Question
Why are my images not printing sharp, and what should I do?
Answer
Blurry or soft prints usually come down to two things: low resolution and the wrong color mode. Screen images can look fine on a monitor but fall apart in print if they do not have enough pixels or are still in RGB.
- Use images at a minimum of 300 DPI at the final print size.
- Convert artwork to CMYK, the color space used for print, rather than RGB.
- Do not enlarge small or web-sized images, since scaling up adds no real detail.
- Start from the highest-resolution original you have and avoid re-saving JPEGs repeatedly.
| Setting | For sharp print |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 DPI at final size |
| Color mode | CMYK |
Review your proof before approving the run so you can catch any softness while it is still easy to fix.
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