TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
RASTER • Pixel Based • Best for Photographs • More Accessible and Shareable • Large File Sizes VECTOR • Curves & Lines • Best for Logos, Type & Designs • Less Accessible & Shareable • Smaller File Sizes How to look your best in print.
How can I figure out the DPI of an image? On a Mac Right-click on an image. Select “Get Info.” Under the “More info” tab, look for Dimensions. You should see a number like 1024 x 768 (some number x some number). These numbers show the number of pixels in the image (width x height) On a PC Right-click on an image icon. Select “Properties.” Click the “Summary” tab in the properties window. You’ll see values for the Width, Height, Horizontal Resolution and Vertical Resolution. So, if you want to print an image that is 1024 × 768 you need to divide each value by 300 to see how many inches you can print at 300 dpi. 1024 ÷ 300 = 3.4133” (width) 768 ÷ 300 = 2.56” (height) So, you could print a 1024px × 768px image at 300 dpi at a size of 3.4133” × 2.56”—any bigger than this, and you risk the image becoming pixelated. Sure, you can enlarge the image a teeny, tiny bit beyond this size, if you need to, but it’s best if you don’t. You also need to take into account whether or not you need to crop the photo and enlarge it.
Raster Images Raster, or bitmap, images consist of tiny squares called pixels. These pixels contain bits of color and, when combined, they build images. The more pixels in an image the higher the quality, and vice versa. When you zoom in on an image, the pixels become more apparent while the details of the image become blurry. Notice how the edges of the pattern below become pixelated and jagged when magnified. This is a key indicator of a raster-based image. Obvious pixels make an image look unprofessional and unsightly. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to only downsize a raster image to avoid heavy pixelation.
Vector Images Vectors use a different approach to image renderings. They’re made of paths and curves dictated by mathematical formulas. Due to their algorithmic makeup, vectors are infinitely scalable, and remain smooth and crisp even when sized up to massive dimensions. Even when scaled to substantial proportions, this pattern below remains clean and exact. Elements like fonts render the same way—when sized up or down, they retain their quality.
File Formats for Vector Images .ai (Adobe Illustrator document) .eps (Encapsulated PostScript) .svg (Scalable Vector Graphic) .pdf (Portable Document Format; only when saved from vector programs)
File Formats for Raster Images .tiff (Tagged Image File Format) .psd (Adobe Photoshop Document) .pdf (Portable Document Format) .jpg (Joint Photographics Expert Group) .png (Portable Network Graphic) .gif (Graphics Interchange Format) .bmp (Bitmap Image File)
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2024 MEDIA KIT
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