When using images for your web site or on-screen presentations, it is important to understand that the resolution that works well with printed materials does not apply to images put in your web or presentation files. This will definitely result in the difficulty of the images to download in your web site and presentation programs to run very slowly.
Such file formats used are different from those of word processing or database files. They usually are raster image file formats consisting of pixels. Pixels are picture elements or picture files. So when we describe the resolution of a file, we're referring to the number of pixels in a raster image file. These image files include tiff, jpeg, bmp and gif.
All raster images are made up of pixels laid out in a grid. Resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch (ppi) or most commonly known as dots per inch (dpi). So when somebody tells you that the image is 300dpi, this means that there are 300 pixels for every inch of image. Simply put, resolution refers to how well an image is displayed on screen.
Many people make the mistake of increasing the resolution of a file because they think that high-resolution images make a great picture. However, for web pages or on-screen presentations, an image of 72dpi will look as clearly as that of the 720dpi. The one difference is that the 720dpi will have a much bigger file, thus slowing the performance of a presentation program or making downloading of a web site longer.
Always have in mind the size you want the image to be in your document. And consider also your final output. Plan ahead and scan your image at the right resolution and right size. If you're not sure of the right resolution that you'll need, any service bureau or photo lab can best advise you how much resolution is needed for a particular output device.
Bear in mind, when creating raster image files, always begin with the right resolution. More pixels don't always mean its better. You can have too many pixels, making the file larger than necessary, thus slowing everything down.
So, plan ahead. Your web site or on-screen presentation can be your tool to a better position in your business.
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This article was created for the sole purpose of propagating information that may be related to short run printing and other industries to which it may be of interest.
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