For a raster image, effective PPI is pixel width divided by printed width in inches. Aim for about 300 PPI for detailed handheld print unless the product requires something different. Increasing a resolution label alone does not add detail.
Will this image be sharp enough?
Use the original image’s pixel dimensions and the size at which that image will appear—not automatically the entire page size. This calculation assumes the image is not cropped.
Example: a 1,800 × 1,200-pixel image printed at 6 × 4 inches provides 300 PPI in both directions. The same image at 12 × 8 inches provides 150 PPI. Adding bleed may require more pixels around the final trim area.
Vector and raster serve different jobs
| Artwork type | Best starting point | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Vector logo or type | Original editable/vector source exported into PDF | Missing fonts, unintended outlines or effects |
| Photograph | The original high-resolution image | Heavy cropping and screenshots of the photo |
| Raster logo | A large clean source at its actual use size | Jagged edges when enlarged |
| QR code | A clean vector or sufficiently large raster code | Low contrast, distortion and untested scanning |
A PDF may contain both vector paths and raster images. The file extension alone does not make every element scalable. Printer DPI describes the output device’s dots; image PPI describes your file’s pixels. Both matter, but they are not interchangeable numbers.
Why the screen and the print can look different
RGB describes colours made with light on a screen. CMYK describes four process-ink channels. The paper, coating, printer and viewing light all affect the finished appearance. Bright screen colours can fall outside the printable range; converting to CMYK does not guarantee an exact visual match.
Use the colour profile requested for the selected production workflow. Keep the original editable file, avoid repeated conversions and inspect any converted PDF for shifted colours or lost detail. For brand-critical colour, confirm the production requirements before final approval; a screen preview is not a physical colour proof.
Technical references: Adobe on pixels and resampling and Adobe printing basics.
Specification references checked 5 October 2026. Options and production requirements can change; the selected product specification takes priority.