Dimensions in AI

READBUSINESS,

In continuation of post #2, it may be convenient, and safer, to simply work in Picas instead of Inches, 1 Pica being 1/6 Inch.

With that you can use the exact same numerical values throughout without any (re)calculations, and just tell the printer to scale up by the factor 6.

And, if you have raster effects in the artwork, scale the Effect>Document Raster Effects Settings up correspondingly by the same factor 6.

If you can get no instructions concerning the required resolution at the final real size, you may:

1) Try to determine the real viewing distance, you may discuss it with the printer and/or client;

2) Choose a critical part of the banner with raster effects/image;

3) Determine its real width in the final print;

4) Calculate the ratio of the real viewing distance to the real width;

5) Create prints at whichever size you can on a (reasonably) good printer using resolutions/different raster effect settings scaled up to correspond to a range of (assumed relevant) full size real resolutions;

6) View each print at a viewing distance that has the same ratio to the printed width.

Your perception of smoothness versus jaggedness/pixelation at 6) willbasically correspond to the perception at the full real size by the intended viewers at the corresponding full size real resolutions.