Resolution
All of the images used in your layout should be at least 300ppi (pixels per inch) at the size they will be printed. Images with less than 300ppi will appear pixellated ("chunky") and of poor quality. Most images grabbed from the internet have a resolution of only 72ppi and while they may look okay on your screen, they will look terrible in print. Your monitor has a resolution of between 72 and 96 ppi. To preview how an image will look when printed, zoom in 400% on your image. This will give you an approximation of how your image will look printed.

You can not artificially add image resolution. Simply scaling up an image to the size you want will not increase an image's resolution. See the examples below.

300 ppi Image: Looks nice and sharp	Sharpness stays even zoomed in 400%
100 ppi Image: Not enough resolution	Lack of resolution obvious at 400%	100 ppi Image scaled up to 300 ppi: Blurry

How to check and change your image resolution

Make note of the width and height of your image in pixels (pixel dimension). Unclick on the "Resample Image" box. This will not allow the Pixel Dimensions to change. Change the value of the resolution field to 300 pixels/inch. The dimensions shown in the Document Size box indicate the largest size your image can be and have enough resolution to print properly. If there is not enough resolution in your image for the size you need, you will need to locate a higher resolution image to use in its place.

CMYK v. RGB
Your images must be saved as CMYK to print properly. Most images that are created by scanners, digital cameras, stock image cd's and stock image websites are RGB and must be converted to CMYK before they are used in any layout. Please note that if you fail to convert the images yourself, ValPrint must convert your images before your job can be printed. There is always a color shift during this conversion, so if you do not convert your image files prior to upload, your printed piece will not look the same as what you saw on your monitor. Depending on the color values in your images this color shift can be quite dramatic. To change your color mode in Photoshop, see below. Remember to resave your new CMYK file and update your image links in your layout application.

Bleed
If your design includes color or images that you intend to go all the way to the edge of your printed piece, you must include bleed. Bleed refers to extending your art 1/8" past the trim area of your document. All of our templates clearly indicate the bleed area. If your image is not white on all four sides, you MUST include bleeds in your files. Add a quarter of an inch (.25") to each dimension to allow for cutting. For example, for a 4" x 6" post card with full bleed, the image size should be submitted at 4.25" x 6.25". .125" (1/8") on each edge of the card will be trimmed off during the cutting process. This will leave you a 4" X 6" standard post card. See examples below.

Example: Postcard without bleed; note white border around image
Example: Postcard with bleed.  The red box indicates the bleed area, the black box shows the trim line and the blue box indicates the safety area for type. We have templates available for free download that indicate bleed area, trim lines and safety areas for the most common project sizes. Click here.

Formats: EPS, TIF, JPG.
Once you have converted your images to CMYK and verified that they have the proper resolution, save your images in either EPS or TIF formats. We prefer that you do not save your image files in JPG format as the compression scheme of JPG will result in loss of image quality. If you must use JPG, make sure it is saved with the quality setting at its highest value. Never use images in GIF or BMP formats as we will not be able to process your file.