Digital ads are pixelated

[Amy29490774t15d]

I'm struggling to find a way to create small digital ads (300x250) with an image, logo and CTA that are not pixelated after they are exported. I read alot of chats and it seems that responses are all over the place with which program to use and the way to export.
Any suggestions for getting crisp, clear text and images at a small size?

[John T Smith]

When you post a question you always need to tell the Adobe program you are using
There are MANY programs in a full subscription, plus other non-subscription programs
Please post the exact name of the Adobe program you use so a Moderator may move this message to that forum

[Amy29490774t15d]

Initially using Indesign, but have tried exporting from photoshop and illustrator and they all look the same.

[rob day]

Initially using Indesign, but have tried exporting from photoshop and illustrator and they all look the same.

Hi @Amy29490774t15d , The application choice isn’t really going to help—as Robert suggests the problem is with the small pixel dimension.

Photoshop lets you choose different anti-aliasing methods when you set type, but that’s not going to help much when you are trying to resolve small texts and fine lines. Here’s the difference in Photoshop’s type setting set to Sharp anti-aliasing (top) and an export from InDesign (bottom) at the same 300 x 250 pixel dimension:

The problem with the small pixel dimension is more obvious when I zoom in and select the 18pt (18px) lowercase w. The selection’s pixel dimension is 14 x 10—there’s not much that can be done to draw the w with any more detail in such a small space:

[Test Screen Name]

 The consumer (web visitor) will view at 200% at most, so that is how you must judge quality. Look at your picture. You have zoomed to 3200% !! Of course you will see pixel edges. Every image ever made will show its pixels at 3200%. I think you have an unrealistic expectation given you have to make a very small (=low quality or very simple) image.

[Test Screen Name]

Ooops, sorry Rob, I thought you were the OP, instead you were making the same point as me but better. That will teach me to look at the screen shots and ignore the text !!

[rob day]

I understand—and now that almost all web pages are responsive, most of the time the 300x250 jpeg will be scaled up or down to a different dimension in order to fit the device display.

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post if it helps you get responses.

<;moved from using the community>

[BobLevine]

Export to WHAT?

[Amy29490774t15d]

export to jpeg

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

With this size - it will always be pixelated. 

[AlanGilbertson]

Sorry if these questions seem obvious, but:

• Are you exporting at 72 ppi? Any other value will export at something other than the pixel dimensions you specified in InDesign or Illustrator. In Photoshop, if you set the pixel dimensions to begin with, they should export the way they look in the Photoshop window. (In all cases, you would want to export a high-quality jpeg or a png.)
• Can you verify that the pixel dimensions of the exported image are what you expected?
• Are you looking at the output at its native size (that is, not full screen or "Fit to window")?

If the answers to all of those are "Yes," post a sample here for us to take a look at.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Of the options, InDesign is probably the last app you want to use for small digital work. It can be done, but you sort of have to jump through hoops to get it to work in/with pixels and export cleanly.

If not one of the newer "web graphic" tools, the best app is Photoshop. And the key is to work in a larger size, a multiple of your final export dimensions, and then export down to that size and let Photoshop work its magic in smoothing and blending edges, gradients and the like. (That is, it's a huge mistake, in most apps that don't do the scaling for you as a background service, to work in the exact size. Too small, too few pixels to get smooth blending and anti-aliasing and thus that "smooth" final result. Work big, export small.)

For a 300x250 web ad, work at 1200x1000 and keep the details fairly blunt. You can quickly zoom out to see approximately what your result will look like and export to 25% scale all day long while experimenting with the export filter options.

Good luck!