What matters most for print?
Print is the opposite of web optimisation. On the web you shrink files to load fast; for print you keep every pixel and accept a large file. Three things decide print quality: resolution (enough pixels for the final size), lossless quality (no compression artifacts), and colour (presses reproduce ink in CMYK, not the RGB of your screen). A format that delivers all three is what you want on the page.
| Format | Lossless? | CMYK? | Good for print? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIFF | Yes | Yes | Best for professional press |
| Yes | Yes | Best for documents and layouts | |
| PNG | Yes | No (RGB only) | Great for digital graphics and home print |
| JPG | No | Sometimes | Only at high quality and resolution |
Why TIFF for professional print?
TIFF is the long-standing standard for commercial print because it ticks every box a press needs. It is lossless, so nothing is thrown away between your editor and the printer. It supports CMYK — the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks a press actually lays down — so colours are predictable on paper. And it handles high bit depth, preserving smooth gradients and fine tonal detail. When a print shop asks for a press-ready file, TIFF (or a print PDF) is what they mean.
Is PNG good for printing?
Yes — with one caveat. PNG is lossless, keeps razor-sharp edges, and preserves transparency, which makes it an excellent choice for digital graphics, logos, screenshots, and home or office printing. The caveat is colour: PNG is RGB only, so it has no native CMYK mode. For an inkjet or laser printer that converts colour for you, that is fine; for a commercial CMYK press it means your PNG should be converted to TIFF or PDF first. To understand the format itself, see what is a PNG, or compare it head to head in PNG vs TIFF and PNG vs PDF.
What is the 300 DPI rule?
Resolution matters more than which format you pick. The rule of thumb is to aim for about 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the final print size. Multiply the printed dimensions in inches by 300 to find the pixels you need: a 6 by 4 inch photo wants roughly 1800 by 1200 pixels. If a graphic is too small, don't stretch it — upscaling invents detail that isn't there and prints soft. Instead, start from a larger source, and if you only need to change pixel dimensions you can resize a PNG cleanly before sending it off.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
Three errors ruin most print jobs. First, using a low-quality JPG — web JPGs are heavily compressed and their artifacts show up clearly on paper. Second, upscaling a small web image, which can never add the resolution a press needs. Third, ignoring colour: a screen-perfect RGB file can shift when converted to CMYK, so for important work proof the colours or supply a CMYK TIFF or PDF. Get resolution and colour right and almost any lossless format will print well.
Frequently asked questions
- Is PNG good enough for printing?
- Yes, for digital graphics, logos, and home or office printing. PNG is lossless and keeps sharp edges, so it prints cleanly — just make sure the pixel dimensions give you about 300 DPI at the final size. The one caveat is that PNG is RGB only, so commercial CMYK presses usually want TIFF or PDF instead.
- Why do professional printers ask for TIFF?
- TIFF is lossless and supports CMYK colour and high bit depth, which is exactly what commercial presses use to reproduce ink colours accurately. That makes it the safe master format for professional print work.
- Can I print a JPG from the web?
- You can, but it is risky. Web JPGs are usually low resolution and already compressed with lossy artifacts that become visible on paper. Never upscale a small web image for print — start from a high-resolution source.
- What DPI do I need for printing?
- Aim for roughly 300 DPI at the final print size. For a 6 by 4 inch photo that means about 1800 by 1200 pixels. Large banners viewed from a distance can use less, around 150 DPI.