0

I need to create an ad, and these are the specs I was given:

1/8 Page FC w/eLink, Horizontal, 3.333" x 2.166", 20.0000 PW x 13.0000 PD - Full Color

I was told the 20.0000 PW x 13.0000 PD were pixel measurements, but I'm not finding any details about these units anywhere. What do these units measure?

Improve this question
5
  • Hi Joshua, Welcome to Graphic Design Stackexchange. We hope you enjoy sharing your knowledge and experience here.
    – Stan
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 14:55
  • I think it's safe to say that a pixel dimension with 4 decimal places is questionable. I don't think that a pixel (picture element) is divisible, even yet also too. Come to think of it, what does Full Color mean?
    – Stan
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 15:02
  • Since 1 inch = 6 picas and 3.333 × 6 ≈ 20 and 2.166 × 6 ≈ 13, I think that the measurements might just be the dimensions of the ad in picas. I don't know why there's 4 decimals or what the W and D means.
    – Wolff
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 16:40
  • 1
    I’m um, old. This leaped our at me as being pica width and pica depth... old school news print style size definition. But stated ambiguously.
    – GerardFalla
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 23:01
  • 1
    RED FLAG ! ! "Your client discouraged you from reaching out to the publisher" and "Your client tried to get clarification for me" push me to comment that your client is an obstacle to your success with this project. If you have not received some compensation at this point, walk away from this as if it were about to explode. The specs you have been "given" are meaningless. They are a mix of decimal and fractional numbers and nothing makes any sense. Guessing is something a professional does not do. Your client should be encouraging you to speak directly to the production people not the reverse.
    – Stan
    Commented Jun 13, 2019 at 1:44

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Ask the person who gave you that info.

That type of writing looks like someone tried to save some seconds on writing the specs... Take one minute to clarify and save yourself hours of guessing.

20.0000 has no sense as a unit. No modern notation groups numbers in 4 digits, even if you remove one 0, 20.000 has no sense using the dot as a (1000) separator (as in international format), a 20,000-pixel width banner is too big.

If it is a decimal point, 20 px has no sense either. What is PW? Pixel width? What is PD pixel density? All this, really, really has no sense. What is FC?

A solution.

  1. Define your requirements.

    • Is it a web add? for facebook or google adds? Search the recommended dimensions in pixels.

    • Is it for a magazine? define the magazine dimensions.

    • Are this 3.333" x 2.166" inches?

3.333 x 300PPI = 1000px

2.166 x 300PPI = 650px

Improve this answer
3
  • Original question mentions that the specs were "explained" when given to Joshua. Probably better to avoid the person who passed on such vague, conflicting, and misleading "help."
    – Stan
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 15:37
  • My client discouraged me from reaching out to the publisher, so I thought I would give it a shot to ask here. My client tried to get clarification for me but were told to ignore those measurements and that they were "pixel sizes".
    – Joshua
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 18:21
  • 1. So, explain the client that you need understandable measures, and ask them to recive units in english, in metric, in pixels or any usable data, not invented data. 2. Perhaphs we can figure out what you need if you describe your requirements? Is the add for a web page? for a magazine, for a street billboard?
    – Rafael
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 19:50

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.