Ultimate Render Resolution Guide

Most are familiar with the concept of resolution when printing images from a computer screen. The difference between the crisp, clear image on the screen and the pixelated image printed depends on the resolution. But, the topic of resolution often brings misconceptions.

As a higher resolution is vital for 3D renderings to provide the optimal image qualities on and off screen, it’s crucial to fully comprehend the subtleties and nuances of resolution before simply opting for the highest value available.

This render resolution guide will provide all there is to know about choosing the optimal solution for your images.

Understanding The Basics

What Is Render Resolution? 

When it comes to 3D rendering basics, understanding render resolution is crucial. Render resolution refers to the total number of pixels in an image, and it is the most essential specification when it comes to image quality. Digital images are composed of pixels, and the number of pixels tall by the number of pixels wide determines the digital dimension of the image, known as the resolution. The resolution is a parameter that characterizes the render quality of an image.

High vs. Low Rendering Resolution

An image will appear blurry or pixelated on a screen if the render resolution is too low. The pixels will be more visible, resulting in a grainy view.

However, low 3D resolution doesn’t necessarily yield bad results, only if the size is too big compared to the resolution. That means the low-resolution image above will look correct if its size is smaller. That’s why the resolution has to be suitable for the size of the screen or printing.

A higher resolution is more beneficial for 3D architectural animations or renderings to effectively capture all of the details within the image, which means they will still look sharp and nice when blowing up the image.

Is Higher Render Resolution Always Better?

The short answer is yes.

A higher rendering resolution is required for larger and more detailed renderings that show big commercial renderings or skyscraper renderings. Therefore, for those intricate and detailed renderings, a higher parameter will provide a higher-quality product. Without a high resolution, your renderings may not be capable of displaying all the critical details.

Aside from the quality of a rendering on screen, a higher 3D resolution will also impact how many details will be in larger print as the upsizing possibility of an image is directly correlated with image resolution.

But, it’s important to note that a higher render resolution comes with extra work for a 3D studio which leads to higher costs and longer turnaround time, so it makes sense not to opt for a resolution higher than is needed to save unnecessary costs and to make sure that the project doesn’t take longer than necessary.

What is DPI?

It’s a pixel density. Once you figure out what will be the size for the images then it’s time to figure out the number of pixels needed, and there are two handy parameters to define that amount.

In printed images, the measure of pixel density is referred to as the dots per inch where the dot refers to a single pixel. This figure is determined by finding the number of pixels placed within an image’s square inch of an image.

The common question is what DPI consider as high resolution and it’s wroth explaining that these are two different parameters. Resolution defines how many pixels are used to create an image whilst DPI define their density. If the image is smaller then the density (DPI) is increasing and happens the opposite when the image gets bigger. That means that the question should be “what DPI is consider good for a specific display size and what resolution we need to support it.

DPI basically refers to the printing materials as printers can print out any number of pixels per inch that we require in contrast to digital screens that only can display as many pixels per square as they programmed for.

There’s also an alternative parameter called PPI that is dedicated for images displayed on the screens of digital devices which basically express the same things as DPI. However, it is not commonly used as digital screens have a fixed maximum pixel per inch number to be displayed in contrast to a printing paper. 

In other words, we are not able to decide what PPI of the screen is and we only can follow these requirements when producing digital content to be displayed on those screens, and we’ll talk more about how to meet these requirements later in this article

What is the Best DPI? Is Higher Always Better?

Again the short answer is yes. The higher this number is the more details we will see in a one inch square of a printing. The question is how far away we will see the image and how many details will be able to see from this distance. 

For example, if you’re seeing something from up close you will need a lot of pixels in one square inch to show a high level of detail. Contrastingly, you need significantly fewer pixels per inch for a banner that you will see from a greater distance where the unit of an inch is practically imperceptible.

A higher DPI comes with extra work for a rendering studio which leads to higher costs and longer turnaround time, so it makes sense not to opt for a DPI higher than is needed to save unnecessary cost and prevent unnecessary delays.

Conclusion

• DPI is the amount of pixels per one inch square.
• When it comes do defining parameters we talk about DPI for printing materials and about Resolution for digital materials.
• DPI and Resolution is always better when higher but it more costly so these two parameter should be adequate to the goals.
• If the image is smaller then the density (DPI) is increasing and happens the opposite when the image gets bigger

What is the Best DPI for Printing?

To obtain better image quality, a higher resolution is needed and it automatically increases potential DPI. However, not every project will require the highest pixel count and it all depends on where the renderings will be used, or more specifically what will be the size of the images.

The rule of thumb is the bigger the size the higher resolution it requires and lower DPI. It’s crucial to understand that DPI number drops with higher formats as this fact is counterintuitive which causes lots of misunderstandings. 

Very high resolutions won’t be necessary for renderings used for basic real estate digital marketing, including social media posts or brochures, whilst large scale printing like banners will require the highest resolution. In the first case, the DPI number will need to be high as we will see these materials from up close. In the second case, the DPI number won’t need to be as high as we will see the material from a great distance, meaning that we won’t be able to see too many details within one inch square. 

Image DPI Requirements For Specific Print Formats

A4-A3 Format

300dpi is the industry standard for printed images in smaller formats. While the exact image size in terms of resolution is pixels will depend on your layout, the optimal pick is 4,000 pixels in width to achieve the right amount of dpi. These standards apply to most printed materials, including smaller banners, posters, catalogs, brochures or flyers

A2-A1 Format

A lower DPI of 150 will work well for larger printings. Since they will be viewed from a greater distance (like on the image above), the final result will look good enough even with a smaller DPI number. The important thing is to understand that if the printing is bigger, it will typically be viewed from a greater distance, meaning that you can use a lower dpi number. This means you don’t have to unnecessarily invest in extra DPIs that won’t make any noticeable difference for a viewer.

A0-Higher Format

An even lower dpi of 75 and as far down as 20 will work for any large-scale printing. A prime example of large print formatting that fits this would be a billboard. Since a billboard will be viewed from afar at a 30-square foot image, dpi as low as 20 or 30 will be more than enough to display a high-quality image. For a more complete guide on Large Format Printing.

Image DPI Requirements For Specific Type of Prints

There are several different types of printing which have developed over the years and all of these require a different approach. Read in detail about the history of printmaking in this link. To reproduce the image at the best possible quality, the DPI of an image is critical because each printing type has a specific base parameters to meet. For basic image DPI requirements for printing by a particular type of print, use the following industry standards for guidance:

Billboard & Banner Printing

As previously mentioned, an image’s DPI should be lower the larger it is printed. Since viewing distance increases, the DPI can decrease and still provide high-quality results. Billboards are a prime example of low dpi printing for a large canvas. The standard billboard should be printed at 30 DPI or even lower.

Poster Printing

The optimal resolution for poster printing depends on the type of printer or press used. Small posters up to 12×18” are usually printed on digital or offset presses which require 300DPI for best results. Large posters are typically produced on inkjet printers that require only 150dpi for high quality output. For more information on poster printing we recommend taking a look at this site which describes exactly how the process works.

Magazine Printing

The general rule for images printed on good quality paper using offset printing is that the screen resolution used to print should be half of the image resolution. An example of this type of printing is magazines, which use the 150 or 175 LPI (lines per inch) screen rule. To produce a high-quality image for magazine print, stick with 300 DPI images.

An example of an Interior render used in a brochure. see here for more information on this type of image.