300DPI at 25%

Cos

New Member
This is my first post on here so I apologize if I am asking something that I shouldn't be, however, I need some help with a design piece. Well, actually the help that I need is with getting it in to a form that I can send to the printers. I have done plenty of regular A5/A4/A3 stuff, but this piece is a large teardrop flag that covers an area of 95cm x 200cm. I have created the design in the Publisher to the actual measurements, and printed to PDF at 300dpi(High commercial quality setting), but the printers are kicking it back saying that it needs to be set to 300dpi at 25%. Can anyone advise what this means please and what amendments I make to correct this mistake please?

The printers are also graphical designers and have already offered to do the work for a fee, so therefore they are not willing to offer much help for me to rectify the problem myself.

Thanks
 
Your design is 95cm by 200cm

At 25% it's 23.75 centimeters
At 25% it's 50 centimeters

Document size should be

23.75 x 50 cm

Your image should be 300 PPI


Put the image in the document at the size you require it.

The make a 300 dpi print ready pdf.


I think that's what they mean ------------------------========>>>>> But ask the printers themselves if you can.
 
Your design is 95cm by 200cm

At 25% it's 23.75 centimeters
At 25% it's 50 centimeters

Document size should be

23.75 x 50 cm

Your image should be 300 PPI


Put the image in the document at the size you require it.

The make a 300 dpi print ready pdf.


I think that's what they mean ------------------------========>>>>> But ask the printers themselves if you can.


Ok, that makes sense. I'll give that a go. Thanks
 
I have a similar question so I'll just continue this thread: my printer is asking for a 300 dpi PDF but the file I have is apparently not high enough. Not sure how to check it either...? The thing is that its a vector file, just text and vector lines, so shouldn't it be scalable? I don't have the original file, only the PDF so I can't export it again in higher res. Any suggestions? Printer specs here

Many thanks for help
 
Yes, the vector should be scalable, the PDF on the other hand is a different story. It sounds like your vector was not set at 300dpi when being saved as a pdf. If this is the case, you will need to get hold of the original vector file or have it recreated and saved to the correct resolution as a PDF. Do you have any vector based software such as Adobe Illustrator? With regards to checking it's current resolution, it all depends on what software you have assess to? For example, this can be checked in Acrobat pro but not in the standard Adobe Reader to my knowledge. Usually I'd just open it in Adobe Photoshop as a quick and easy way to check these things.
 
PDFs hold both raster and vector - if it's vector file in the artwork then the PDF is vector also - and can be scaled.

PDFs are just containers for objects, whether it's vector, raster, text, or 3D objects.

You can see if it's vector by zooming in in the PDF and if the lines stay sharp then it's vector - if it you get "staircase" on the letters then it's raster.


The only reason it may not be 300 ppi is if there are effects added, like drop shadows or other effects where the Raster Resolution is not set to 300ppi in Illustrator.

Effects in Illustrator are Raster and not Vector. Raster Resolution Tips in Illustrator | DesignGeek
 
^ Well said. As above, although that is assuming the PDF was saved from the vector and at 300ppi of course. Zooming in will see if it is a vector, but you cannot be sure whether it is 300ppi. Saying that, if you zoom in and you find it is a vector, it is then scalable so therefore should not be an issue.
 
^ Well said. As above, although that is assuming the PDF was saved from the vector and at 300ppi of course. Zooming in will see if it is a vector, but you cannot be sure whether it is 300ppi. Saying that, if you zoom in and you find it is a vector, it is then scalable so therefore should not be an issue.

No - if it's vector then it's resolution independent, the RIP will do it's job Raster Image Process - hi end printers and rips do it at 1200-2400 dpi. Lower end desktop printers work at 150-200 dpi.

Vector graphics have no resolution until they are output - at which point they are converted to raster by the output device.
 
No - if it's vector then it's resolution independent, the RIP will do it's job Raster Image Process - hi end printers and rips do it at 1200-2400 dpi. Lower end desktop printers work at 150-200 dpi.

Vector graphics have no resolution until they are output - at which point they are converted to raster by the output device.

That would explain my point of:

If you find it is a vector, it is then scalable so therefore should not be an issue.

But my thoughts are that the PDF may not be saved from the vector, as if it was there should not be a problem. The reason I'm thinking this is because of this:

my printer is asking for a 300 dpi PDF but the file I have is apparently not high enough.

If it was a vector, then this doesn't make much sense.

Plus the fact that there is no original file...
 
Yes - it's a quandary.....

Can the OP post a link to download the PDF? I can do a preflight on it and see what the issue is.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Vector graphics have no resolution until they are output - at which point they are converted to raster by the output device.

This is what I thought as well. The PDF I think was created in illustrator but I will have to check as I don't have the original file. When I zoom in all lines and text seem smooth. Maybe there are some effects then that are not vector, I'll have to get hold of the person who created the file.

Thanks again
 
What I see from time to time is that people request Illustrator files - then the numpty inserts a PSD into illustrator and saves as an eps or .ai and sends that.

That's not how it works.
 
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