Render your CGI to the pixel dimensions that give 300 PPI at the final print size for anything viewed up close: brochures, business cards, catalogue pages. For large-format work such as banners or exhibition panels, you can drop the DPI depending on how far the viewer stands from the image. Specify jobs in pixels plus physical size, never in DPI metadata alone. CGI files can be produced to these exact specs as a standard practice in the industry.

TL;DR:

  • For close-up prints such as brochures and business cards, render images at 300 PPI based on exact physical dimensions, never relying on DPI metadata alone.
  • When creating large-format prints viewed from several meters away, it is acceptable and often preferable to use lower DPI values, around 60 to 120 DPI depending on the viewing distance.
  • Always calculate pixel dimensions using inches or millimeters multiplied by the target DPI to ensure sharpness and avoid scaling artifacts during printing.
  • TIFF or layered PSD files are recommended for final print deliverables, with 16-bit color depth and matching ICC profiles to prevent color shifts and quality loss.
  • Rendering above 300 PPI is only justified for images that will be scrutinized at extreme close distances, such as micro-detail or fine textures, due to increased costs and processing requirements.
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When to use 300 PPI and when you can safely use less

Three hundred pixels per inch became the professional benchmark because at typical arm’s length viewing, roughly 25 to 30 centimetres, that density is where individual ink dots stop being visible to the human eye, according to PrintNinja’s resolution guidance. That is why brochures, business cards and product catalogue photography are still specified at 300 PPI. Anything held or read closely needs that density; anything viewed from further back does not.

When to use 300 PPI and when you can safely use less — overview diagram

Viewing distance determines the DPI you actually need, according to Chaos’s rendering guidance: a viewer standing 1.5 to 3 metres from a panel only needs roughly 120 to 60 DPI, because the eye cannot resolve finer detail at that range.

Typical targets by application:

  • A4 brochure or catalogue page, read at arm’s length: a high standard DPI around 300 PPI.
  • Exhibition panel viewed from one to two metres: medium DPI values suitable for moderate viewing distances.
  • Poster viewed from two to three metres: moderate DPI values appropriate for this distance.
  • Billboard or building wrap viewed from ten metres or more: lower DPI values sufficient due to long viewing distances.

How to calculate the pixel dimensions you must render

The formula is fixed regardless of the artist or the renderer: pixels equal inches multiplied by DPI, or, for metric sizes, millimetres divided by 25.4 then multiplied by DPI. Set the render’s output resolution to that pixel count before you start, not after.

  1. A4 brochure page at a high DPI standard: A4 is 210 by 297 millimetres, so the pixel dimensions are calculated by converting millimetres to inches and multiplying by the chosen DPI, resulting in approximately 2,480 pixels wide by 3,508 pixels tall at 300 PPI.
  2. 36-inch-wide banner at 150 PPI: 36 × 150 gives 5,400 pixels across, roughly half the pixel count a 300 PPI print at the same width would need, which matches the reduced DPI requirement explained in 4over4’s print resolution guide.
  3. A0 exhibition panel at lower DPI: A0 size of 841 by 1,189 millimetres converted to pixels using a lower DPI value like 100 PPI results in pixel dimensions approximately 3,310 pixels wide by 4,681 pixels tall to suit viewing from a distance.

Render at the native pixel size wherever possible rather than rendering small and scaling up in post. Upscaling forces interpolation, where software invents pixel values it never actually rendered, and the result is soft edges and visible artefacts on fine detail like foliage, brickwork or signage text. A renderer given the correct target dimensions from the outset always outperforms an upscale of the same final size.

File formats, colour space and export settings to supply to printers

TIFF or a layered PSD is the safer final deliverable for anything going to print, because both retain full quality through repeated edits, unlike JPEG, where compression is reapplied and quality degrades every time the file is resaved. This aligns with standard printer guidance on file formats, which lists TIFF and PSD as preferred for high-quality reproduction.

A practical export checklist:

  • Deliver a flattened, high-bit TIFF as the final print file, and a layered PSD alongside it for future edits.
  • Use 16-bit colour depth when the file will go through heavy retouching or colour grading before print.
  • Confirm with the printer whether they want RGB or CMYK, and supply the ICC profile they specify rather than guessing, since 4over4 notes that printer workflows vary and mismatched profiles cause colour shifts.
  • Embed the DPI value in the file metadata that matches your pixel count and intended physical size, add bleed and crop marks where the printer needs trim allowance, and supply alpha or mask channels separately for any element requiring a cut-out.

