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The Graphic Problem
Digital printing has revolutionized the sign industry. Current printers can reproduce an image at 1440 dpi (dots per inch) at virtually any size. But they are worthless if the original image is of low resolution. We define resolution using pixels. A pixel is commonly thought of as the smallest individual unit of an image (tiny dots if you will). If the pixel content is low, the image will look fuzzy. Anyone that has blown up a picture in a popular program like Adobe Photoshop has experienced the pixilation of an image. The most common way to express the resolution of an image is via two integers: the first is the number of pixel columns or width and the second is the number of pixel rows or height. Another common way to express resolution is by giving the total number of pixels in the image (usually expressed as megapixels). It is determined by simply multiplying the pixel columns by the pixel rows. Most typical file formats such as bmp, jpeg, png, etc. will give the physical image size. This is done through DPI. For raster images (those images in rectangular pixel format), DPI means the number of pixels printed within one inch horizontally and vertically. For example, if you have an image expressed at 600 by 300 (or 1.8 megapixels) and you want to print at 300 dpi, the image would need to be printed within two inches by 1 inch (you divide 600 x 300 by 300 dpi) - a very small image to get the needed resolution. The bigger you print the same image, obviously, the lower the amount of dots per inch. A 20 by 10 inch print of the same image would be only 30 dpi. Try to imagine how bad the quality would be if you had only 30 dots for every inch. We commonly have customers uploading 600 x 300 jpeg images of the family dog, say, and ask us to put it on a vinyl banner 4 by 2 feet, for example. We refuse to print a sign with less than 300 dpi, because we know our customers will not be happy wth the quality. If we enlarged this image to fit the sign, we would get a sign with 12.5 dpi (only about 12 dots per inch). We need to help educate so you will know that we are not trying to aggravate or, worse yet, price gauge when we ask for a better quality image. Believe me, we only do this so the customer will be happy with the final product. I always feel bad when I have to disturb a customer. I understand the buyer's position. They want quick results with minimal effort. But customers have to take a proactive role, because once and a while, a sign company will go ahead and print a borderline or low quality image. We won't do that - we insist on quality - which sometimes makes the customer think we lack some mysterious technology that our competition has. There have been those frustrating times when a customer will tell me they know of a local sign company that will print their sign with the image as is. And then they hang up miffed. If we cannot get a higher quality image we need to convert the file to vector format. This format allows us to enlarge the image without loss in resolution. In fact, we have a full time graphic person that can do this rather quickly in some cases. We usually try to do it gratis for our customers, but sometimes we have to charge them. It is awkward because the customer does not always understand. Some even suspect we are attempting to add on frivolous charges. We want them to understand why! But I also have to caution customers. Some sign companies will charge high prices for art work. Converting a diagram or clip art to vector format can be very cheap - about $10. But poor quality photographs require the artist to reproduce the file as a graphic drawing in detail. It takes time and most companies will understandably try to recoup their costs. But you should not be charged more than about $30 an hour and photographs rarely take more than 2 or 3 hours to convert. To learn more about Magnetic signs and other types of signs please visit http://designasign.blogspot.com. To purchase Magnetis, Vinyl and just about every type of sign imaginable visit http://www.designasign.biz
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Game news: 'GTA IV' hits 10 million, EA meets ESPN (AP via Yahoo! News) Real news from the virtual world: News and notes on the PGA Tour's top 20 golfers (USA Today) Get the latest news and notes on the top 20 golfers on the PGA Tour. These rankings are based 2006-07 PGA Tour results. UAL shares walloped by new posting of old news (Reuters via Yahoo! News) A nearly 6-year-old news story on the 2002 bankruptcy filing of UAL Corp resurfaced on the Internet on Monday, clobbering the airline's shares briefly as some traders mistook the report as current and plausible news. Asyncast delivers custom news to hands-free mobile devices (CNET) The company's Rocketron service allows users to set preferences for the kinds of news stories they want to hear, as well as filter controls for news they don't want. Young adults want less election news (UPI) EVANSTON, Ill., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. young adults say there is too much election-related news on Internet news sites, a university study indicates. CNET News Daily Podcast: The new Zune plays its tune (CNET) Microsoft lets "slip" Zune news one day before Apple's big shindig. Big ad group says Google-Yahoo is a bad idea. Who says real spies don't dig social networking? Game News: 'GTA IV' Hits 10 Million, EA Meets ESPN (CBS News) Real news from the virtual world: ABC News gets first Palin interview (Reuters via Yahoo! News) ABC News' Charles Gibson has snagged the first interview with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin since she was named the GOP's vice presidential pick on August 29. United Airlines hit by 5-year-old news (UPI) CHICAGO, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- United Airline's stock value plunged Monday after a 5-year-old news story was posted on a Florida newspaper's Web site. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Spears wins 3 MTV Video Music Awards ... 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion in Venice ... Report: MSNBC shuffles election anchors ... Iconic Astroland park closes ... News from United Press International. Site: news - Google News Palm Shares Soar As New Smartphone Wins Wall Street Praise - CNNMoney.com
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for advertising Ad-averse Mobile Users Will Pay to Avoid Advertising (Cellular-News.com) Mobile providers looking to boost their revenues through content downloads and advertising are in for a rough ride, according to a new study by market researchers TNS. A Web advertising dark horse goes on the offensive (Market Watch) While its rivals have been fetching multibillion-dollar acquisition offers from the likes of Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., online-advertising firm ValueClick Inc. has been busy digging its way out of a legal mess. Intergi's Video Game & Entertainment Advertising Network Has Largest Potential Reach in U.S. According to Newest ... (Centre Daily Times) Intergi (www.intergi.com), a leading video game and entertainment site representation company and advertising network, today announced that it now has a total potential advertising reach of 52.4 million unique visitors in the United States, topping other targeted ad networks - including bellwethers such as Advertising.com Games and Yahoo! Games. Based on the latest data from the August 2008 ... Largest ever advertising billboard at London Bridge Station (London SE1) A huge advertising billboard has been unveiled at London Bridge Station to promote the NSPCC and brighten up hoardings on the concourse. Online Brokerage Sites See Increased Visitors With Ramped up Online Advertising Efforts (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) comScore, Inc. , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study of the online trading and brokerage industry showing strong visitor growth to online brokerage sites coinciding with heavy online advertising efforts by several of the key brokerages. Advertising spend in Qatar crawls (MENAFN) Advertising spend in Qatar crawls Intergi's Video Game & Entertainment Advertising Network Has Largest Potential Reach in U.S. According to Newest ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.----Intergi , a leading video game and entertainment site representation company and advertising network, today announced that it now has a total potential advertising reach of 52.4 million unique visitors in the United States, topping other targeted ad networks - including bellwethers such as Advertising.com Games and Yahoo! GCC advertising expenditure rises by 23.6% (MENAFN) GCC advertising expenditure rises by 23.6% NeoMedia and Format Dynamics Join Forces to Integrate Innovations in Online & Offline Advertising (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance) NeoMedia Technologies, Inc. (OTC.BB: NEOM), and Format Dynamics, Inc., today announced a strategic alliance designed to accelerate innovation in both online and offline advertising. Bald Is Beautiful (Advertising Space) (CBS News) New Zealand's national airline is offering to pay bald travelers to use their heads - literally - in a new advertising campaign. Site: advertising - Google News SMU to launch graduate advertising program - Bizjournals.com
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