Image Resolution & Quality

Image Resolution & Quality

 As we prepare for our final projects, be very careful when saving files- anything you make small for web, you cannot make big again later and print it!

1.     Q: What is Image Resolution?

A: How much detail an image has. This determines how big the file is as well, that is, how many megabytes it is and how much room it will take up on your hard drive.

2.     So let’s say an image is 300 dpi.   What is Dpi? Dpi = dots per inch. The more dots per inch it has, the more detail it has!

3.     High Res = 300 dpi, Lots of detail, bigger file, best for printing

4.     Low Res = 72 dpi, minimal detail, smaller file, best for online usage

5.     Q: What if I have a hi-res file but it won’t fit on my hard drive. What should I do? Can I make it lo-res so it’ll fit then make it hi-res again later?

A: NOOOO!!!! Once you make an image lo-res (72 dpi) you cannot make it hi-res again. The image simply gets stretched- none of the original detail comes back. This is why it doesn’t work to take images off the web and print them big: they just look pixellated, like below.

6.) Q: Does cropping affect resolution?

      A: YES!!! If an image is 300dpi and you crop it in half, it’s now 150dpi. Keep this    in mind! Try to do all “cropping” in camera, by making sure you get the shot you want so you won’t have to crop it later.