Pro Tip: Ask the printer for their exact template dimensions and bleed allowance before you render, not after, so the pixel maths accounts for trim from the start.

More detail on formats and export conventions that stop reprints is covered in Visual Trick’s guide to CGI file formats.

Large-format rules: viewing distance, tiling and special processes

Large-format work runs on a different rule than brochure work: distance replaces density. A banner read from three metres away does not need 300 PPI because the eye physically cannot register that level of detail at that range, according to the viewing-distance table in Chaos’s rendering help centre. Practical large-format guidance from print planners supports the same principle, as set out in Arrowhead Sign Company’s guide to booth graphics.

For very large pieces:

  • Render in tiled sections at native resolution rather than one enormous file, then hand each tile to the printer separately to avoid scaling artefacts at the seams.
  • Keep alpha and mask channels clean and high-contrast at every tile edge, since a soft or noisy mask becomes obvious once printed at scale.
  • Flag lenticular printing and similarly specialist processes early: these often need a higher baseline than standard large-format work because the interlaced image relies on cleaner masks to avoid ghosting between frames.

Full detail on exhibition-specific considerations is in Visual Trick’s guide to large-format CGI exhibition prints.

Studio-tested checklist and common pitfalls

Before any file leaves the studio, we confirm eight things: final physical size, target DPI, resulting pixel dimensions, file format, colour profile, bleed and crop marks, whether the deliverable is layered or flattened, and a proofing step before the print run.

The mistakes that cause reprints are almost always the same. DPI metadata is set correctly but the pixel count behind it is too low for the actual print size. Bleed is missing, so trimming cuts into the image. JPEG compression has been reapplied enough times to leave visible blocking. The colour profile supplied does not match what the printer’s press expects.

Our own workflow starts by asking the client for final size and intended viewing distance before rendering begins, then supplying a proof at true pixel dimensions for sign-off. That single step, confirming size and distance up front, is what most often separates a smooth delivery from a reprint. More on brochure-specific preparation is in our brochure CGI best practices guide.

Studio-tested checklist and common pitfalls — overview diagram

When to render above the standard

Three hundred PPI is a baseline, not a ceiling. Archival fine art reproductions, extreme close-up product shots and anything with micro-detail such as fine text or delicate texture can justify pushing to 600 PPI or higher, because the print will be scrutinised closer than arm’s length allows for.

The cost is real: render time, storage and processing all scale with pixel count, often disproportionately. Before agreeing to a higher spec, ask what the image will actually be viewed at and from how close. If nobody can name a viewing distance under 25 centimetres or a print size larger than A2 with fine detail, the standard 300 PPI almost always holds, and the extra render budget is better spent elsewhere.

— Paride

How Visual Trick can deliver print-ready CGI assets

Architectural visualisation, planning visuals and large-format prints are produced to exact pixel specifications so the file matches the final print size without a second render pass. Images are often produced in-house by a single operator to keep communication direct and deadlines predictable, avoiding outsourcing layers.

Visual Trick - CGIs and animations

Providing the final physical size and intended viewing distance before rendering helps produce the correct pixel dimensions and allows a proof for sign-off before printing. Get in touch through our services page to discuss your project.

Sources

FAQ

What’s the best resolution for prints?

For anything viewed up close, aim for pixel dimensions that give 300 PPI at the final print size, as set out in PrintNinja’s guidance. For large-format work viewed from further away, a lower DPI based on viewing distance is entirely acceptable.

Is 200 DPI print quality good?

A DPI setting below the 300 PPI standard used for close-view items like brochures and business cards can make fine detail and text edges look slightly soft at arm’s length. It is often perfectly fine for larger prints viewed from a metre or more away, where the eye cannot resolve the extra density anyway.

How large can I print a 300 DPI image?

That depends entirely on the pixel dimensions of the file, since print size in inches equals pixel width divided by 300 and pixel height divided by 300, following the formula in 4over4’s print resolution guide. A file with more pixels supports a larger 300 DPI print without any loss of sharpness.

Is 300 DPI high resolution?

Yes, 300 DPI is the accepted industry standard for high-quality, close-view print, sitting at the density where individual dots become indistinguishable to the eye at normal reading distance, according to PrintNinja. For large-format prints viewed from further away, lower DPI values are standard practice rather than a compromise.