200 or 300dpi

[Chardonnay]

I've only just noticed that the default download size is now 300dpi. Why is this? From reading comments it had seemed to me that most people felt 200dpi was big enough to produce a good print. Has the site now decided that in fact 300 is necessary?
I've always downloaded the 200 size but now I'm worried that perhaps they won't print well enough.
Can anyone tell me why the default has changed? :shocked:

[Lauren]

Dont worry about 200 not being good enough to print - Ive printed everything Ive ever done at 200 . Years ago I did a very thorough test where I created the same images at 200 and 300 from scratch and printed both and not one person could tell the difference.

[PK]

no idea why the default changed but personally I have always done things at 300ppi

In regards to printing and what ppi might (or might not) be better - I reckon that depends on how large you want to print the finished product.

To pull some numbers out of a hat as a rough example
if you were to create something and want to print it at the 8x8 or 12x12 inch size - then 300ppi isn't going to be noticably better than 200ppi
but if you want to print that same thing so that it fits on a large wall canvas of 40x40inches, then the 300ppi is probably going to display much nicer than the 200ppi

If you are only going to print things at a book size, then stick to the 200 I reckon
if you want to create a wall hanging, go the 300

Disclaimer: just my opinion and may not be true at those numbers

[Lauren]

Without trying to sound like a know it all actually the opposite is true!!
The larger the image you are printing the lower the resolution needs to be - thats because the larger the image the further away you are viewing it from ( and need to be further away to view it properly - think of this - you dont view a big painting 3 inches from your face because you can only see a small part of it - - whereas a smaller image you do view close up .

Whatever resolution you use - 200 or 300 you will get fantastic printed results in all sizes of print.

[happybeingamom]

I buy the 300 size but do all my pages at 200 and they print beautifully. I buy the bigger size because if I want the elements bigger or if I want to make a bigger size project.

[PK]

Without trying to sound like a know it all actually the opposite is true!!
The larger the image you are printing the lower the resolution needs to be - thats because the larger the image the further away you are viewing it from ( and need to be further away to view it properly - think of this - you dont view a big painting 3 inches from your face because you can only see a small part of it - - whereas a smaller image you do view close up .

Whatever resolution you use - 200 or 300 you will get fantastic printed results in all sizes of print.


I hear what your saying there Lauren - and you have a good point

I guess it also depends on how detailed you are making the large print.
I did a huge collage of people and events and faces and items as a going away present for someone recently, and although the finished size was quite large (40"x50" from memory) each of the individual items in the image were quite small, and if I had done that at a lower resolution, the individual details would not have shown up when viewed up close as they needed to be.

I guess the upshot of it all is, there is a purpose for each resolution - work with what you know and what you need.

[Leea]

I didn't see this thread until now...and just a little while ago bought and downloaded the Joyous Christmas Value Extra Large Collection...didn't even notice the 300dpi default...I've always bought 200 dpi kits. If I re-size things in the 300 dpi Collection to 200dpi, will it work with my other kits?
hmmm...I just tried a Christmas ornament from the kit, and even though I could change the dpi part, I don't know what size the ornament is originally...am I missing something or is it guesswork when re-sizing an element and not a 12x12 background?

[happybeingamom]

I resize to 200dpi all the time, I use photoshop.

This is what I do.
I bring the paper/element etc into the document which is 200dpi.
I then click transform or cntrl-t.
I resize the object to 67%. That is the conversion rate.

I used to resize this way:

Load all the papers and elements into one image
I would go to image size and change the resolution from 300 to 200.

I don't do this anymore because I feel I have more options if I bring the object into the document larger.

Just to explain:

A 300dpi 12 X 12 background brought into a 200dpi image comes in to the image in the size of an 18 X 18 background.

This is one of the reasons why I buy the 300dpi size because if I want to make a project bigger then 12 X 12 I have great resolution.

[Lauren]

To resize to 200 from 300 is very easy - Use the command Image -Image size - change the resolution from 300( sometimes it says 299.999) to 200 - file save.Make sure resample image is checked ( watch the width and height automatically change)- press ok - file save.... the file is now saved at 200 ppi and is resized in proportion .
(If you dont have resample checked the resolution will change but the pixel dimensions wont change )

[Lynnie]

I have always scrapped at 200 and the resolution has been amazing! I think happybeingamom's idea of buying at 300 and scrapping at 200 is brilliant!

Changing the store default is probably a smart thing to do. Think about it, if you accidentally buy 300, you can always size down. If you buy at 200, it is harder to size up. We have quite a few of 300'ers on the site and this probably works out best for everyone.

[Leea]

Thanks for the replies :)

[Chardonnay]

Thanks for all your comments, everyone. I think I'll stick with 200dpi (if I can remember to change it when I put in an order!!)