Why are brochure mock-up templates so large?

[Boodiba]

I've been wanting to expand my repertoire of print asset design skills to include 3D mockup of brochures. I got this really cool on in the mail recently and have recreated my own version of it to use as a sample.

coverMostly an accordion fold with the cover folding over the rest

I've downloaded a couple free templates to see how they're built, and looked on Adobe Stock to find the closest example to a custom fold I'd want to do. It's 22" long and 6 1/4" high, so I designed a version in InDesign at the exact size, exact fold measurements.

I looked on Adobe Stock & found the closest sort of style.

Photoshop tells me that 3,000 pixels high, 72dpi, is 41.667 inches...?? What am I figuring wrong here?

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

resample the image to 300 ppi and the inches will downsize

[Boodiba]

TY! Do they really upload faaster at 72dpi? It's confusing to someone who's done more print than web stuff. I mean I'd think if you wanted a decent print out even just for comp on a laser printer, you'd make it 150dpi and actual size in inches.

[Conrad_C]

Where did you get 72 dpi? The template is shown as 4000 x 3000 pixels, so if a print resolution of 300 ppi is assumed, that works out to 13.3 inches by 10 inches, which is a reasonable print size for a folded piece.

If the downloaded Photoshop file said 72 ppi, it was probably saved incorrectly by the creator. Like you said, it should have been saved at a print resolution so that it doesn’t work out to 42 inches long.

Whether it would have uploaded faster at 72 ppi depends on whether resampling is involved. In this case 72 ppi would not change the upload time at all, since 4000 x 3000 pixels is the same number of pixels (12 megapixels) no matter what resolution you set it to, so the upload time doesn’t change. Changing resolution only changes the file size if the physical dimensions (in inches) are changed; if the physical dimensions are allowed to float then the file size stays constant because the number of pixels stays constant.

It would upload faster if it was 13.3 inches by 10 inches resampled to 72 ppi, since that would work out to 960 x 720 pixels (0.6 megapixels). All of that points to why 300 ppi seems to be the correct resolution for this 4000 x 3000 piece.

[Boodiba]

I got a free template & looked at it to see how it was built. It was a similar high pixel size to the stock composite I posted in this image. However I cannot afford to buy composites! I need to make my own. (I used to be well paid in NYC for a different kind of design work - print & pattern. But in Portland, OR I am apparently unemployable.)

[JJMack]

Photoshop is a Pixel editor.   How much detail you have for an image is stored in pixels. More Pixels more details you have.  You cans have  a 3MP camera, a 8MP camera a 16MP camera, and a 24MP camera you set on one a tripod and take a self portrait with each.  You will have 4 self portraits or your self each has the same subject your beautiful head full of brain.  Each can be Printed 8" x 10" by setting the appropriate print resolution.   Print resolution is PPI the size of a pixel. Each 8" x 10" picture will contain a different number of pixels and each print will be printed with different size pixel.  The net result is all prints are 8"x10" Your portrait with different amount of details. If you printed the four image files at the same print resolution you would have four different size  portrait prints.   Pixels are where detail is stored and is the bulk of the data you have in you files.  Resolution is print setting that set the size of the printed pixel.  Pixels have no size till you set the print resolution.  Resolution is meaningless on display.  Displays can not change their pixels size nor the amount of pixels they display.  Printers Can.

[Boodiba]

Since I'm making images for display only - and a decently clear print-out on personal printers - I think I will stick with the actual inch size & 150dpi that worked well within the garment industry. Thank you so much! Your answers are super thorough!

[rob day]

Photoshop tells me that 3,000 pixels high, 72dpi, is 41.667 inches...?? What am I figuring wrong here?

You can change the output dimensions, but keep the original 4000 x 3000 pixel dimensions by unchecking Resample in the Image Size dialog and setting the desired output Width and Height:

This does not add or remove any pixels, the output pixel size is scaled with the Width and Height dimensions. Note that the Width, Height, and Resolution are constrained.

[JJMack]

Yes that is how images size works effect all layers in your document  but not all layers would be resampled by interpolation if checked vector layers are resized using vector graphics functions. 

Layers can also be resized via a layers transform to change the number of pixels a layer will  have via  resample interpolation or using vector graphics.  All Smart Object layer have an associated Layer Transform that may change the number of Pixels in the layer will have compared to its hardened Object Pixels. Additionally if the Smart Object Layer was created by using Place.  Place may have changed the number of pixels harden for the layers object from the number of pixels the place file has depending on the file's  Print PPI resolution setting.   It is possible for place to both resample your image up in sized creating your object hardened pixels and then resample the hardened Pixels down in size to fit on canvas by adjusting the smart object layer'sassociated Layer Transform.  It is quite normal for associated Smart object layer's associated Layer Transform not to resize smart objects the keep them 100% size.  For example a normal raster  layer converted to a smart object layer associated layer transform would scale the layer Width and Height 100%  No resize.  Placed smart object layer's associated layer transform would also be 100% width and height if the image fit on canvas and the user did not change the places default transform during the place operation.  The users has an option to scale the smart object during the place operation.  Doing so changes the Layers associated layer transform. Beside scaling the image the transform can be used to position, distort and warp the image to add perspective or fit the image onto to some surface in the documents composite.

[rob day]

Just to clarify, in my post I have Resample unchecked, so there is no sampling—the image output dimensions and resolution are simply scaled together and the pixel dimensions are unchanged.

With Resample unchecked a vector or text layer’s output dimensions will get scaled along with the canvas:

[JJMack]

Yes with Resampling not checked the only sizing done is  Pixels are sized according to the documents Print resolution. The Document Composite Pixel image is printed with pixels that size.    Pixels are rendered for vector layers using vector graphics functions then these pixels are blend into the Document composite image using the layer's blending  features like blending mode, opacity, fill and blend if options.   The Document composite image's  blended pixels are print with pixels sized by the document's print resolution.   Changing the Document Print resolution changes the Images Pixel size.  Prints will have the same pixels printed a different size.  The print will be different in size. All the sized print will have exactly the same pixels but be different in size because of their pixels size.

[JJMack]

A 8" x 10" 300ppi image is printed with pixels that are 1/300" x 1/300" in size there are 90,000 pixels per square inch the images is 2,400px by 3,000px the image  has 7,200,000 pixels 7.2MP, The same 7.2MP image printed at a 100ppi resolution will 24" br 30" printed at a 200ppi resolition the print will be 12" x 15" all the images will have same 4:5 Aspect ratio.  One 90,000pixels per square inch, one 40,000pixels per square inch one 10,000 pixels per square inch.

[JJMack]

Computer user like us are quite use to viewing image  that have a resolution like 100PPI for untill recently displays had resolution that were around 100 ppi.  In fact most  desktop computer displays still do.  Mobile Displays like Phones an Tablets have High Resolution displays  with resolutions around 300PPI.  My 24" 4K Displaye resolution is only 185ppi that 4k display diaplays an image 3840px by 2160px ‭8,087,040‬ Pixels  8.09MP even if I use that display in Portrait mode 2160x3840px the 8" x 10"  7.2MP 300PPI prtrait will not fit on my 4K displaye it. Its  9:16 Aspect Ration is to narrow  for the 4:5 aspect ratio image while its 3840 height can handle thet image 3,000 px height it can not displaye the image 2,400px width.  

Photoshop can scale the image so it will display print size on the display.   For the display area is larger than 8" x 10". My 24" 4K display an 185ppi resolution image  using its native resolution.