: File Dimension Problems - Saving as JPEG and TIFF vs PDF I have just submitted my first design to a print shop; an advert for a magazine measuring 3.333" x 4.583" at 300 dpi. This was a
I have just submitted my first design to a print shop; an advert for a magazine measuring 3.333" x 4.583" at 300 dpi. This was a simple design created in Photoshop, layering a logo over an image. When I created the file in Photoshop I set the dimensions and resolution as mentioned above and set the color to CMYK. I should mention, I created the file in InDesign as well which produced the exact same results below.
I saved the finished file as a JPEG. I noticed when I opened the file on my computer the image appeared extremely large (visually, not the file size) 1000 x 1375 to be exact. Realizing that these dimensions were 3.333 x 4.583 multiplied by 300 (The value I had set for pixels per inch), I sent the file off to the printers. I received a message back "the artwork is almost the size of a full page, please resize and resend". I had the same issue with the TIFF format.
I then saved the file as a PDF, when I opened the file on my computer, visually it looked perfect on screen (i.e it appeared actual size, 3.333" x 4.583" - not blown up, like the JPEG and TIFF formats). I sent this file to the printers and the design was approved for print.
I was initially confused about the "resolution" shown below, being only 240 x 330, I was worried it would be rejected by the printers for being way too small! I now realize this resolution is only relative to my screen and has nothing to do with the print dimensions.
Having no experience with designing for print, what I'm confused about is why the JPEG/TIFF files were rejected by the printers? Why do the JPEG/TIFFs look drastically larger on screen compared to the PDF which seems to be viewed at actual size.
The problem was resolved by saving to PDF but what I'm looking to avoid is not being able to save as JPEG and TIFF in the future if those formats are required by a specific print shop who won't accept PDFs.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
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Ok. You are talking about several issues here. But lost inside all your text is, in my opinion, the real question:
I received a message back "the artwork is almost the size of a full page, please resize and resend". I had the same issue with the TIFF format.
They are not talking about file format, or resolution. They are talking about artwork size. You need to ask them what are they talking about.
You say that the advert is 3.333" x 4.583". Are you sure you don't need an extra margin for bleed, or something?
Probably the logo is too close to the outer limit of the artwork, or a text. Stuff like that.
On the other questions you have, it does not matter how a raster image looks on your screen. It can look big. It can look bigger if you change resolution settings on your monitor. It can look bigger on a projector, or smaller on a phone.
The important thing on a reaster image is that you prepare it on the correct dimension units. In this case (for print on a magazine) inches and ppi.
On the case of the pdf file. There are tons of things you can modify on a pdf, internal raster resolution, color mode etc. So you can mess a pdf file... and it is still a pdf file.
But one aspect here is that a pdf file is a printed orientated file. You can export a verey low resolution image inside a pdf or a verey high one, and both images will look at the same aparent size vieweing them in adobe reader. But this adobe reader is just a viewer. You can view it to fit your screen. But... do you have a big screen? or a small one. Again, the important thing are the correct values inside the file.
First, jpg is customarily an unacceptable format for print production. So, forget about jpg entirely. Any commercial print production is not using jpgs. Don't be confused by the "mom and pop print your own" photo stuff out there. That's not the same as commercial print production.
For commercial printing either .tiff or .pdf are customarily fine. The key things to watch is that you work at size and at 300ppi or better. So for a 4x3" card, you need to set your document up as 4x3" and 300PPI. Then save as .tiff or .pdf.
A great deal varies with the applications you may be using. Each application may have some minor issues to watch for. The following question may assist with that: How to prepare a design for CMYK printing?
This particular printer did not know what they were doing. The size of the second dimension you submitted was 3.333" x 4.583" but at a resolution of 72 dpi, which is standard screen resolution. If they're printing your design at this resolution, then the resolution of their magazine is really low for standard printing. The general resolution used in the industry is the one you initially submitted, 300 dpi.
Another hint that they did not know what they were doing: any experienced printer will take a large image and resize it to fit if the size is proportional. Blowing up an image is an issue; down-scaling is not.
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