When it comes to high-quality print, not everyone considers how their actions will impact on the final printed result. It is essential to consider some crucial elements of your design before you send it over to your chosen printing company;
Original High-Resolution Images
To successfully produce a large format print the original photo must be of sufficient quality. Without a high-quality picture to start with, it won’t matter how high quality the large format print is. Essentially, the pixel count on your image should be high enough to result in a high-quality print, a good rule of thumb is 300 pixels per inch for best quality.
To check how the resolution might pan out, zoom in to the image. The sooner the image looks blurry, the higher the chance of the image being poor quality when it comes to printing on a larger scale. Make sure that you always use the original resolution and sizes.
Vector vs Pixel
Pixel-based graphics are made up of pixels which, when you zoom in on your image, can be seen. The quality of these images depends on the resolution of the image. When you are expanding the size of your graphics, it is vital that they are set to a high resolution when they are pixel-based. While this means that your image size will be substantial, it has less chance of looking blurry when enlarging the image to your desired size.
Vector graphics, on the other hand, are measured out using mathematical equations which calculate where the edges of the shapes are in relation to one another. This equation also includes the colour, type of line and the fill of the graphics. Therefore no matter how you resize them, they will always maintain their shape and no pixels will show when you zoom in. The quality of the image will remain however large you require the design.
Pixels are great for images that have a lot of detail and blends of colour. With a high-resolution pixel image, you can get an image printed onto a variety of platforms, although the size of print will be limited. Vector images, in contrast, are fantastic for upscaling and resizing the design to whatever proportions you want. Due to the nature of the structured formats the shapes, colours and blends are limited. Vector images are great for typography and logo design as you are not limited to the sizing and can get a high-quality print at any size.
Proof-read Before Printing
When it comes to printing leaflets or business cards, it’s essential that you proofread everything to ensure that you have all of the right information and that everything is correct on the pages that you want to print. Printing companies won’t proofread your work or make any edits, so everything must correct before you send the files off.
It is crucial that all the spellings are correct and that all the information is relevant, to produce a professional image. It is also vital that all the contact information is accurate to make sure that all of your potential customers can reach you when they need your services.
Type of Medium
When it comes to the printing medium, you need to consider what is going to be printed and also what the aim is for the printing. If you are printing images that are to used for an advertisement, then you will want to use a medium that enhances the colour and quality of the photo. If you are printing leaflets for food, you will need to specify a medium that is long lasting, as it could potentially be in someone’s house for many years to use for takeaways or need to keep intact when in use in the restaurant/takeaway itself.
Methods of Printing
Typically, industry printers provide the highest quality prints. To produce a batch of leaflets or posters it would be beneficial to look for a reputable printing company, such as Colprint. With standard domestic printers, you are limited to your options and limited to the mediums and sizes you can print.