: Print resolution standards - has anything changed? I have recently been asked a few times by printers to supply higher than standard quality files without a good explanation to why (aside from

@Debbie163

a 600ppi file will not produce a better print than a 300ppi file if the output is 240dpi?


No. It wont At 240 dpi you could use a file at 100ppi and you would see no diference.

Agree with DA01, the 600 ppi on a photo has no sense.

Let me explain a bit some of thoose numbers:

Offset Print


Print for offset printing - 300ppi


This is relative. It depends on the real output of the screen used.

If you are using a screen of 150 lpi, wich is a standard for a normal magazine for example, you use double of that... 300ppi. But that screen can vary depending on wich paper you are using. If you use coated paper its 150lpi (300ppi) but if you use non coated paper it can be less (for example 133lpi - 266 ppi)

Actually that proportion LPIx2 is not entirley correct, becouse you could go for a Square root of 2. or LPI x 1.414 or just LPIx1.5

This will give you some margin to work like 212-225 ppi.

Digital Print

Digital print is very board concept. In this part I'll refer to High volume digital print.

If the output quality is simmilar to offset print, yes, use the same number... 300ppi. So you really dont worry about the resolution.

Some digital printers do not use a screen, but rather a error diffusion aproach (stochastic) in some cases, in some parts the borders are sharper than using a screen.

You could also use 200 ppi. See the next section.

Digital Photography

You could use 200ppi... What! lower resolution than in a magazine? NO WAY!

Actually 200 ppi on a photographic paper has more resolution than a 300ppi photo on an offset magazine for one reason. Thoose 300 ppi are transformed into 150 LPI This is 150 points on information. 200ppi on photographic paper are not transformed, they are actually 200ppi on the paper.

Line art

This is closed related to the LPI output.

The explanation is a little offtopic here, but If needed I can explain further. 150 LPI is based on a 2400dpi plate or negative. For Line art you can use sub-multiples of that number. 1200ppi or 600ppi in some cases.

High quality art print

You can go to 400ppi on a 200LPI print. Of course you need a high quality provider.

Bilboard

The resolution of images and backgrounds depend on the viewing distance.

(The unit is wrong, it should read ppi) otake.com.mx/Foros/Resolution1.jpg
My perosnal table is start with 150ppi at 50 cm. Double the distance, half the resolution.

Try to keep your texts in vectors so you have them resolution independent.

Screen

PPI are totally irrelevant. Only see the real pixels.

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@Shelley591

There are no specific standards, just general rules of thumb, and they will vary wildly based on specifics.

I'd say all of the ones you list are pretty much in the ballpark. The only one I think that is off is the first one...600ppi seems overkill for even the best photo printers.

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