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Participating Frequently
February 23, 2023
Question

Large PSB file export to JPG

  • February 23, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 7525 views

I have a file that ultimately needs to be 40ft x 9ft. at 150 dpi. It's for a truck trailer wrap. I've designed at 1/2 scale 20ft x 4.5 @300 dpi. (Pixels: 73500 x 17400) I'm having issues when trying to Export to JPG file at 100% scaling. The export keeps resorting to 20.4% scale (14994 x 3550 px). I need full scale at 300 dpi so the production house can do it at their native 150 dpi and scale to final 40 ft x 9 ft. print and their system to divide it as it prints for sections. 

 

How do I export to scale?  

 

 

4 replies

D Fosse
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2023

Assuming 150ppi is really needed for this (which I really doubt), you should probably do this in sections.

 

73 000 pixels is well on the crazy side in any practical scenario, unless they expect people to study this with a magnifying glass. If you ask me, 60 to 80 ppi is already more detail than the sharpest eye can resolve at any normal viewing distance.

 

As Conrad suggests, I'd ask them again. It just could be that someone misunderstood (happens all the time). But if it's confirmed that's what they want, and that's what you have to give them, so be it. Do it in sections.

Participating Frequently
February 23, 2023

I agree with you. As a photographer for 40+ yrs. around 100 dpi is what most billboard outputs need. Now with digital printing for vinyl most of those printers really give bad gradation results. We may do a test on a small portion. My thought too is to do sections and allow a 2" overlap. It's a bunch of files for boths sides of a 40ft x 9ft printout. 
Thanks for your input and time! 

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2023

@jeff_burkholder I design truck wraps and have never been required to give a vendor 50% scale at that resolution.

Are you assuming the submitted file size or have you contacted the vendor for acceptable file specs?

I've sent my vendors 25% and less scale images at 150 ppi, but also try to avoid raster graphics whenever possible and send native Illustrator vector files when I can.

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2023

I am guessing you used File > Export As because I can reproduce it there, see picture below — the tool tip pops up when hovering the mouse pointer over the warning triangle. I am not sure which dimension is the limit in Export As, or whether it’s about the total number of pixels, because neither number lines up with the pixel dimensions limit in JPEG, which according to Wikipedia is 65,535 pixels on a side

 

 

At least Export As lets you try; with a document of that size it isn’t even possible to choose JPEG in File > Save a Copy, and File > Save for Web (Legacy) is disabled.

 

But even if Export As allowed the maximum pixel dimension supported by JPEG, it would still not be enough, because you might notice above that the requested pixel dimension of 73,500 pixels exceeds the JPEG limit of 65,535 pixels. So 73,500 on a side can’t be done in JPEG no matter what software you use.

 

That suggests it might be good to circle back to the production house and ask them what they have done about this in the past, assuming many customers before you have had to send them wraps this large. They must have worked out a standard solution that works for everybody.

Participating Frequently
February 23, 2023

What's intersting is I don't get that message. I get a message of change the canvas size. Which that doesn't work either. Thanks!

Theresa J
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2023

Actually a TIFF is better. TIFF files are better for printing anyway. You can save it with LZW compression and there won't be any noticable degredation. 

Participating Frequently
February 23, 2023

Good idea! Thank you!

Theresa J
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2023

Can you save as a PDF?

Participating Frequently
February 23, 2023

Unfortunately PDF doesn't work.