FAQ: Can graphics be enlarged or reduced in size?

If a graphic is supplied as as a JPG at 300 dpi (dots per inch) this is intended to give a quality print at that size. It can be enlarged but there is a limit. It starts to look fuzzy when you can distinguish the pixels (dots). An AI or PDF formats can be enlarged further because the artwork is "vector" (postscript), but any picture elements within the graphic will start to look fuzzy as with a JPG. Further information about graphics is available separately
  • Print graphics created in Adobe Illustrator are created in three widths (52mm, 107mm and 163mm wide) corresponding to the one, two or three columns widths used in traditional newspaper design. For comparison: - A4 210 × 297 mm, A3 297 x 420 mm, US Letter 216 x 279 mm
  • When graphics are saved as JPG they are saved for print at 300dpi (dots per inch) in CMYK (as print uses CMYK rather than RGB colour). They can be enlarged a little, but if enlarged too much they start to look fuzzy as the eye starts to distinguish the dots (pixels)
  • When saved as AI and PDF the artwork is saved in a vector format. Definition is therefore sharp whatever the size, unlike pictures in JPG that are pixelated. Vector artwork can however look very crude if enlarged more than a certain amount, the limiting factor being the amount of detail drawn into each element.
  • Particular care should be taken when changing the size of graphics containing symmetrical objects such as wheels. These need to stay circular and not become oval.
  • We do not recommend shrinking a graphic by more than 20% or the text will become illegible. So if a graphic is to be viewed on digital screens of different sizes, the text will become illegible if the graphic is simply scaled for a mobile phone. Instead we recommend using responsive "screen" graphics or responsive interactives as the size of the text is maintained at different screen sizes.

NOTE: Graphics saved as JPG are not modifiable. If saved inAI format they can be modified in Adobe Illustrator. The PDF are sometimes saved with compatibility to Adobe Illustrator, and sometimes not (depending on the age and the size of the graphic.

FAQ: What is a responsive screen graphic
FAQ: How are your interactives constructed?