Resolution
What is the difference between large format printers versus plotters?
SpeedPro starts off where most print shops finish. Of course, we have the ability to print the small-sized graphic requests, we specialize and even prefer to produce large graphics including vehicle wraps, full-color outdoor banners, large format laminated signs, trade show exhibits/displays and much more.
A plotter produces vector graphic drawings. Plotters illustrate lines on paper using an internal pen. Conversely, a traditional printer cannot draw continuous lines, it makes lines out of dots. Furthermore, the main difference between plotters and format printers is the file format used. Plotters use vector graphics, while format printers use raster images, also known as bitmaps or pixels. Vectors create images from point-to-point nodes connected by mathematically determined lines and curves, thus plotters are often better suited for illustrated logos while large format printing is better for photo-realistic images.
To explain further, vector images are line art graphics that will maintain their quality no matter how you resize them, and raster, or bitmap, images are composed of tiny dots that form a larger picture. These images can only stand to be enlarged to a certain size before losing clarity.
How does this affect resolution?
Vector images alone or with text can be scaled up to almost any desired size as they are not composed of thousands of small dots like raster art is. However, it is important to point out that image-centric banners are more often made from raster data as raster allows for more resolution detailing and coloration.
For example, if you are creating a graphic banner, SpeedPro advises you to save it as a Vector file. Doing this ensures that the image won’t lose clarity when it is later enlarged. If you’re using a photograph or any type of raster image — including .jpg, .tif and other common file types — make sure the file is not compressed down, and save it with an output resolution between 100 and 200 dots per inch (DPI) at the full image size to ensure optimum clarity. When choosing an image to use, the best option is to have a high-resolution photo taken by a professional photographer. Using images found online can be disastrous because often there is not enough pixel data to create a clear image. A low-resolution image can be enlarged in Photoshop, but this multiplies the pixels around each other, taking each pixel and creating a new pixel next to it that is halfway in color to the next, and on. Website graphics are created at a small resolution in order to reduce bandwidth so that web pages load quickly while still creating an image acceptable on a computer monitor.
SpeedPro Direct AL
The South is certainly big on warm welcomes and hospitality, but with your business you need to be focused on grabbing attention. Building brand awareness is essential and one of the best ways to do that is utilizing visual marketing like large format printing.
SpeedPro Direct is the leading sign company serving Birmingham, AL and the surrounding areas. We help maximize conversion rates for your marketing dollars using effective and creative indoor and outdoor signage.
Why Large-Format Printing
It’s easy for a message to get lost, especially with all the noise of social media, radio and TV ads, and even magazines and Internet ads stuffed along every page. You need to step outside the regular box and think bigger.
Think strategic large-format printing, like:
- Fleet wraps
- Corporate branding
- Trade show displays
- Window graphics
- And more
At SpeedPro Direct, Our Service Is Second to None
Our goal is to help you get the maximum value for your marketing dollars. As a seasoned and highly experienced sign company, we focus on delivering:
- Unmatched quality and precise detail in every phase of the project.
- Fast and dependable service, even if you need it done within days.
- Solid communication for great customer support.
Contact SpeedPro Direct Today
Get a quote and discover how cost-effective it is to increase brand exposure, awareness, and recognition utilizing the best large-format printing. We serve Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and Montgomery, AL.