reinforce a positive, high-quality brand.

See the Articulate Solutions Featured News page for more articles about building a successful brand.

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BAY AREA GRAPHIC DESIGN
Articulate Solutions is an experienced Bay Area marketing agency with an elite team of talented graphic designers. Our expert graphic designers are trained in image resolution, press file production, and high-end graphic design techniques. Graphic designers know the ins and outs of image resolution, so if you are looking for someone to help make your brand stand out, we may be the perfect fit for you. Interested in our Bay Area graphic design team? We’re open for business! Contact us today to get started.

Posted on May 26, 2020