Digital Files and Professional Prints

When it comes to digital printing, not everything is as simple as it seems. While it may seem like you can simply send any image to a printer and have it printed exactly as it appears on the screen, most of the time it does not work out that way.

The difference between crisp, professional large format printing and a print job that looks shoddy is in the details—the file type and the file size. It’s not hard to have great looking photos if you just pay close attention to these two factors.

It is important that, when you are going to print out your digital photographs, that you print them out in the highest quality possible. You want to do your work justice and appear professional, right? For converting a small photo into a large print, consider the following:

Image Size

Image size is absolutely crucial, and there is actually more that goes into size than just the dimensions (although that is one part of it). For example, you need to pay attention to megapixels. The number of megapixels in the image determines how large you are able to print it. Images with a low amount of megapixels can’t print as large as you might want them to. To alter this, you can use programs like Photoshop, or rely on printing professionals to help you out.

One option to be able to control image size in order to facilitate the best digital file format for large prints is to take the pictures in a larger format on your camera. Most digital cameras have the option to take bigger photographs, which takes up more room on the memory card, but saves you the hassle of trying to resize the image properly in the editing process.

File Type

There are different types of file formats for digital files that best facilitate large-format printing. While you might figure that JPG or PNG are the best options for saving photos for large-format printing, you would actually be wrong. Large format advertisements require flexibility and clarity in order to be printed. JPG and PNG formats often have conversion issues in terms of size and color.

The best digital file formats for large prints are actually TIFF and PDF. TIFF files are very heavy, but they are also highly compatible. They can open with almost any software, meaning that you can take them almost anywhere to be printed and they will turn out similarly everywhere you go. The other best option is the PDF format. While it can take a while for you to convert your images to PDF, it is worth the wait. PDF files are compatible, versatile, and often compressible.

The Takeaway

Once you’ve got your images sized and saved the right way, it is best to let the experts do the printing work, especially for large format printing. This will ensure the best quality and product possible. Brant InStore has been a highly reliable and professional printing company since 1963. For all of your large format printing needs, contact us today!