Nadia Petrov
Nadia Petrov Customer Education Writer at 4OVER4.COM
Question

Why does my online proof look blurry or low quality?

Answer

Online proofs are generated at low resolution to show artwork orientation and confirm that nothing is missing or misaligned. A blurry preview does not reflect the quality of your final printed product.

  • The preview is intentionally low-res and compressed so it loads fast for a quick on-screen review. It is not a quality sample.
  • 4OVER4 prints from the high-resolution files you supplied, not from the preview image.
  • View the proof at or near 100% zoom for the most accurate look; enlarging any preview past its native size softens it regardless of your file quality.
  • As long as your file representative has not flagged your files as low resolution, your print will come out clear and crisp.
  • The finished piece will look much sharper than what you see in the proof.

Use the proof to confirm orientation, text, and layout rather than sharpness. If you still have concerns, add comments to your proof through your account and a file representative will review them and may provide updated proofs. For color-critical work, request a hard copy proof instead of judging screen colors, which vary significantly from one monitor to another. Still, make sure your source files are 300 DPI at final size so the print matches your intent.

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