How do you check and adjust the resolution and color mode of your Photoshop files for printing? (2024)

Last updated on Mar 10, 2024

All
Desktop Publishing

1

Resolution and DPI

2

Color mode and CMYK

3

Bleeds and margins

4

Saving and exporting

Be the first to add your personal experience

If you want to print your Photoshop files with the best quality and accuracy, you need to check and adjust the resolution and color mode of your images before sending them to the printer. These settings affect how your design will look on paper, and how much ink or toner will be used. In this article, you will learn how to do this in a few simple steps.

1 Resolution and DPI

Resolution is the number of pixels per inch (PPI) in your image. The higher the resolution, the more detail and sharpness your image will have. However, not all printers can handle high-resolution images, and they may take longer to print. DPI (dots per inch) is the number of ink dots per inch that the printer can produce. The ideal resolution for printing depends on the DPI of your printer and the size of your image. A general rule of thumb is to use 300 PPI for high-quality prints, and 150 PPI for low-quality prints. To check and adjust the resolution of your image, go to Image > Image Size in Photoshop, and make sure the Resample option is unchecked. Then, enter the desired width and height of your image in inches, and see the corresponding PPI value. If it is too low, you can increase it by resampling the image, but this may result in some loss of quality.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

Alan Gilbertson Graphic designer, typographer, occasional writer, Adobe Community Expert. Interested in everything.
Context matters. The ppi you need depends on the final viewing distance.There is a point at which individual pixels in an image are too small for the human eye to distinguish. Call it "the retina value." But this depends on how far the viewer will be from the print. At normal reading distance, it's about 230 ppi. A 3600 x 2400 pixel printed at 12 inches x 8 inches is 300 ppi. That's past our retina value, so it looks fine.Now make it 20 ft wide: billboard size. It will be about 15 ppi, but will look just as good because from 100 feet away it's past the retina threshold.You need to know the viewing distance, in other words, before you can determine what pixel resolution you will need in the final output.
Like

4
Report contribution
Bob Serrano Creative Advisor at Worley
After you've linked or embedded an image into your InDesign or illustrator files and made any last-minute resizing, open up your Links palette (the one with the chain icon). There will be a list of properties. Assuming your document is laid out in actual size, the most important number to look at is "Effective PPI". If its below the target (usually 300ppi for hi-rez printing or 150ppi for large-format banners), then you need to rez-up the image in Photoshop. But a lot of times, simply resizing it in Photoshop may result in a pixellated image. I recommend using a third-party app (like Topaz Photo AI or On1 Resize) that uses AI or proprietary algorithms to intelligently fill in the missing pixels.
Like

1
Report contribution
Also worth highlighting difference between DPI and PPI. Although used interchangably they are in fact different. DPI referring to Dot Per Inch in relation to printed media, Pixels Per Inch for screen resolution. So everything you stated is correct but if producing for a large billboard is this print or screen?If the design can do away with raster then vector removes the need for DPI/PPI consideration as its fully scalable.
Like

1
Report contribution

2 Color mode and CMYK

Color mode is the way your image is composed of different colors. The most common color modes are RGB (red, green, and blue) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). RGB is used for digital displays, such as monitors and screens, while CMYK is used for printing. RGB has a wider range of colors than CMYK, so some colors may look different or duller when printed in CMYK. To avoid this, you should convert your image to CMYK before printing, and adjust the colors if needed. To do this, go to Image > Mode > CMYK Color in Photoshop, and see how your image changes. You can also use the Proof Colors option (View > Proof Colors) to simulate how your image will look on different printers and paper types.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

Susmita Dutta LinkedIn Top Voice | TEDx Speaker | Founder | Award-winning Bestselling Author | Expert Speakers Bureau | Book Writing and Publishing Specialist | Leadership Author | C Level strategist
Navigating the shift from RGB to CMYK is crucial for print accuracy—a lesson I've learned over years in desktop publishing. Converting early in your process avoids surprises. Remember, what you see on screen won't always translate perfectly to paper. Use 'Proof Colors' to preview the outcome. This step is key for client satisfaction and professional results. Dive into these settings before finalizing designs to save time and ensure your vision is realized in print. It's a simple but essential practice for all designers.
Like

8
Report contribution
Bob Serrano Creative Advisor at Worley
If you have a good relationship with your printer's pre-press department, you might want to ask for a copy of the ICC profile of their color rasterizing system and apply it to your document when generating print-ready PDFs. I maintain a file of ICC profiles for all the different presses I work with.
Like

2
Report contribution
Claudia McCue NRA Certified Pistol Instructor, Chief RSO, GLOCK Armorer. Texas LTC Instructor. Retired Adobe software trainer.
In some cases (for example, for digital presses or large format inkjet printers), you may be asked to keep your images in RGB, allowing the imaging device to do the conversion. This allows the conversion to be optimized for that particular output.
Like

2
Report contribution

3 Bleeds and margins

Bleeds and margins are important for ensuring that your design does not get cut off or leave unwanted white spaces when printed. Bleeds are the extra areas of your image that extend beyond the edges of the paper, while margins are the minimum spaces between your image and the edges of the paper. Bleeds allow for some variation in the cutting process, while margins prevent your text or graphics from being too close to the edge. To set up bleeds and margins in Photoshop, you need to create a new document with the size of your paper plus the bleed amount (usually 0.125 inches) on each side. For example, if you want to print on a letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches), you should create a document with the size of 8.75 x 11.25 inches. Then, use guides or rulers to mark the actual size of your paper and the margins (usually 0.25 inches) on each side. Make sure your image covers the entire document, including the bleed areas, and that your text and graphics are within the margin areas.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

Bob Serrano Creative Advisor at Worley
Pullup tradeshow banners are a perfect example of unsymmetrical bleeds. Some banner hardware will require a 1" bleed on the top, 0.5" bleeds on the sides and a full 6" on the bottom. The top bleed is to give allowance for the vinyl to tuck into the top retaining bar of the pull-up, and the bottom 6" gets rolled into the spring roller mechanism of the pull-up. Different manufacturers will have different specs so be sure to get the specs directly from the manufacturer or printer you're dealing with.
Like

2
Report contribution

4 Saving and exporting

Once you have checked and adjusted the resolution, color mode, bleeds, and margins of your image, you are ready to save and export it for printing. You can save your image as a Photoshop file (.psd) if you want to keep all the layers and editing options, or as a PDF file (.pdf) if you want to compress the file size and ensure compatibility with most printers. To save your image as a PDF file, go to File > Save As in Photoshop, and choose Photoshop PDF as the format. Then, select the High Quality Print preset, and make sure the Embed Color Profile option is checked. This will preserve the colors and resolution of your image. You can also adjust the compression and output settings if you want to reduce the file size or optimize the image for a specific printer.

Add your perspective

Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)

Desktop Publishing

+ Follow

Rate this article

We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?

It’s great It’s not so great

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.

Tell us more

Report this article

How do you check and adjust the resolution and color mode of your Photoshop files for printing? (2024)

1

2

3

4

1 Resolution and DPI

2 Color mode and CMYK

3 Bleeds and margins

4 Saving and exporting

Desktop Publishing

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Tell us more

More articles on Desktop Publishing

More relevant reading

Are you sure you want to delete your contribution?

Are you sure you want to delete your reply?