1:10 workflow with images and exporting as PDF

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 9, 2023
2 replies
3314 views

I have a layout which is 200 m x 2 m. I started in illustrator with a scale of 1:10, so 20 m x 0.2 m. The printing firm will print the layout on boards measuring 3 m x 2 m and wants a PDF with individual pages. So I splitted the layout in 67 artboards each 0.30 m x 0.2 m and exported them as PDF via "Save as copy".

My question: The layout contains images. The quality and placed size gives me about 720-1500 ppi for each image. How should I export to ensure that they remain their full quality after the printing firm scales it up x10 ? Is it enough to change all settings to "Do Not Downsample." in the compression tab?

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J

jdanek

Inspiring

If you are setting DPI in the PDF, then you have to know what the output resolution is in the RIP ( based on the output device which typically would be inkjet-grand format ). But, you should not have to pre-set the DPI in the PDF with the way your files have been prepared. Incedentally, grand format inkjet resolution is 600dpi, some are 720dpi and others are 1200dpi ( depending on printer ). You could save the PDFs as medium or office versions and feel confident the image quality will hold up.

G

graceful_magnificence5C22Author

Participant

My printer says they are printing in 1080x360 dpi. So when I do not have to pre-set the DPI, how do I ensure, that Illustrator doesn't downsample my images and preserve their quality?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

I would certainly not downsample the images. 720-1500 ppi will end up as 72 an 150 ppi after scaling.

Using these resolutions will probably be sufficient when viewed at a distance, which is almost certainly the case with a 200 meter wide object. Did you contact your printer about this?

G

graceful_magnificence5C22Author

Participant

Yes, I contacted my printer. 150dpi should be fine. I definitely don't want to downsample. I just want to preserve the quality. I discovered that illustrator also has a print option to export to pdf (conveniently in the final size of 3x2m) and also here I can exactly say how many dpi I want to export. Would that be the most viable way to export the layout?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Windows? I would use the Illustrator save as way to create the PDF.

Print to PDF sounds like the old way to create a PostScript file that gets converted or a non Adobe way to create the pdf. But I am not on Windows so I do not have recent experience with that print workflow.

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