Images are a powerful tool for engaging your audience, communicating your message or inspiring those around you. High quality images can make your printed materials look more professional, polished, and visually appealing. They can also help to capture attention, convey information, and tell a story.
Sending high quality images to your graphic designer will help to ensure you receive the best possible results in print to maintain your professional image. A printed flyer or brochure that includes great images will show your customers that you have the attention to detail to complete their project to a high standard too.
Where to find high quality images
A high quality image is one that has a large number of pixels or dots per inch (dpi). The more pixels or dots per inch an image has, the higher its resolution and the sharper it will look when printed. An image that looks good on screen will not necessarily look good in print. This is because you are viewing images on screen at 72 dpi (dots per inch) and in print they need to be 300 dpi. A graphic designer can reduce an image dimensions to give it more dots per inch but the image size may not then be suitable for the project.
A graphic designer will check the images you’ve sent are suitable and advise if they won’t be good enough for print.
To get high quality images you should:
- Take your own original photos.
If you have the time and skills, taking your own photos is the best way to get high quality images that are tailored to your specific needs. Make sure to use a good camera and take the photos in good lighting.
- Use a stock photo service.
There are many stock photo services that offer high quality images for a fee. These services can be a good option if you don’t have the time or skills to take your own photos, or if you need a specific type of image that you can’t take yourself. You’ll need to make sure you download the image in the size you require for your project.
- Get your photos taken by a professional.
By arranging a business branding photoshoot with a professional photographer you will receive a stock of high quality images that cover the different aspects of your business and can therefore be used in print and will make your finished design be very bespoke to you.
Choose the right file format
The most common file formats to send images in are JPEG and TIFF. JPEGs are compressed files, which means that they are smaller in size but may lose some quality. TIFFs are uncompressed files, which means that they retain all of the image quality but are larger in size. Png files are generally not suitable for print as the file size is too small.
If you’re not sure which file format to choose, it’s best to consult with your designer. They will be able to advise you on the best file format for your specific needs.
What to avoid with images
- Avoid using screenshots of webpages. Screenshots often have a low resolution and will look pixelated when printed or displayed at a large size.
- Don’t use images that are copyrighted such as any images you find on internet searches. If you are unsure whether an image is copyrighted, you can usually find this information in the image’s metadata.
How to send images to your graphic designer
Once you have the images that you want to send to your graphic designer, you need to make sure to send them in the best possible quality. This means sending them in their original file format and at the highest possible resolution. Also, try to send the original file – not a cropped version as it will allow the graphic designer more freedom in the design.
You should avoid compressing the images, as this can reduce their quality. A good service to use to send one or multiple images is www.wetransfer.com
By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your graphic designer has the best possible images to work with. This will result in higher quality designs and a better overall experience for you. You can view our portfolio www.silverstonedesignsolutions.com/portfolio/ showing how high quality images make all the different to a design.
If would like to discuss images for your printed marketing materials please get in touch with rosanne@silverstonedesignsolutions.com