How to use images in Catbuilder

It is common knowledge that good images make your customers want to know more about your products, and therefore buy them. But beware, not all images are equal.
Here are some tips for a quality commercial document :

Which formats to use :

• !! Attention, PNG and GIF formats (which are web formats) are to be banned for a paper print

• TIFF (.TIF) : prefer the compressed form (in ZIP or LZW), if the image contains solid areas or if the image is cut out and contains a uniform background. This format is also used for logos / technical drawings.

• JPEG (.JPG) : when the background is not uniform.

• PDF Photoshop : this is the mandatory format for images with a transparent background. The transparency mask of an image in PDF format is only supported if the “Prepress” option is enabled in Catbuilder.

The resolution :

To ensure optimized print reproduction of a digitized image, the number of pixels over the width and height of the image must be approximately 300 pixels per inch (dpi) or 118 pixel / cm.

As a reminder: the more dots per inch, the better the resolution of an image. The details will be finer. The resolution is thus to be distinguished from the definition, which gives the number of pixels displayed on a screen (for example 1.280 x 1.024).

If you want to print an image of 10 cm wide and 5 cm high, it must imperatively have a size equal to:

Width : 10 cm x 118 pixel/cm = 1180 pixels
                     x
Height : 5 cm x 118 pixel/cm = 590 pixels

Images in Grayscale are processed in 1200 dpi by Catbuilder (with the “Prepress” module). This makes it possible to print in very high quality technical drawings with ultra fine lines.

Finally, if you are not the king of photography, do not hesitate to call a professional. And if you have the opportunity, prefer the photos on a white background, they sell!

See you next time.

Some examples of documents created with Catbuilder :