print resolution misunderstanding
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- was
for the record i'm only 16 and pretty new to a lot of things. looking for some help...
ive heard someone say, when doing a huge print advertisement or something, lets say creating a graphic for a 30x30 foot billboard... that the printers only ask for a file that's 150 dpi and actually much smaller than 30x30ft in comparatible resolution..
if this is true, why is this the case? wouldn't the printer, and the client, WANT the biggest, best possible looking visual to print from? why would they demand a lower rez? i cant seem to figure this one out.
along with this question, lets say ive designed an 8x10" picture at 300dpi.. assuming i can find the best printer possible, just how large do you think i can enlarge this to print before it becomes really unacceptable?
- monNom0
it all depends on how close you get to it.
Bilboards are viewed from 50ft away, posters from 3 feet, magazines from 18".
more pixels = bigger files. I can't imagine how big a 300dpi bilboard would be.
- you can make a vector billboard if you were concered about size :)********
- you can make a vector billboard if you were concered about size :)
- epigraph0
billboard companies tell you to build your ad at 1"=1' @ 300 dpi. When the size it in production, it's all gravy.
- was0
well i know filesize is an issue, but it seems like thats the ONLY issue... agencies regularly trade asset files that are in huge amounts of gigabytes, most of which are just overkill and will be downsized to web resolution sizes... so why would a printing agency be unfit for handling large files?
- acescence0
RAM and processor cycles cost money
- ********0
there's no need for a billboard to be 300dpi at actualy size. Processing a file that's 12ft. x 48ft. @ 300dpi would be hell for even the fastest desktops (assuming it's not 100% vector art).
I've made billboards before and usually every 1ft. is equal to 1/4" in your artwork. So if a billboard is 12ft. high, the actual height dimension in your document would be 3ft. (36 inches) high. And we'll keep the document at 300dpi. Much more workable that way.