Topic awaiting preservation: 300 dpi

i found that the most commonly used print resolution is 300dpi.
is that a special number or just a standard?
and what about 72?

300dpi is, so they say, is the highest resolution, at arms-length, the eye can discern. So it is said, 300 dots per inch makes as fluid a line as you can see.

72dpi is simply the standard for monitors...though not all, and not always...but that's completely different.

s t e p h e n

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i found that the most commonly used print resolution is 300dpi.

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I have found that the most commonly REQUESTED resolution for print is 300 DPI. There's nothing particularly magic about it. The rule of thumb is to have a digital file with a resolution 1.5 to 2 times the line screen of the finished product. Newspaper has a coarse line screen (maybe 85-100 lpi); magazines vary in between, and coffee table books, annual reports etc can range up around 135 lines per inch or higher (American obviously - metric is different).

Thus a 300 dpi scan is massive excess for newspaper, moderate excess for general trade publications and consumer magazines, and about right for really high end work. However - most customers don't have a clue. They have 300 DPI in their heads, and, right or wrong, that's what they demand.

Ever run across phrases that sound specific but in reality are meaningless? "Print Resolution" or "High Resolution" sound like they mean something but really don't. Customers are clueless. And NONE of them understand that we need three measurements - height, width and resolution. (Height and width can be rolled into percent magnificaton, but even fewer customers understand that, so I've given up.) We do a lot of guessing for those people.

However, we know that 'tis better to reduce than enlarge; I suppose that if one were to want the most flexible scan, 300 DPI is about the most reasonable compromise we can come up with. People who know better will resize it if needed. People who don't - won't!

And the real dopes call to complain that when they look at their 300 DPI images in their email client, the pictures are much too big.

Sigh.

Believe me - I don't make these things up!

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300dpi is, so they say, is the highest resolution, at arms-length, the eye can discern.

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Who are "they"? And how long are their arms? And what line screen are "they" using? And - do "they" have their glasses on?


Dear me - I think I have a new addition to my list of things that sound like they mean something but don't really.
Excellent.


[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 09-12-2002).]

Hey Grumble, as has been said 300 is a rule of thumb esp for colour images, particularly in the cas eof photographs in magazines etc where photographic quality is required, now the high end magazines go well above the 300 dpi mark when the image is originally scanned...

a good way to look at it for yourself if you have a good printer is scan an image at 72 dpi and then place it in an a4 72 ppi (dpi) size image in photoshop then print.

once ya done that do the same again this time scan at 300 dpi and create another a4 doc in photoshop but set at 300 dpi (ppi) then print it, you should see a difference in quality...


although the only thing you will see on ya screen is a feaking huge difference in file size and pixel resolution


Most printers that i know prefer tiff images at a 300 dpi resolution, whether or not its the totally correct thing doesnt matter its fast becoming the industry standard unless ya go to the very high end of the market or start using dye sublimation printers then ya need to go higher again.