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Image resolution determines whether a photo or graphic looks sharp or pixelated when printed. The key rule is that resolution is always measured at the final print size, not at the size the image was originally captured or created.

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Standard resolution: 300 ppi

For small and medium format printing — flyers, brochures, business cards, posters up to A0, and most packaging — the standard is 300 ppi (pixels per inch) at the final print size. This means:
  • A photo that will print at 100 × 100 mm must be at least 1181 × 1181 pixels (100 mm ÷ 25.4 mm/inch × 300 ppi).
  • A photo that will print at 200 × 300 mm must be at least 2362 × 3543 pixels.
300 ppi is a minimum, not a maximum. Higher-resolution images are fine — the printer will downsample to the output resolution. Lower than 200 ppi will produce visibly soft or pixelated results at normal viewing distances.

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Large-format resolution

Large-format prints (banners, backdrops, roll-ups, outdoor signage) are designed to be viewed from a distance. The human eye cannot resolve fine detail at distance, so a lower ppi is acceptable and keeps files at a manageable size.
Viewing distanceRecommended resolution
Close-up (under 1 m)150–300 ppi at final size
Medium (1–3 m)100–150 ppi at final size
Far (3 m and beyond)72–100 ppi at final size
For a banner that will hang at the back of an exhibition stand viewed from 3+ metres, 72–100 ppi at the finished banner size is sufficient and will produce a file that is much easier to handle than a 300 ppi equivalent.

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How to check resolution

Open the image and go to Image → Image Size. Make sure Resample is unchecked. Enter the intended print width or height and read the Resolution field. If the value is below 300 ppi (for small format), the image needs to be replaced with a higher-resolution version.Do not resample upward (increasing pixel count) to reach 300 ppi — this adds interpolated pixels that do not contain real detail, and the result will still look soft when printed.
For linked or embedded raster images, select the image and check the Document Info panel (Window → Document Info). Change the dropdown to Linked Images or Embedded Images to see the effective resolution at the placed size.Vector artwork (paths, shapes, type) in Illustrator is resolution-independent and does not require a ppi check.
Open the Links panel (Window → Links). Select a link and expand the Link Info section at the bottom of the panel. The Effective PPI value shows the resolution of the image at its current placed size — this is the number that matters for print, not the raw image resolution.If Effective PPI is below 300 for a small-format job, either replace the image or reduce the frame size.
Select the placed image and check the Transform panel for the current frame dimensions. Then use Resource Manager (File → Resource Manager) to review the source resolution of each linked file. Calculate effective PPI: source pixels ÷ print size in inches.

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What not to do

Avoid the following — they are the most common causes of pixelated print output:
  • Scaling a low-resolution image up in your layout. If an image at 100% is only 150 ppi, enlarging it to 150% makes the effective resolution drop to 100 ppi.
  • Using screenshots as placed images. Screen captures are typically 72–96 ppi and will print poorly at any significant size.
  • Downloading images from websites or social media. These are compressed and sized for screen display, not print.
  • Converting a low-res image to a higher resolution in Photoshop by resampling up. This does not add real detail.

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Resolution vs file size

Higher resolution means larger files. For very large documents with many high-resolution images, file sizes can become unwieldy. Practical guidance:
  • For small-format jobs: 300 ppi CMYK TIFF or JPEG at quality 10–12 is a good target. Expect 5–30 MB per full-page image.
  • For large-format jobs: Use 100–150 ppi at final size. Compress JPEG at quality 8–10 to reduce size without visible quality loss at viewing distance.
  • Flatten layers and merge groups in Photoshop before placing images in InDesign or Illustrator — this significantly reduces file size and speeds up PDF export.
  • When sending files to Reprodisseny, the maximum upload size for the quote form is 25 MB. For larger files, contact the team to arrange an alternative transfer method.

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