Large scale printing & resolutions

[Gusto66]

Hi Folks

I am working on an artwork in Photoshop that will eventually be printed to 300cm x 480cm (118 x 189 inches).
The printers require an image that is at 150dpi minimum.

Obviously working at 100% this produces a huge, memory swallowing file, that slows everything down.

Please could you help with the following...

1. What is the best size to work at to keep the file-size small and workable?
2. How best is it then to scale it to print quality, and convert it to a PDF of a size that can be posted electronically (less than 1GB)?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Tom Mann]

Google {billboard printing resolution} and you will find lots of very helpful information such as:

http://graphicdesign.stackexchange....on-should-a-large-format-artwork-for-print-be

http://graphicdesign.stackexchange....4-by-6-meter-outdoor-billboard-be-designed-at

http://www.signindustry.com/outdoor/articles/2001-03-19-viewingDistance.php3

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/829015

The bottom line is:

(a) try to do as much of the image as possible in a vector based drawing program such as Adobe Illustrator instead of a pixel based program such as PS. This will allow you to scale it up to almost any size with very small files.

(b) large pixel based prints (eg, photo-banners and billboards) are often produced at incredibly low pixels per inch values, eg, 10-30 ppi, no where near the 150 number that your printer is requesting. PPI values in the range of 150-300 are needed only if people might be pressing their noses into your artwork, LOL.

HTH,

Tom

 

[samc36]

x2 on what Tom said. Especially with regard to using Vector based artwork for scalability and versatility. It's easy to use Illustrator too.

 

[sprucemagoo1]

Are you sure the printers don't want an image that is say A3 size at 150 Pixels per inch, so when they scale it up to the required size, it will 10-30 Dots per inch when printed. As stated in point (b) of Tom's post, to need that kind of resolution, you would have to have an image with an immense amount of detail over the 3mX4.8m size. It would work out to have about 3345300 pixels and every inch would have this amount of clarity:-



May I ask, what kind of artwork is it.