Business cards - image quality needs improvement 1

[solid7]

I'm very new to Photoshop, and I have a problem that's probably been asked a lot. Since many people use many different terms for the same thing, and many of you have the background to disseminate it, I'll ask it again, after having not found a suitable answer during my own research.

Here is a quote that I got back from the shop whom I asked to print my business cards:

The resolution on the jpg file is not high enough to do justice to the card design. Can we have it in 300 or better dpi, saved at compression quality level 12?

The file was saved as a .jpg with 5 progressive scans, and a compression level of 12. How can I improve the image quality when saving from a .psd to a .jpg? The .psd, on a printout, comes out absolutely stellar. (especially when I print it at 1200 dpi)

Thanks in advance!


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[jmgalvin]

A photoshop doc destined for commercial print should never be less than 300 dpi and, if there's text, should be at least 600-1200 dpi to give text crispness. In photoshop, for clarity, the higher the res the better. To check teh resolution on yours, go to Image menu/Image size and see what the resolution says.

When you create a new doc, you get the image size window with the resolution and physical image size. If you create a documant at less than the above resolutions you cannot just increase the resolution. You need a do over.

When saving as jpeg, you get the quality window. 12 is the highest quality - necessary for printing in commercial work. AS to foramt option on that same window I always use "baseline standard", which has the least effect on teh image.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[jimoblak]

The .psd, on a printout, comes out absolutely stellar

This is because your type is probably in vector form in the PSD. When you save as a JPG, that type gets rasterized into nasty resolution-dependent junk. If your print service provider supports PDF, save/export as that. PDF will allow you to embed the fonts so that they come out crisply on the press.

If you must use the JPG format and all of your type is in editable type layers, increase the resolution of your image. Go to image menu>image size and resample the image to at least 600 ppi while retaining the same physical mesurements (height by width in inches or cm).

I would question the sanity of anyone using Photoshop to create business cards, anyone sending JPG files as art for business cards, and any print service provider accepting JPG files for business cards.

 

[solid7]

I would question the sanity of anyone using Photoshop to create business cards, anyone sending JPG files as art for business cards, and any print service provider accepting JPG files for business cards.

Well I don't offer apologies for the fact that I might be insane. Or, that I might just be a small business owner who is using my available resources.

I really appreciated your answer until you threw in that asinine statement at the end.


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[jmgalvin]

Solid 7 - don't get mad at Jim. He was trying to help you get the best result. You don't need the jpg format. You can save the Photshop thing as TIFF and get surer results than jpg. It's the old tried and true of the print industry.

Photoshop is not the best thing for creating print docs that contain text, especially small text as business cards do. Vector apps - such as the various cad apps - give crisper results. I use Illustrator, but have gotten decent results from Word in the past. (it has a card template somewhere).



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[jimoblak]

Take it easy. If I thought poorly of you, I would not have offered a tip to improve your situation. You are paying your print service provider to offer you poor suggestions. I offered an ideal answer for free. You don't need to be grateful but it would help not to be asinine.

We would all question the sanity of anyone putting lemonade in their automobile's gas tank, anyone selling lemonade from a gas station pump, and any customer buying lemonade from a gas pump.

Likewise, it is beyond comprehension how anyone could have recommended using a JPG file for printing a business card.

 

[solid7]

Yes, but the comment was in regards to someone using Photoshop to create business cards - that someone is me.

It would have been ideal to omit that line, and instead, insert the helpful suggestion about which application to use INSTEAD...

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

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[ctopher06]

I don't question anyone's sanity for trying to create something with the tools he/she has. Most don't have the sanity to even ask such a question.
I would use PS to help create cards myself. But then xfer the pic to other software to finish. Solid7, I agree with the others in using TIFF. You will get better quality pics. Good luck.

Chris

 

[solid7]

I'm used to using vector data - but in the form of CAD, or math data files.

Can someone please point me to a good tutorial that explains compression and file types?

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[jimoblak]

I agree with the others in using TIFF

How is using TIFF really any better than JPG? It is still a raster image format and will not maintain crisp text unless you set your image at an insanely high resolution. I question the sanity of those suggesting that another raster image format is ideal for a business card. PDF is the only format that will retain the crisp text as an embedded font.

One does not need an excuse of "I'm small business owner with limited means and all I have is Photoshop". Those that spend that much on a photo editing program should know what it is intended for. Business cards fall into the realm of page layout, not photo editing.

You can get by with producing a business card in Photoshop if you save as PDF, but ideally, you should be using a page layout application for this. If you have no further budget for software, you can use one of the following free page layout apps:

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/default.asp

http://www.scribus.org.uk/

http://www.ragtime-online.com/Content/product_ragtime_solo/index.html

An explanation of graphic file formats can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_file_format

Talk to your printer to see what formats that they prefer. I'm guessing that JPG will not be high on their list of preferred formats.

