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Hello - I am working on a 20 ft backdrop for a client. I am wanting to put a large photo in the design. However, not even good quality stock photos are large enough and are grainy. Where are any of you finding large enough photos to be able to add to large backdrops??
Thanks!
Katie
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You need about 20ppi for 20ft wide image, so you'd need 4,800px wide image. Stock photos are usually larger than that.
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Oh really?! I was under the impression I would need around 100 ppi still. This is good news. So essentially when up close the image would look blurry, but as a person steps back from the backdrop it would appear to be clear. And the image I would need is actually around 12ft wide, the entire backdrop is 20ft wide. So for 12 ft wide, what should my ppi be?
Thank you!
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How far away your audiences are viewing your image from?
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It will mostly be at tradeshows. So a variance of distances. Most people shouldn't be right up against it as it will mostly be in the back of the booth as a background.
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If we use this formula: PPI = 2/(d*0.00291) [where d is the viewing distance in inch]
Viewing from 12ft away = c. 50ppi
This means you need 7,200px wide image, which is fine using stock images.
I'd consult your printer though - they can only print in certain spec.
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The printer is requesting 200 dpi. No image at that size is going to work.
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If they need some arbitrary minimum, you could resample a lower PPI image in Photoshop.
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What do you mean by this? Walk me through what I would need to do?
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I mean increase the image size with resampling on (Image > Image Size).
Some of the smoothing options could help too (see the resample drop down menu for more choices: Preserve Details 2.0 has a useful slider).
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But first, of course, find out if they really, actually want you to send them a 30,000 pixel wide image.
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Got it - makes sense. Yes, my plan as of now is to send how it is and go from there. I can't image they actually expect an image to be that large. Seems riduculous to me. Thanks for you help.
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Photographs in that size (28,800px wide) do not exist - can you use the largest stock you can get?
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Yes - at this point my plan is to use the largest photo I can and go from there. I would think they should be able to print. I mean, how do all these other designers get these large backdrops printed with photos?!
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Yes, they can print anything up to 200dpi
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I've never printed anything as large as what you're doing, but I print large banners often and when I have to design one using a small image from a customer, for the best result I resample as Doug mentioned above but I do it in smaller increments. For example, instead of 50ppi to 200 in one step, go 50, 100, 150, 200 - 4 steps.