So I have this project I'm working on and I would like to get it printed and framed, but I'm only used to working digitally. I'm wondering what resolution was required by, say a 5x7, for it to be proportional when printed? Thanks for your help!
Hi-resolution commercial presses print raster data at 304.8 dpi, digital mini labs such as Fuji or Agfa occasionally print up to 402dpi. There is no need to set your resolution any higher than that.
*edit* So your saying you *could* hand the printing place a 600dpi file, the printer will print at (after it upsamples(?)), for example, 1200dpi, but actually they are using information as if it's 300dpi?
I would imagine the easiest thing to do would be to just take the original photo in to the printer and tell them what size/framing you want. They can set the DPI to whatever they need it to be.
Noah - the best bet is just to ask the lab you intend to use what dpi their kit uses and also if they have a preferred profile and prepare your file to match. if the mini lab has a max resolution such as 402 - it will either downsample your file or just spit it out and not bother. most labs are set to that as the human eye perceives continuous tone at around 300 dpi and is barely able to perceive any difference beyond that regardless of the resolution.
Below is what finally got my head around this topic -- it's from Mpix's Tips for Great Images page (Mpix is the consumer side of Miller's):
"Digital Cameras measure their resolution in pixels. These pixels are NOT measured per inch, but are a total count of how many pixels were used to capture the entire image. If you take a digital photo at 1600x1200 pixels, the total pixel count of the captured image will be 1,920,000 pixels. Whether you print this 1600x1200 image as a 8”x10” photo or an 16”x20” photo, it will still have 1,920,000 pixels.
"Photos intended for print should be taken at the highest [pixel] resolution possible for the best print quality. Printing at different sizes does not change how many pixels are in the original image. Lower resolution photos printed at larger sizes stretch the pixels beyond the point where they look clear and sharp. The best printer can not make a low resolution photo look better than its original quality… but it sure can make beautiful prints when given a high resolution photo to work with!"
The folks at Mpix, by the way, recommend a 500 x 700 pixel image as the minimum for 5x7-inch prints. (Not suprisingly, it's 400 x 600 for 4x6ers, 800 x1000 for 8x10ers, etc.)
The thing is, I'm designing an image, not photo, in photoshop and I would like to get it printed out as if it were a photo, so it's kind of a "set your own pixels" type of thing :/
the pixels will be determind by the document size and resolution - consult your printer that you are going to use and ask them waht resolution they want - sometimes with large format work such as posters they only want 150dpi.