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How to stop type form PS looking pixelated

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  • 16-06-2010 11:13am
    #1
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,503 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hello,

    I'm trying to make a poster for work. I have the document size set to 8.7x11.4 inches. I'm trying to print it out on A4, but it looked very pizelated and the smaller text is completely impossible to read.
    Is there anything I can do to fix this?
    I'd be very grateful for any advice.
    Cheers.


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    #2
    Danbo!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,942 ✭✭✭Danbo!


    What is the dpi of the document? (Alt+Ctrl+I, then resolution).


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    #3
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,503 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    72 pixels an inch. That's internet quality isn't it? May be my problem. What should I have?


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    #4
    qpd
    Registered Users Posts: 108 ✭✭qpd


    Photoshop is far from ideal for print design but if you don't have access to a layout programme such as indesign then the following will get you out of a hole:
    Save your original unflattened psd file (one where the text is still vector - editable) as a photoshop pdf file.

    check your file in acrobat reader - should see a massive difference as your text will be retained as vector data

    72dpi is far too low for print, images should be at least 200dpi for digital print... text should always be vector (you'll get away with 300dpi otherwise)

    other advice: work in cmyk and stick to iso trim sizes (A7, A6, A5, A4, A3, A2... etc)


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    #5
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,571 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Never use type smaller than 10 pt in Photoshop, better still, don't do type in Photoshop at all. If you must, keep your type at bigger than 12pt, your resolution at the same as the printer (200 to be on the safe side) and if you can, as the previous poster suggested, don't rasterise the type, print from the photoshop document. It will be a bit slow, and may not work at all on some printers, but worth a try. The resolution is the main problem.


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    #6
    p
    Registered Users Posts: 2,119 ✭✭✭p


    dory wrote: »
    72 pixels an inch. That's internet quality isn't it? May be my problem. What should I have?
    Photoshop is perfectly fine for printing posters and the like, however, for a poster, you will need to set the resolution to 300dpi.

    Here's what you need to do:

    - Create a new document at the right size and resolution
    - Then bring all the artwork into it and size things correctly.
    - Do not resize your original poster, that will mess things up.
    - If sending it to a printer, export artwork as a pdf, that will keep the text all vector, so will naturally print to it's highest quality.


    Also, not absolutely necessary, but you may need to set up 'bleed' which is extra space around the design for when it's printed. That depends on the printer, though you probably don't need to do this right now: http://www.creativepro.com/article/photoshop-how-to-adding-bleeds-and-crop-marks

    Good luck with it!


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