subject: Understanding File Formats For the Graphics For Your Custom Signs [print this page] Understanding File Formats For the Graphics For Your Custom Signs
In this sign design article, you will discover the difference between good artwork and bad artwork for your new custom signage. That way, if you already have a logo or another graphic you want to use for your sign design, you'll know the absolute best type of file to provide to your sign company to achieve the best results.
We'll show you an example of a low quality image. As you'll see, the picture looks fuzzy and grainy around the edges creating somewhat of a blurry appearance.
But when we get the high quality version of the same image, images turn out remarkably clear and crisp, even zoomed in real close.
So why does one photo look so blurry and the other one looks perfect? Well, the difference in the level of clarity is directly related to the file size. So in short, the larger the file size, the better your final image will look.
So what file format will result in the best quality images for your new custom sign?
As you may already know, the graphics we show you in this video are both bitmap based images. In fact, almost all photographs and pictures are bitmaps. And when we examine these kinds of images up close to see how clear they are, we can actually see the little square pixels that make up the image.
Unfortunately, this is where images can start to get ugly...
You see, as a photo is enlarged, these square shaped pixels get bigger as well. So if you start out with a small image like a small picture you found on a website, then as that image is made bigger, you'll start to see those square pixels getting bigger and bigger as well.
However, if you start with what the clean, original version of the file when the photo or artwork was first created, then your final images will turn out sharp and crisp.
A quality size image for a 3x4 sign or bigger, could be anywhere from 5 to 10 megs. But this is just an example, file sizes will vary.
So as you can see, the size of the file is very important - the bigger the file size, the clearer your final artwork will look!
Now in terms of the exact type of file to send to us, we are completely flexible. Our graphic design team has the software to open and import all the popular file types including.eps,.pdf,.jpg,.tiff,.ps (Photoshop) and.ai (Adobe Illustrator) files.
Plus, we can even use Microsoft Word Documents,.pub (Publisher), Power Point, bmp, gif and.png files if the file size is large enough.
How can I know for certain if my file is high enough quality?
If you're not sure about the image quality of your file, we'll be happy to review your artwork ahead of time to see if it's usable for your sign design - even if you've never placed an order with our sign shop before. You can simply email it to us so we can look at it up close.
If your artwork isn't sharp enough to use for any reason, we will notify you know right away and personally work with you to help you find a solution.
For More Information - See The Chef's Sign Design Video
