Help please; I need a 600 DPI for a billboard

[Smiles]

Hi all ;),
Please understand Computer graphics is “fun” stuff I play with when im not in work boots or working off the computer
I am having a billboard put up for my company with some graphics of our heavy equipment (construction). I brought in some pictures printed with Photoshop and an hp 2210 printer. I was requested to bring them in pictures at 600 DPI.
Now my “thought” is this.

Take pictures using a digital camera at 1200 x 1200. Open them up in Photoshop ( Where I believe the default resolution is 72 ) changing the image resolution to 600. Do any editing that needs to be done and save at the 600 resolution.

Now “if” I am right in the above, I now need to get the out put to 600 DPI.
My printer only takes 8.5 by 11. Sooo
a) If I use the option “scale to fit media” when printing do I loose my 600 resolution?
b) Should I bring it to a staples or a photo store to print it a certain size?

In either case I will call on Monday to see if they accept pictures saved on a CD or if they need a hard copy.

Now am I totally confusing my DPI , resolution , camera settings, along with the output form PhotoShop and my printer ?
Or is my plan on the right track?
Any help for this confused soul ( Me ) is greatly appreciated

[Frenchy_Pilou]

Quickslinks
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Pilou

[Smiles]

Thanks Frenchy
I did read it before I posted, im just not sure if I have it right. I will go back once again and re-read it :), im sure there is something im just not getting lol

[filip]

I think they need the printed copy as visual proof and the actual in soft copy ( CD ).

The monitor display 72dpi because it is the appropriate resolution due to hardware restriction, an image’s true size is defined by the actual amount of pixels.

You may display an image in any size on screen but with more dpi, you can zoom in very close to see more details, while printing require 300 dpi to re-create the image in its physical size.

Normally, 300dpi is sufficient but at 600dpi, you provide them the possibility to enlarge certain part or even the entire image should they require further editing.
Billboard may be huge but its print dots is coarse.

Hope this help.

[aminuts]

it has been my experience that once you get the dpi you want…the image at 600dpi you can then change the size of the image…to whatever 8.5x11 or 6x8. the dpi will stay the same only the size will change.

i haven’t had any problems doing it that way.

[bantho]

Hi Smiles
I agree with filip, I send to print billboard graphics a couple times each week for my clients, the guys at the billboard shop ask for the image a resolution of 600dpi at least but if you can send it at 800dpi or more is better. Now, the image obviously is scaled down at 20% or less because an image in 600dpi resolution at 100% billboard size would be HUGE! and hard to work with.
For example, recently I did a image from a 2x3in transparency drumscan of a political candidate at 700dpi at letter size (8.5x11) and they extrapolated the image to 9x15 feet, the result was great and the candidate asked for 3 more.
About the pics you are trying to print in your HP, I think they need the pics in CD not the paper prints, that implies they have to scan your photos again and that is worse, just make a scaled version of the billboard in photoshop at 600 dpi (use RGB) and send it in CD, the file should be 150-300 mb.
You should to know that usually the billboard plotters print at 150 or 300 dpi!! they use special RIP’s to extrapolate (enlargement increasing resolution) so the image is coarse, like filip said, is not meant to be seen close but a dozen feet away at least, so don’t worry if you think the image is poor in quality when you increase the resolution, maybe that’s enough.
Finally, have a good chat with the people in the billboard shop, I’m sure they can give you a table of their specifications in resoltution and size and ask for a printed and scaled down version (letter) in paper for approval BEFORE they send it in Big Format.

Hope this helped a bit.

[Smiles]

Thanks so much all :). A special thanks to you bantho. It is great to hear about someone who has done this before since it’s my first time. :). I’m glad to see I was on the right track! When you have to spend this kind of money, you want to know your doing your part right. Hit or Miss isn’t very comforting lol. I am giving them a call later today about the hard copy and the CD.
Thanks again