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Essentially I am wanting to verify that once I get a final layout from my contractors, that all of the images they have used to create the design are of a high enough resolution.

Just to make sure I am being clear enough, I already know how to check the overall layout's resolution - Image > Image Size - but I don't know how or if there is even a way to check the resolution of the individual images that make up the overall design. Hope this all makes sense.

Thanks for any help

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    do you mean of each layer?
    – user3791372
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 15:02
  • Yes but sometimes I get a flattened jpg or tif of the entire finalized layout. I'd love to find a way to ensure that no part of the final layout is too low resolution to be printed properly.
    – poochey
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 15:30
  • You could always save them as separate images
    – Zach Saucier
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 16:15
  • Wouldn't they still be at the original PSD's ppi setting?
    – poochey
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 16:43
  • If you're talking about a flattened JPG, then no I don't think there's really a way to do this, other than possibly measure it yourself.
    – Hanna
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 18:20

2 Answers 2

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What format? This is important.

If you get random JPG/TIFF etc, just check the pixel dimensions and divide by 2x the expected line screen*. If the result is approximately your anticipated desired printed dimensions, you have proper resolution. So if you are printing a magazine at 150lpi on press, the recommended dpi/ppi is going to be 300. A 3000px image will print optimally at 10 inches (3000px/300ppi).

If you have indesign packages, check the Links tool and look for the "effective dpi/ppi." A 3000px "300ppi" image is only 300ppi at 10 inches. If you place it at 5 inches, it is now 600ppi. At 20 inches it is now 150ppi.

If you have to, make a spreadsheet with column 2 as height of every image as laid out (in inches), and then in column 1, make a list of the pixel height of the images. Calculate the numbers as above (col1_px/col2_inches=col3_effective_dpi).

*("Shannon-Nyquist Sampling Theorem": to accurately reproduce a signal you need to provide data at 1.5-2x the sample rate)

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  • I knew I wasn't explaining myself well enough. I get files as psd, tif, jpg of a finalized ad layout. I'd like to find a way to ensure that all images, logos, etc. used in that layout are of at least 300 ppi. Maybe nothing exists to do what I'd like but I thought I'd ask. Thanks.
    – poochey
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 15:33
  • depending on version, a PSD, may have images as linked images which can behave like indesign linked images (effective dpi depending on size). But "no" flat format image files have fixed pixels. If it looks bad, it is bad. But you can still ensure the overall size is appropriate for your job as outlined above.
    – Yorik
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 15:37
  • Thanks. I don't think I am getting the PSDs with linked images but that would certainly be helpful if I was. Thanks for your responses.
    – poochey
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 15:42
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Totally depends on the aplication you are using for your "final layout".

If you are using Indesign, there is the Preflight Window, where iy shows you the ppi of the "Links and Images". (File > Preflight) There are some simmilar inspectors on Corel Draw for example.

On a flatened image, like JPG, there is no way of knowing the source images resolution on a composed image. You need to do that by eye, comparing some borders with the rest of the images resolution. If you see some "funny" saw, they were at a diferent resolution.

In a comment you say: "used in that layout are of at least 300 ppi" You do not need at least 300 ppi. That depends on the paper you are using. You could use a 212 ppi resolution on a 150 lpi output.

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  • Thanks. It sounds like the answer is that there just isn't something to do what I was hoping for. Oh well. Thanks for the responses.
    – poochey
    Commented May 11, 2016 at 16:47

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