Here’s a question people often ask:
Help! My proof looks blurry. Will the final product look like this?
Most of our email proofs are lower resolution — to accommodate email attachment size limits — and will appear blurrier than the final printed product. Our graphic designers will generally mention that when the proof is sent.
How do you know if there’s a real issue?
- Zoom in on your original art, or ask us for a high resolution proof if we created the art. If in doubt with your original image, zoom in. If it looks pixilated close up, see if you have a higher resolution alternative, or know that it won’t be optimal. For some purposes it’s not fatal to just go with the best image you have, but it’s worth taking a few minutes to verify what you have.
- Ask us about it. We can tell you if it’s just the low resolution of the proof, or if your image is low resolution, and going to print that way.
- If you sent the image from an iPhone, know that iPhones have this pesky-helpful feature of sending lower resolution images over email. When you’re sending an image to a graphic shop, ALWAYS select the highest resolution option. We’ll convert it down if needed.
- Get the physical proof for a CD project. For most CD or DVD projects, we strongly recommend getting a physical proof, printed on the same stock the final package is printed on, and with a printed, playable disc!
If you are NOT getting a physical proof due to schedule considerations, definitely ask for a higher resolution PDF proof. That can be sent via a download link if the PDF is too large to attach to an email.
We know you’re the expert at what you do. Let our expertise help you with your print project!
Give us a shout to get started: 540-635-4181 or mike@nationalmediaservices.com
