Photoshop Raster Images are Smaller in Illustrator

[rickhino]

We are moving from print to electronic books, so I am now working in pixels rather than an 8.5x11 space.  I created a Photoshop template that is 950x625 pixels and also created an Illustrator template artboard of the same size.  When I place the Photoshop image in the illustrator doc, it doesn't fill up the artboard.   I suppose I could change back to inches in Illustrator and do the math so the image would fit but it seems the image should exactly fit the artboard.  Does anybody have any suggestions regarding what I might be doing incorrectly?

Thanks!

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Just keep the resolution of your Photoshop document at 72 ppi.

[rickhino]

Is there any way to do the same at 96 ppi? Or does it even matter?

[Test Screen Name]

A resolution largely matters only for print. The thing is, you can want to work in pixels, and Photoshop always has, but Illustrator and InDesign just don't. They work in inches/mm only. To confuse people, Adobe OFFER a size in pixels, but this is just a nonsense, they are actually offering a measured size in points (1/72 inch). These happen to be right at 72 ppi.

[rickhino]

Thanks for the explanation!  It definitely helps.  I'm sure now that I'm e-publishing, somebody will ask for a print version.  I'm trying to play it safe while discouraging print.

[Ton Frederiks]

The reason that 1 pt equals 1 px in Illustrator has it's roots in the early versions of Illustrator.

The MacPlus screen had a resolution of 72 ppi and PostScript worked with 72 points per inch.

If you want to use a higher resolution in your eBooks, you may double the amount of pixels; 1900 X 1250 and change the resolution to  144ppi in Photoshop. This will fit in your 960x625 Illustrator template.

[jdanek]

"PostScript worked with 72 points per inch"

Still does.

[rickhino]

Great information everyone!  Thanks!