Posts Tagged ‘printing’

How many times have you heard this: “Just go and pull the logo off the Web site.” That is not one of the top ten phrases a graphic designer wants to hear when creating your company’s print ad.

There are two different worlds a graphic designer works within: 1) the Web world, and 2) the print world. Unfortunately they are a universe apart. I will try to simplify.

In the print world, graphics and images are produced/created in “high-resolution” or (typically) 300 pixels-per-inch (ppi). Prior to the advent of the digital age, resolution was referred to as dots-per-inch (dpi). Printing presses produce imagery on paper using technology that results in a very crisp and detailed image.

In the Web world, graphics and images are produced/created in “low-resolution” or 72 ppi because that is the resolution that computer monitors use to display images on the screen. If the designer uses images that are larger than 72ppi, the file size increases but the quality of the image does not change. Web graphics need to stay as small as possible so images load faster, since the data is traveling through cables.

Before assuming, discuss your project’s intent with a designer so you can provide the correct content for them to work with. Knowing the end-use of the project, Web or print, will tell a creative professional what steps need to be taken to ensure a well-executed end result.