All About Image Size & Resolution

Understanding Image Resolution for Digital Fabric Printing: A Guide for Custom Fabric Design File

When you're preparing files for digital fabric printing, image resolution is a crucial factor that affects the quality of your final custom fabric prints. Let's break down what this means and how to ensure your files meet fabric printing file requirements for the best possible print quality on fabrics.

What is Image Resolution?

Image resolution for textile printing refers to the level of detail in a digital image.

It's usually measured in DPI, which stands for "dots per inch." The higher the DPI for textile printing, the more detailed and crisp your image will be when printed on fabric.

For our digital fabric printing process, we use 300 DPI. This means that for every inch of your printed fabric, there are 300 tiny dots of ink. This level of detail ensures your high-resolution fabric prints look sharp and clear.

How to Check Your Image Resolution for Fabric Printing

On a Windows PC:

Right-click on your image file
Select "Properties"
Click on the "Details" tab
Look for "Resolution" or "DPI"

On a Mac:

Open the image in Preview
Click on "Tools" in the menu bar
Select "Show Inspector"
Look for "Resolution" or "DPI"

Using Online Tools:

There are many free online tools such as Photopea where you can upload your image to check its resolution.

How to Determine Your Print Size for Custom Fabric Printing

To figure out how large your image will print on custom fabric, you'll need to know two things:

1. The pixel dimensions of your image

2. The desired print resolution (in our case, 300 DPI for textile printing)

For example: If your image is 3000 pixels wide and 2400 pixels high:

Width: 3000 ÷ 300 = 10 inches
Height: 2400 ÷ 300 = 8 inches

So, your image would print at 10 inches by 8 inches on the fabric.

Tips for Preparing Your Files for Digital Fabric Printing

Use high-resolution images: The higher the resolution, the better the print quality for fabrics.

1. Use high-resolution images: The higher the resolution, the better the print quality for fabrics.

2. Check file size: Larger file sizes usually indicate higher resolution for fabric printing.

3. Avoid enlarging small images: This can lead to pixelation and blurry fabric prints.

4. Use the right file format: JPEG, TIFF, or PNG files work best for digital fabric printing.

5. When in doubt, you can always choose check my file – the service we offer with all custom printing options.

Understanding Resolution Conversion for Textile Printing

Many of you might have images at lower resolutions, commonly 72 DPI, which is standard for web graphics. It's important to understand what happens when we prepare these for custom fabric printing:

We Convert all low-resolution files to 300 DPI for Fabric Printing

When we receive a file at a lower resolution (like 72 DPI), we always convert it to our printing standard of 300 DPI. However, this process affects the print size of your image.

Here's what happens:

The total number of pixels in your image stays the same.
To reach 300 DPI, these pixels are distributed over a smaller area.
This results in a smaller print size but maintains image quality.

For example:
Let's say you have an image that's 3000 x 2400 pixels at 72 DPI.
At 72 DPI, this would print at about 41.7 x 33.3 inches.
When converted to 300 DPI, the same image will print at 10 x 8 inches.

The image doesn't lose quality, but it will print smalller than you might expect based on it's size at 72 DPI.

Can I Increase Image Resolution Without Affecting The Size?

When it comes to digital fabric printing, increasing the resolution while maintaining image size is a common concern. Here are some important points to consider:

Avoid simply increasing the resolution and preserving the size in your image editing software. This method stretches existing pixels, resulting in a blurry fabric print and poor print quality for textiles.
However, there are advanced tools for fabric design resolution enhancement that can enlarge images without significantly losing quality. One of the best tools we recommend for high-resolution fabric prints is Upscayl - a free software that uses AI-powered image upscaling which can transform your image into perfect one for textile printing.
Upscayl works by adding extra pixels to your image, utilizing artificial intelligence to assess where and which pixels to add. This AI-enhanced fabric design process can significantly improve your image resolution for fabric printing.
While this technology is relatively new and may occasionally produce imperfect results or slight distortions in some elements, it often creates amazingly detailed custom fabric prints.
Keep in mind that AI upscaling for textile printing isn't foolproof. Always review your upscaled images carefully before submitting them for digital fabric printing to ensure they meet your expectations.

By using tools like Upscayl, you can often overcome challenges with low-resolution images and still achieve high-quality fabric prints. However, starting with high-resolution images whenever possible remains the best practice for optimal print quality in custom fabric designs.

Remember, if you're ever unsure about your file's quality or resolution for digital fabric printing, feel free to reach out to us. We're here to help ensure your custom fabric prints turn out beautifully!