An image can look perfectly sharp on your screen but appear blurry, pixelated or soft in print. This is because screens and printers display images at very different resolutions.
Screen Resolution vs. Print Resolution
Screens typically display at 72–96 DPI (dots per inch). Print requires at least 300 DPI at the final output size. An image that fills a screen beautifully at 72 DPI will print at roughly one quarter of the required quality.
Where Low-Resolution Images Come From
- Images downloaded from websites or social media (typically 72 DPI)
- Screenshots (screen resolution, not suitable for print)
- Images exported from apps or presentations
- Logos saved as small PNG or JPG files
The Upscaling Trap
A common mistake is to upscale a low-resolution image to a larger size in Photoshop or a similar tool. This does not add real detail — the image will still look blurry in print. The only genuine fix is to use a high-resolution source file.
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Check resolution now →Best Practice
Use vector graphics (SVG, EPS, AI) for logos and illustrations whenever possible — they scale to any size without quality loss. For photographs, always start from the highest-resolution original available.