At PufferPrint, our goal is to produce a book you’ll be proud to share with the world, and file resolution is key to ensuring your artwork and illustrations look their best! Resolution refers to the amount of detail your image holds and is measured in dots per inch (DPI). The higher the DPI, the more detail your image will retain when printed.

For offset printing with PufferPrint, we recommend a resolution of 300 DPI. This ensures your images and text remain crisp and clear, avoiding any pixelation or blurriness in the final print.

Why 300 DPI?

300 DPI is the standard for high-quality offset printing because it balances image quality and file size. This resolution matches the human eye’s ability to discern individual dots, ensuring that the ink dots printed on your book’s pages blend seamlessly into smooth images. At 300 DPI, your prints will appear crisp and sharp, with fine details accurately represented.

Lower resolutions, like 96 DPI, which are common for digital displays, won’t translate well to print, leading to fuzzy or pixelated images.

Preparing Your Files

Before you send your files to PufferPrint, check that all images, illustrations, and graphics are at least 300 DPI. You can check and adjust your image resolution in most graphic design and desktop publishing software. If your images are lower than 300 DPI, they may need to be resized or replaced to meet the recommended standards.

While resolution in the physical print world is measured in dots per inch (DPI) for print, in the digital world you’ll often see pixels per inch (PPI), which is used to describe the resolution of images on screens. While DPI and PPI aren’t exactly the same, you can think of them interchangeably if you’re working with a graphic design tool like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, or Procreate.

When designing your artwork digitally, aim for a minimum of 300 pixels per inch. For example, if you’re illustrating a book that will be 8″ x 8″ (plus 1/8″ of bleed on each side for a total of 8.25″ x 8.25″), you’ll need your artwork to be at least 2,475 x 2,475 pixels to maintain high-quality print resolution. This ensures that when your design is translated from screen to print, it retains the same level of sharpness and detail.

Tips for High-Resolution Artwork

• Always check your canvas size before creating artwork: Before you start, make sure your canvas is large enough to accommodate the final dimensions of your book, including the bleed area. This ensures that your artwork will maintain its quality throughout the design and printing process.

• Include bleed when calculating the number of pixels for your artwork: The bleed area extends beyond the trim size to prevent white edges after cutting. Always account for this in your canvas size, ensuring the artwork remains crisp and aligned to 300 DPI throughout.

• If you’re scanning in artwork, use a high resolution: When scanning physical artwork, aim for a resolution of at least 300 DPI. Scanning at a higher resolution like 600 DPI or even 1200 DPI is not a bad idea as it give you more flexibility to enlarge your images for printing. Save your scanned files in a lossless format like TIFF to preserve all the fine details and colors.

• Use vector images when possible: Vector images, unlike raster images, are scalable without losing quality. They are perfect for logos, text, and illustrations that need to be resized frequently without compromising on sharpness or clarity.

• Don’t upscale low-resolution images: One common mistake is scaling up low-resolution images to meet the 300 DPI requirement. While tempting, upscaling images from a lower resolution will simply lead to pixelation and blurry prints. Always start with high-resolution images to maintain sharpness and avoid quality loss.

• Double-check your export settings in your graphic design software: Make sure that your export settings do not automatically compress or shrink your files. Check the resolution and format settings to maintain the original quality and size of your artwork.

Final Checks

Ready to Print?

When you’re ready to take the next step, share your print-ready files with business@pufferprint.com via email, Google Drive, WeTransfer, or Dropbox. Our pre-print team will review your files and provide any additional feedback to ensure your project turns out just the way you envisioned.

With PufferPrint, you’re not just printing – you’re bringing your creative vision to life. Let’s make something amazing together!