understanding resolution - D&A Design - Branding, Packaging Design, Logo Design, Website Design, Brochure Design, Catalog Design, Graphic Design

about resolution

Digital images - such as photos - usually falls into one of two categories: Low-resolution or high-resolution. Low-resolution ("low-res") usually refers to an image with a resolution of 72 dots per inch (72 dpi). High-resolution ("high-res") normally refers to an image with a resolution of 300 dots per inch (300 dpi).

Most digital consumer models are capable of shooting both low-res and high-res images. Just be sure to set the camera at it's highest possible resolution. The camera's pre-settings are going to be at low-res so as to fit the maximum number of images on the card. A high-res setting will allow for far less images, but the quality is worth it.

Also, it is not a good idea to "res-up" an image that has a lower resolution. Photo editing software allows users to simply type in a higher resolution for a low-res image, and while the results might seem good on-screen, the final reproduced results will look horrible.

Here is an example of a true high-res image versus a low-res image that has been “res’d-up”:

300 dpi (high-res)

72 dpi (low-res)

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