Really big format

[CarlChaos]

Hi to all,

Newbie to the forum here...
I'm currently doing some ad works for a firm of a friend of mine. He has bought this large advertising space and he wants me to create the ad. I already made a low-res version of the ad and now I have to to the big job. The problem is that the space is very large: 1.20 metres by 4 meters (that's aprox 4 by 13 feet)! The question is: what should be the minimum size/resolution of the final image? Trying only to create an empty file with those dimension at 300 dpi results in a 1.80 GB file :eek: which makes it impossible to handle (and I don't have the source images of that big a size)
Any suggestion?:confused:

Thank

Bye

[garricks]

Hi, Carl, welcome to the forum!

You're about to hear a bunch of people tell you to check with the company that's doing the output. They are the best ones to answer those questions.

Listen to them! :D

The best source of information for file setup is the people who will produce it.

[CkretAjint]

More then likely you'll wanna design it at 1"/1' or .5"/1'... Talk to the printer first and see what they recommend for the size and DPI. Every printer is different, especially large format printers.

[morea]

since large format is viewed at a distance, it's usually produced at a much lower resolution than things like magazine ads.

Garricks is right - you need to check with the printer and ask how they want the file set up and then produce it to those specs. Every printer does things a little bit differently, so it's a good idea to find out what they need BEFORE you get the whole thing finished... otherwise you could end up having to rebuild the file all over again to meet the printer's specifications.

[CarlChaos]

Wow I didn't expect this prompt reply. Thanks!
I will certainly check with the the company who will be printing the ad.
Excuse me CkretAjint, but I dont't really get what you mean by More then likely you'll wanna design it at 1"/1' or .5"/1'... (sorry using the metric system overhere...) You mean designing at a tenth of the size?

Thanks again and goodnight.

[CkretAjint]

Yes... Tenth, half, quarter scale - depends on the printer and what they want. They will tell you everything you need to know if you ask. They'll probably email you a spec sheet, or if you ask super nicely, they MIGHT have a template for you!

[D-Frag]

Also, just so you know, most large format printers only output there rip arond 75-200dpi. For this job, you should be fine doing the design at 100dpi, the rip will interpolate the difference.

personally since its only 4x13, i would just do it at full scale at 100dpi, your file size shouldn't be that large. plus you have to remember that yes your psd file may be huge, but if you use LZW compression and flatten>save as a .tiff you file size will be around half to a quarter of the psd size.

[MikeHun]

All the resolutions sound correct. Do you know if you are tiling it
you get away with 4'x8' sheets flatbed prints. Is it vinyl then you could have one continuous image. Any more info on the design?

[CarlChaos]

I haven't heard the company that will be printing the ad yet, so I don't have any more info.
Thanks for now. :)

[PrintDriver]

I'd work at full scale too, at the res the printer asks for. But I'd do the layout in either Illy or InD (whichever the printer prefers.)

If you submit a flattened tif, the printer cannot color correct if you are looking for PMS matches. Also, if you send a file using LZW it's always polite to let the printer know (he'll check anyway, probably, but it's good to know up front). Some rips choke on compression formats and some others produce nasty artifacts.

[Mynock]

That's not really big only sorta big. We did a banner recently that was 15' x 15'. It was too big for us even we had to have someone else print it for us. Ask the printer.

[CkretAjint]

I used to help print the banners for the side of the Miami heat arena, which were astronomically HUGE! Even billboards were 14'x48' on average.

This one is about 72'x36'
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/78/194909662_bf09f602f0.jpg