Poster
Image Resolution

Poster
Image
Resolution

One of the most important aspects to great poster design is image resolution. You want to make sure you are using high quality images that are at least 200 DPI, 300 DPI is ideal and will give you the best quality. Below we explain the difference between pixels and dots as it pertains to images.

DPI (dots per inch) vs PPI (pixels per inch)

For images to look nice in the digital world, like on your screen, and to reduce website loading times, images on the internet are kept at 72 DPI. So, an image for your website might be 1200 pixels by 800 pixels, but only have a DPI of 72. Keep in mind that screen pixels are much larger than a printed dot.

When you take the same image that was used on your website and want to use it to print a poster, the image will become pixelated because the printed dots are much smaller and don’t have enough image information to fill in the gaps between the dots.

You will want to make sure that the DPI of the image is at least 200 DPI, 300 DPI it the best. Now that we have told you the standard DPI setting for images when printing posters, we also need to note that most posters are viewed from a distance, and most people will not see that an image is pixelated. This is totally up to you if you can accept the quality of the images, and if most people will even notice it.

Another way to check the DPI is that once you have created your poster, download the PDF proof, and then zoom into areas at 300% to see if you can see any pixilation.

How to Check Image Quality on a PC

On a PC, right click on the image, and select Properties.

Then, select Details and it will show you the image pixel dimensions and the image DPI.

How to Check Image Quality on a Mac

On a Mac, Select File > Get Info (or right click on image) and select More Info to see how the pixel dimensions of your image.

Another option is to open your image in the built-in Preview app, and select Tools > Show Inspector to see both the image pixel dimensions and the image DPI.

Some Image Quality Tips

Listed below are some ways that will help you make sure you get the best image quality when printing your posters:

Always use the best quality setting on your camera.
Never enlarge an image, as this will decrease the image DPI.
Reducing image size is okay, and sometimes will improve the printability of the image.
Don’t try to increase the DPI of an image, it will still be a low-resolution image.

Image Quality is Subjective

Now, that you have learned all about image quality, we just want to point out that image quality is really based on each individual and purpose of the poster. If you are just doing a short-run of posters for a charity event and don’t have a big budget, and you are happy with the proof, by all means approve your proof.

If you are reproducing a high-end painting and selling the prints, then you will want to make sure your image is high quality.

While everyone’s perspective on quality will be different, we wanted you to know what the industry standards are.

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