Digi-Scrap at 200 ppi or 300? The Debate Continues

By Nichole | Category: Business Management |

As a professional working in the digital scrapbooking industry you better know your P’s and Q’s about DPI and PPI.  Not just for designing and printing purposes.  But also because your customers are getting smarter on this subject and you should be prepared to answer their questions or at least point them in the right direction to get educated.

When digital scrapbooking first came on the scene new designers adopted the 300-PPI standard that professional graphic designers used.  It was believed to be the best for all types of printing.  However it’s important to know that this PPI may, in fact, NOT be the best.  Graphic designers images are made to be color separated. They are made into printing plates, and printed on commercial presses.  However, digi-scrappers are printing images on ink jet printers - which are a totally different animal!  So different, that in some cases using the 300 PPI setting is overkill for scrapbooking and causes blotchy, over saturated prints.

Industry Experts are Rethinking the PPI standards for Digi-Scrapping

This is not a big news flash here.  Many digi-scrap professionals are very much aware of this and have changed the way they developed their products accordingly.  The numbers of industry professionals who adamently believe 300-PPI is the best and only option for high quality print, are dwindling.

Through the years digi-scrappers have improved not just their skills, but also their level of knowledge about tools of the trade.  Decisions about the best software products, cameras, scanners, sketchpads, printers, and yes - even which PPI to create in, are all now up for debate.  When researching this subject I found their are heavier discussions in community forums across the web about dpi/ppi needs, than there were two or even one year ago.

Personally I vote for the 200-PPI Side of the Debate

To some degree it doesn’t really matter which side you vote in this debate.  What matters is where do our customers stand on this and how do we help them use my products in either format?  Customers are asking for solid answers and as they read information and come to understand PPI issues they are making their own conclusions.  Many are experimenting with print quality and finding the original 300-PPI standard isn’t necessarily “the best choice” they were always told it was.  They are discovering 200-PPI is just as good and has benefits that are worth considering.

So with this change in attitude, I’ve got a few decisions to make as a retailer.  I can create my products in one PPI or the other ~or~ I can create products in both.  I can teach my customers how to use my products in either ~or~ I can simply stick to teaching for one level only and leave it at that ~or~ not provide tutorials at all.  I can stand by my personal PPI choice, state it’s the best, and encourage all my customers to do the same ~or~ I can explain the differences to them unbiasedly and let them make their own choices.  Considering each option could either draw in or eliminate an entire group of prospective customers — what’s a business owner to do?

Customers Want to Know the Facts

While researching to write about this subject I noticed an interesting trend.  Digi-scrap hobbyists are wising up.  It appears they are no longer willing to simply follow the leader with the loudest opinion on this matter.  They want more than just a “300-PPI is the best, therefore you should always use it” kind of answer.  They are questioning their mentors and design experts and wanting to know the whys, whats, and wherefores of this PPI debate.  As they are making up their own minds I’m seeing that some are standing strong to their personal choices, not because an expert told them which one was the best - but because they were educated about PPI differences, then experimented (or read about the results of others experiments) and then made their decision.   The discussions I’ve read about show that they want to learn about PPI and then make their decision.  They don’t want to be lead blindly down one path or another and simply go there because we (the expert) said so.

Another trend - many scrappers have totally left the 300-PPI world and switched to the 200-PPI, they no longer purchase 300-PPI at all anymore!  The story is the same for 300-PPI users who refuse to buy anything that is 200-PPI.  Another result of this trend is that our newly educated scrappers are also mixing and matching products of both PPI calibers because they like the designs made by designs that aren’t always available in both.

More Questions for You to Consider

  • Before going off on a rampage and flatly stating that you are dedicated to one side of the debate or the other, there are a few questions I recommend you ask yourself:
  • Am I for or against one side of the debate because I am following the advice of another without checking out the differences myself?
  • Have I taken the time to educate myself about DPI and PPI issues so I can make a decision about my own design preferences and help eduction my customers?
  • Do I have customers who would consider purchasing my product if I created in the other PPI level or both?  Am I losing customers because of the choices I’ve made?  Am I okay with the answers to these questions?
  • What business decisions will I make based on the customer trends developing because of PPI choices?

Get Educated about DPI/PPI for Yourself

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to learn all you can about DPI/PPI and then pass along to your customers what you’ve learned.  Running a search on terms like “PPI Scrapbooking”, “DPI Scrapbooking” will garner you some web pages with detailed descriptions of how this whole thing affects our scrapbook page qualities.  Try to sort through the opinions of which is best and strive to understand what the differences are, the benefits, the challenges faced with DPI/PPI issues, and how to work with either/both.