 

[solid7]

I question the sanity of those suggesting that another raster image format is ideal for a business card. bigsmile PDF is the only format that will retain the crisp text as an embedded font.

You spend way too much time questioning other people's sanity. Sanity is the least relevant notion, in this case.

PDF works well for me. I'm sticking with it.

One does not need an excuse of "I'm small business owner with limited means and all I have is Photoshop". Those that spend that much on a photo editing program should know what it is intended for.

I have over $40,000 in legally licensed CAD software. Photoshop was barely $600. (I spend more money on maintenance every year, than the entire Adobe suite costs) For me, that's not what I consider an expensive program. But to make things clear - Photoshop is a software that is used for another aspect of our business - and I'm not the primary user. I'm not going to spend more money on something else, as the tools WILL work. I'm trying to get my cards out, ASAP.




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[jmgalvin]

Solid: Why are you getting into wars with people? On the very first reply I gave you the method to create the work in Photoshop and save as jpg - as per your question.

Other people - correctly - suggested that a raster image program is not the best for designing print things with fine text. I and another guy suggested Save As TIFF because that format does not lose any quality when saved whereas jpg does. That's a simple couple of mouse clicks in photoshop.






Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[solid7]

Solid: Why are you getting into wars with people?

??????

I'm not getting into any wars. I simply explained myself with that last post, and declared what worked for me! (It was suggested that I spent a lot of money on a piece of software, and that I should well know what it's for)

I came asking a question in good faith, and it was I - as an intelligent, but inexperienced person - who was insulted with an irreverant answer.

The last thing that someone wants when they come to a forum, is to have someone treat them like they belong in a mental ward, because they don't use the ideal application for designing business cards on a budget, and in a hurry. Or, to sum it all up - as I tell my five year-old: When someone asks you a straight question, they don't care what you THINK - they just want a straight answer. *That's* my point.

As I said before, I appreciate the responses. I'll not waste anyone's time again with my insane questions.

Thank you all, and good day.

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[blueark]

Speaking as someone who regularly outputs business cards set up in Photoshop (by someone else!), I can offer the following observations:

1: It is not the correct tool for the job.

2: If it is the only practical option, then PDF is the best output format, in terms of retaining vector information, and in terms of supplying an industry standard format.

3: Avoid JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or any raster format if you want your text to remain as sharp as possible. Even if you increase the resolution, the line screen used by the printer imposes a maximum effective resolution, usually 300dpi or thereabouts on commercial presses. The only exception is if you are working in Bitmap colour mode, but that has its own obvious limitations.

4: If you're not sure about output formats, ask your printer if they'll accept the original PSD file. If they know what they're doing, you might save yourself a lot of time. If they don't, it might be risky, so insist on a proof.

5: If you do have the entire Adobe Creative Suite, then InDesign would be a better option, followed by Illustrator.

 

[solid7]

4: If you're not sure about output formats, ask your printer if they'll accept the original PSD file. If they know what they're doing, you might save yourself a lot of time. If they don't, it might be risky, so insist on a proof.

By far the best advice I've received, and ultimately the option that I chose. (because I had some trouble outputting PDF on side 1)

I have since received confirmation, and a proof.

Thank you for giving the straight shoot. Your help was greatly appreciated.


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[jimoblak]

PSD format does not include the font file so font substitution may occur at the printer.

insulted with an irreverant answer

I am sorry if I distressed you with the way that I expressed my disbelief that a print service provider was encouraging your use of JPG format. I was not trying to insult you.

It is a sure sign of irreverence to those that freely offer their assistance for you to come to this forum and ask questions that should have been asked of your print service provider. You should feel fortunate that so many have offered their help for free.

 

[solid7]

It is a sure sign of irreverence to those that freely offer their assistance for you to come to this forum and ask questions that should have been asked of your print service provider. You should feel fortunate that so many have offered their help for free.

I'm grateful for the responses that I got, and I made that clear. However - being knowledgeable over someone else is NEVER a justification for being rude - no matter how you want to spin it. Most everyone has been really great, and I've really only had an issue with one individual.

I gladly offer my assistance to others (in certain forums) when I have experience in the subject matter, so I see no merit in your statement. If I had known upfront to ask the printer, I certainly would. Print services are businesses, just like mine, and as such, there are communication delays. I wear many hats, and I like to go after problems in a cost-effective way. (like asking in forums) It usually helps me to avoid having to trouble someone in future matters. Consider my ignorance your good fortune.

Again, good day.

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