Converting Images / Designs from a Web Format to a Print Format
If you need your images that we’ve designed for your website converted to a print format, it will take us a little time to complete that for you but we can do it (Maintenance Block or hourly rate charges do apply for this work). This article explains the steps and process involved.
Web images are 72 pixels per inch (PPI) because that is the fixed resolution for computer monitor displays / the best that a computer monitor can display. Web images are set up in the RGB image format which is presented as various tones of red, green, and blue light. CMYK (cyan, magenta, ywllo and black) printing uses physical inks placed on paper. A common misconception is that any image on the Web can be used for printing. This can lead to undesirable results. An image for print normally uses 300 pixels per inch (PPI) or higher. When any image/design made for the Web has to be printed with acceptable quality, it has to be scaled up from 72 PPI to 300 PPI. Any vector information within the design like the text, does not affect quality. But any other image will need to be recreated and photographs will need to be imported again into the design at its full resolution.
The steps that are followed for Web to print conversion are:
- The image/design needs to be converted and saved as a separate file in CMYK mode.
- The pixel per inch (PPI) value is changed from 72 to 300.
Note: Though the document size does not differ, the pixel dimensions increase up to 4 times the original size. - Photographs within the design are imported again at full resolution.
- Any other clean up of design elements are done so that there are no distortions or jagged edges.
- The design is exported to any of these formats: PDF/TIF/EPS or a working file (PSD), based on the printer's preference.
Note: A design made for the Web does not exceed 500Kb at high quality as a JPEG. But the same design exported to a print format can take up 10MB or more.