A Few Helpful Links:

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Tell us What you Think!

By the way — what’s your opinion about 200 vs. 300 PPI with digi-scrapping?  And why do you feel this way?

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9 comments
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  1. Karen (Karooch from Scraps of Mind) August 12th, 2007 12:25 am :

    Great article Cindy. I’ve just run a test now on two prints of the same layout at 300 and 200 dpi. I’ll wit until tomorrow when I see them in daylight to give my final verdict and let you know.

  2. PChip August 12th, 2007 3:59 am :

    Karen, You’re right - this is a great article. Wish I could take credit for it. The kudos goes to our guest writer Nichole.

    Nichole, we really do need to get your picture loaded so folks can recognize your articles more quickly. When’s it coming my way, dear friend? ~wink~wink~ ;)

    BTW - I do almost all my scrap-for-hire work in 200-ppi and virtually all my personal layouts are in 200-ppi. However, I create digi-designs in both 200 and 300, primarily because there’s such a wide customer base for 300-ppi still. I have plans to specialize in 200-ppi designs only… eventually. :)

  3. What Resolution Should You Print Your Layouts August 15th, 2007 12:17 am :

    […] DSD Professionals published a terrific article this week called Digiscrap at 200 ppi or 300? The Debate Continues. […]

  4. Karen (Karooch from Scraps of Mind) August 15th, 2007 7:00 am :

    Hey guys I took the test and wrote a follow up article on Scraps of Mind. This looks like a good opportunity for digi scrappers to save on ink.

  5. Kayla aka The Legacy Lady August 16th, 2007 8:05 am :

    Great article here - thanks Karen for referring me over…I have a different slant on this because I have printed my layouts in many ways.

    Personally I believe that designers should share their creations in at least 300dpi.

    I do realize that the layouts may print out better at 200dpi on an inkjet printer and that is worthy of consideration.

    However, by limiting your designs to 200 dpi you are telling your customer HOW they can print their layouts.

    One of the ways I output my layouts are in hardbound books. I have printed the same book with both Shutterfly and Heritage Makers. Shutterfly prints at about 200dpi - and while it is ok - Heritage Makers printers and paper print the best quality at 300 dpi - the difference is very noticeable.

    I also print my layouts at Costco on a 12×18 page with one 12×12 and two 6×6 layouts - the quality is much better at 300 dpi.

    Another consideration - I will buy designs and enlarge the tag or frame or element to fit in with the overall design of my page. That is one of the things I love about digital - it is flexible - I can change the items on my page to the size I need. With those items starting at 300dpi - when I enlarge them a bit they are still quality. I don’t think that would be the same starting at 200 dpi.

    I believe the designers should continue to produce at 300dpi - it is a one step process for the consumer to change the resolution of their layout to 200dpi before printing - leave the options to the consumer.

    Work with blogwriters to have them provide tutorials on printing to help digital scrapbookers understand how to get the most out of your designs. Write your own blog tutorials to educate your customers as well.

    I think the answer here is not to change the dpi items are produced at but to educate your customers so they can take full advantage of the many options available to them.

    Just my two cents - I apologize for the book!

  6. PChip August 16th, 2007 4:15 pm :

    Excellent points you make here Kayla! Thanks for sharing your 2 cents. I do believe it’s worth than that though! ;)

    You’ve offered some terrific food for thought!

  7. Gayle September 2nd, 2007 3:01 pm :

    I vote for 300 ppi. I don’t print on an ink jet printer but, in fact, I send my layouts to a photolab and have them processed just like any other photo. 300 ppi is about the best for that method. In fact, it may be that in the future, 300 won’t be high enough but for now it is just about the best image quality for photos.

    It is so much easier to reduce the ppi than it is to increase it when it comes to quality so, please, if you are a designer, don’t reduce the resolution to less than 300 — I would personally appreciate it.

    So I agree with Kayla, aka The Legacy Lady, on this. By the way, Kayla, why “The Legacy Lady?”

    Gayle

  8. PChip September 2nd, 2007 3:05 pm :

    Thanks for sharing your point of view on this Gayle! Your comments are appreciated and many folks do agree with you.

  9. Keep Customers Happy with Quicker Downloads « dsd-professionals.com December 3rd, 2007 5:41 pm :

    […] methods. It doesn’t involve lowering your product quality either. Nor do you have to change your ppi settings if you aren’t inclined to do […]

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