It is not always necessary to scale your artwork. Scaling artwork can help to keep the file size manageable. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are scaling your artwork.
Vector Art
We are able to print outdoor banners as large as 150ft x 16ft, however, most software is not able to produce an artboard larger than 228″. Adobe Acrobat and other PDF readers/converters are only able to view a maximum file size of 200″, resulting in a loss of artwork. For this reason, it is recommended to submit files at a smaller scale than the ordered size.
Raster Art
Raster files are calculated by pixels rather than inches. The pixels are converted to inches based on the resolution of a file. The equation for the conversion is (pixels divided by dpi = inches). Raster files have a limitation of 30,000 pixels. A file that is 30,000 pixels set at 150 dpi will be 16′ (200″). If your artwork is more than 30,000 pixels, we recommend dropping your dpi or scaling down your artwork.
How to scale your artwork
To scale artwork we need to proportionally decrease the file dimensions and increase the file resolution.
Example:
Here are scaling samples for printing a 40-foot x 10-foot banner.
Note: Banners larger than 15 feet will print below 100dpi
File print size: 40 feet x 10 feet
Full scale artwork: 40 feet x 10 feet @ 100 dpi
Half scale artwork: 20 feet x 5 feet @ 200 dpi
Quarter scale artwork: 10 feet x 5 feet @ 300 dpi
Flags:
Full scale: 150dpi
Canvas:
Full scale: 250dpi
Coroplast and Adhesive Vinyl
Full scale: 200dpi
Foamcore:
Full scale: 250dpi
PVC:
Full scale: 250dpi
Indoor Banners, Car Magnets, Floor Graphics and Large Posters:
Full scale: 300dpi
Table Runners:
Full scale: 200dpi
Adhesive Vinyl:
Full scale: 100 dpi. vector artwork is preferred