Many factors can affect the outcome of large format print quality. From the moment a photo is taken, you may be setting yourself up for a blurry large format print.

Large format printing is on the rise, everyone is striving for bigger and better advertisement; large format prints such as banners and overhangs are the quickest and most effective way to catch a passerby’s attention.

Who doesn’t stop and look at a big, bright print when it catches their eye? They key to successfully using large format printing to lure in business is to have a high quality large format print that people can’t resist gawking at.

1.) Original Photo Quality
In order to have a successful large format print, the original photo must meet the quality needed. Without a high quality photo to start with, it won’t matter how high quality the large format print is.

Be sure that the pixel count on your image is high enough to result in a high quality print, a good rule of thumb is 300 pixels per inch for best quality.

2.) Order Local
While online prints are booming, choosing a local printer where you can preview the large format print before it gets delivered to your door may save you the hassle of returning it if it doesn’t come out as high quality as planned.

Choose a trusted business with a money back guarantee either locally or online with good customer service feedback.

3.) Print Yourself
If large format photos are an advertising option that you frequently use, consider purchasing a large format printer for your business and printing your large format photos yourself. In the long run it can save you money and give you more frequent opportunities to display large format photos.

4.) Go Lite On The Editing
Photo editing programs may be one of the most useful computer programs for business advertising, but when it comes to high quality large format prints, its best to go light on the digital editing and let the image speak for its self.

Resizing an image and cropping it with image software can lead to heavy pixilation of the image, leading to a low quality print when done in large format.

5.) Camera Settings
If you are taking the photograph yourself, consider checking your camera’s settings to be sure you are getting the best quality you can for a large format print.

Check for a RAW image setting to avoid auto compressing your image to save space on your memory card.

If you don’t have the option of a RAW image, look for an image size setting and opt for the largest one to accomplish the quality of large format print you are looking for.

6.) Auto Image Resize
Avoid hitting the automatic resize button available in photo programs. Auto resizing will create the same heavily pixilated effect of cropping and overly editing a photo, leading to a lower quality print.

7.) Using A Non-Digital Photo
If you are looking to use an older photo that you have lying around already printed but not in digital format or high quality; a good option is to scan the original photo using your printers scan option. You will have a higher quality photo than you started with.

You can also gain quality in a photo by printing it out in the largest realistic format for its quality and then scan it to gain quality in a print.

8.) Keep It Simple
Chances are your company logo is already designed, but when opting for a large format print you need to consider keeping font and color simple.
Font should be simple enough that it is legible from a distance and recognizable to dedicated customers.

Consider the printer quality and its capabilities when choosing the colors in your design. The majority of large format printers are still inkjets, not every color on the spectrum will print in the same quality it was on your computer screen.

9.) Test Run
A good rule of thumb is to always do a test run of your print. This may not be an option in the large scale high quality that you are aiming for. That being said, it is still a good idea to print it on a lower scale as a test run. Items tend to look different in person than on a computer screen. Even a smaller scale print will give you a good idea of the outcome and allow you to check for errors and visibility.

10.) Vector Images
When given the opportunity using vector images allows you to have higher quality prints. Unlike most images and clip art, vector images are made up of paths rather than pixels. Vector images can be resized without a loss of quality, leading to a flawless large format print.

 

Brant InStore offers almost every imaginable print and finishing option to its customers.
Learn more about Brant by calling 1-800-265-8480 or filling in our contact form.
To request a quote please click here.