Large banner help 4 ft x 20 ft

[DigitalBBQ]

For 4'x20' banner , when you using photoshop you need to trick-out the resolution and use scalar factor.

Open new document in photoshop, image size, using 4"x20" yes , 4 inches by 20 inches. Resolution make it 800-1200 dpi

Now you have scalar of 4"x20" , at 800-1200 dpi, your file should be about 150 MB which by high res. standard is o.k. still small enough.

Then, you must work within photoshop tools, FONTS, Effects, Filters, ETC. use these tools within photoshop. If you need to import file, make sure it EPS, or high resolution images only, and photoshop will escalate the pixel according to 800dpi module.

Once you have everything done, save your file, then the final size with layers should be about 300mb depend on your details and # of layers.

SAVE your file,

You can delete hidden layers so the next step will be faster!

Then, go to Image Size, and make it 48"x240" ( 4'x20'), and resolution down to 100 dpi. At this point, photoshop will rasterize the overall artwork and details to the new resolution with correct scaler factor.

This resterization will take about 2-5 mins depend if you have at least 4 GB RAM, and enough cache HDD space, and using CS3 with dual core processor PC can improve raster speed.

After this done, Flatten your artwork, and save as TIFF, and DO NOT SAVE your file since you have already export it to TIFF.

Use the TIFF file, and send to your favorite Roland , Mimaki, or whatever printer you got.

Photoshop is great when doing effects on the artwork!

Flexi and Coral are great but when it come to Centerfold images manipulation of high resolution; it a bit sticky and rather slow.

 

[wrapman jamz]

I have reduced 48' x 240" files to 8.8mb in Photoshop that print clear and vibrant.

Blazing speeds on the rip at this size. Saves time on rasterization.

How about a 9' x 24' box truck side that's 20.2mb? It can be done!

See the pic

 

[D&D Graphx]

Thanks for all the great info. I was way to busy today to get into photoshop to play I will do that in a few days. Thanks

I will post photos when printed.

 

[Jester1167]

What you need to do is take one of your 300ppi files and crop out a section, say 52" x 12" Make sure you have text and high contrast areas.

Save a 300ppi, 200ppi, 150ppi. 75ppi, 50ppi, 30ppi (dont change the size of the print, just the ppi) print them and you will have a better understanding of what resolution is needed. You design in PPI and you print in DPI and they do not have a one to one correlation.

You will find that unless you are closer than a foot you can't tell the differnce between 300 and 200ppi. At 4 feet you can't tell the difference between 75 and 150ppi.

Like most on here I choose to give the customer more resolution than the situation dictates because they inspect their prints from 2 feet away, but I don't think I have ever printed a raster image above 150ppi. (I don't print small prints or on photo glossy paper and most of us are not printing Gilcee)

We do print detailed prints with 7pt text, but thats vector unidirectional 16 pass for crisp black text for OSHA/Safty decals, and another story.

I guess what my long winded post is about, is that everyone that has a printer should do test like this as well as many others. These tests will save you time in the long run, and help you guide customers and outside designers that have no clue about designing for large format printing.

And have some fun and blow up a logo off a web page for that customer that tells you his logo is on his web site.

 

[D&D Graphx]

I will make a sample like this and post one on the counter for the customer and another one up on the wall to show them how it will look up in the air.

Great idea for a great display from website junk to 350dpi perfection.

Thanks again all