Marquee size/dpi noob question.

[(+_+)]

Hi Everyone,

Ive got a marquee pic that is composed of several layers in photoshop. It is currently 1728x396 (24" x 5.5") and the resolution is 72 pixels/inch (dpi I think).

I looked at the FAQ and got a little lost with the all the jargon.

Can I simply change the resolution to 300 and save it as a bitmap and send it off to be printed? Scott at Mame Marquee said that the 2MB .bmp file I sent him is 72 and should be higher. The picture looks nice and crisp as is. Can someone please help?

Thanks

[Flip_Willie]

Can I simply change the resolution to 300 and save it as a bitmap and send it off to be printed?

   No, you can not.  If you just change the image to 300 DPI then your artwork will be incredibly small and won't fill up the canvas by a longshot.

The picture looks nice and crisp as is. Can someone please help?

   It looks nice and crisp on a monitor, but at 72 DPI it will look terrible when it is printed.  Your final image should be atleast 50-75 MBs.
   
   In order to fix this, it depends on how you made the artwork to begin with.  If used a vector program like Illustrator to draw the artwork then you can just stretch the image to fit the canvas.

   However, if you just used imported imgaes to make the artwork, then it won't be so easy.  If the images you are using are 72 DPI (Most likely), then you will probably have to replace them with higher quality images.

   I believe all that information is correct.  If it wasn't someone will correct me.

Just as it is,
Flip Willie

   

[(+_+)]

Thanks Flip_Willie.

I started fresh using 300 dpi but when I try to save the image in photoshop, the only valid types are

tif
png
raw
psb
pdf
pdp

Which one is an acceptable format for the marquee image.

Much appreciated
(+_+)

[(+_+)]

Remember the FAQ is your friend. Taken from Mame Marquees website. 

Q. How should I create my own artwork?
A. You can create your own marquee or side art using one of the samples at www.localarcade.com or www.oscarcontrols.com Artwork you create must be the correct size and it should be at least 200dpi, but 266-300dpi is preferred. Leave the document in RGB mode which has a broader color range. Do not create a file in a lower dpi and then convert it to 300dpi, this only makes the file bigger and does not enhance the resolution. It will still come out blocky and actually worse then if you left it at a lower dpi. Start creating at 200 or 300 dpi at full size, in other words, if you are creating a 300dpi marquee that will print at 26x8” create it at that size. Design your artwork with the Marquee retainer in mind and leave a 1/2”-3/4” on the top and bottom empty.The file should be a .psd photoshop or .ai adobe illustrator file, or a .tif if using another program such as paintshop pro or Coreldraw.

[shardian]

psd works great and is a small file size.

[Chris G]

Let's see some !

[Pongo]

I just wanted to chime in with some different info here.

First, It sounds like your image is not large enough to print due to the low resolution, so you may still be out of luck here.

Now for a quick lesson on DPI. Here are my 3 rules.

1. DPI means nothing!
2. Resolution means everything!
3. DPI means nothing!

Let me explain.

Example 1: Let's say you have 2 images, they are both 2000x1000 pixels. Image A is 300 dpi, and image B is 72 dpi. Which is better? The answer is neither. These two images are identical, but they will print completely different sizes. (See below on how to change DPI without messing with the image)

Example 2: Now you have 2 images of different resolutions. Image A is 1000x500 pixels at 300 dpi. Image B is 2000x1000 pixels at 72 dpi. Which is better? The answer in this case is Image B even though it is "only" 72 dpi.

I hope you can understand what I am saying here, so now here is how you can change the DPI value in Photoshop WITHOUT resizing your image.  Go to the menu Image/Image Size to pull up the dialog. What you need to do is simply enter the new DPI in the resolution box (pixels/inch) but here is the important step,... Make sure you uncheck the "resample Image" checkbox. This will change the size your image prints without changing the image at all.

In the end it simply comes down to resolution, not DPI. An image can be printed at any size, but an image with more pixels will be much sharper.

I can help more if anyone has further questions on this. Hopefully I explained it ok.

[Duake]

I just wanted to chime in with some different info here.

First, It sounds like your image is not large enough to print due to the low resolution, so you may still be out of luck here.

Now for a quick lesson on DPI. Here are my 3 rules.

1. DPI means nothing!
2. Resolution means everything!
3. DPI means nothing!

Let me explain.

Example 1: Let's say you have 2 images, they are both 2000x1000 pixels. Image A is 300 dpi, and image B is 72 dpi. Which is better? The answer is neither. These two images are identical, but they will print completely different sizes. (See below on how to change DPI without messing with the image)

Example 2: Now you have 2 images of different resolutions. Image A is 1000x500 pixels at 300 dpi. Image B is 2000x1000 pixels at 72 dpi. Which is better? The answer in this case is Image B even though it is "only" 72 dpi.

I hope you can understand what I am saying here, so now here is how you can change the DPI value in Photoshop WITHOUT resizing your image.  Go to the menu Image/Image Size to pull up the dialog. What you need to do is simply enter the new DPI in the resolution box (pixels/inch) but here is the important step,... Make sure you uncheck the "resample Image" checkbox. This will change the size your image prints without changing the image at all.

In the end it simply comes down to resolution, not DPI. An image can be printed at any size, but an image with more pixels will be much sharper.

I can help more if anyone has further questions on this. Hopefully I explained it ok.

DPI is the resolution. I work at a prepress company and DPI is EVERYTHING here. The higher the DPI at the size you want, the better. I create everything at 300 DPI no matter what I make. Sometimes I do 600 DPI.

Your example 1 isn't correct. The answer is the 300 DPI image. Why? When you print both, the 300 DPI image will be perfect. The 72 DPI image will look horrid. Sizes will be different, but the DPI determines the visual resolution. On the screen they'll look the same because of the pixel dimensions.
Even in your example 2, I'd rather use the 300 DPI image than the 72 one. I can make a 300 DPI image that is 3"x4" to be 6"x8" @ 150 DPI with  no loss in quality.

An image with more pixels is essentially the DPI. 300 dots (pixels) per inch vs. 72  dots per inch. The former wins hands down.

To the original poster: make it as high a DPI that you can without sacrificing quality.

[Joystick Jerk]

In the end it simply comes down to resolution, not DPI. An image can be printed at any size, but an image with more pixels will be much sharper.

And this is why your argument falls apart. Since most people here don't want their marquee/CP overlay/sideart to look like ass, DPI does mean everything. The number of pixels in an image is determined by DPI, when both images are to printed out to the same size.