[Resolution and size] Recommended canvas settings for illustrations

My name is Matsumura , and I am the CEO of PHOTOPRI, a large-format print service that provides art exhibition quality prints.
I also work as a professional photographer!
This time, we will explain the first step in creating a work of art: setting up your canvas/artboard!
We will introduce this method with the assumption that it will result in beautiful printed materials !

I ordered a print of the illustration.

"The result was blurry😭"
"It's a different color than I thought it would be..."

If you have such an experience, reading this article may help!

What is canvas art board?

Although the name varies depending on the application, it refers to the work area where you draw illustrations.

application	Name of the workspace
Adobe Illustrator	Art Board
CLIP STUDIO	canvas
MediBang Paint	canvas
Pro Create	canvas

Simply put, it is like "paper" on which we draw in the real world .

When exporting data as Jpeg or PDF, the size often depends on the size of this canvas/artboard.

Next time, it is better to set this when creating a new canvas or artboard.

We will explain the terms and introduce recommended settings for these three items .

What is the recommended canvas size?

We recommend A4 size (210 x 297 mm) !

If the resolution described below is 350 ppi, then it will be 2,894 x 4,093 pixels .

Whether you plan to print it or not, we recommend making it at least A4 size (210 x 297 mm) so that you can use it for various purposes later!

What is the recommended resolution?

Resolution (ppi = pixels per inch) is the number of pixels that fit into a 1 inch (about 2.5 cm) by 1 inch square.

When printing on paper or other surfaces, the illustration is represented by a collection of these dots.

A higher resolution allows for more dots per square inch , making it possible to print with greater precision.

A low resolution means using fewer dots per square inch , resulting in a coarse finish.

Therefore, if you think you might print it, create it at a resolution of around 300-350 ppi for color, or 600 ppi for black and white .

What is the recommended color mode?

There are two main types of color modes .

There are RGB colors ( the three primary colors of light) and CMYK colors ( the three primary colors of pigments) .

The way colors are reproduced is different, and as shown in the image above , RGB color has a richer color gamut and a wider range of expression.

You might be thinking, "Oh, so RGB is the only option," but...

In fact, most printing companies, convenience store printers, and home printers

Many of them do not support printing in RGB color ...!

In other words, generally speaking, if you're not going to print it, use RGB, and if you are going to print it, use CMYK .

But don't worry.

If you print with PHOTOPRI, it supports RGB printing , so you can print out the colors you've carefully created without them becoming dull!

In other words, RGB color is fine whether you print it or not !

Recommended settings for each purpose

Settings for printing illustrations

These settings are for creating illustrations with printing in mind.

Even if you're not sure whether you'll print it, but just want to draw something, it's a good idea to have at least A4 size paper available for future reference!

Printing paper	A4	A5	B5
size	210×297mm=2,894×4,093pixel	148×210mm=2,039×2,894pixel	182×257mm=2,508×3,541pixel
resolution	350ppi
Color Mode	CMYK (RGB is recommended if you can print RGB)

Settings for large-scale illustration printing

This setting is for creating large illustrations, A2 size or larger.

Since the file size will be large, we recommend enlarging the canvas to the desired paper size at the end , but if you are not familiar with vector data, create the data at the size you plan to print from the beginning!

Also, since images larger than A1 are not viewed up close, one consideration is to lower the ppi.

Printing paper	A1	A2	A3
size	594×841mm=8,185×11,589pixel	420×594mm=5,787×8,185pixel	297×420mm=4,093×5,787pixel
resolution	350ppi
Color Mode	CMYK (RGB is recommended if you can print RGB)

Social media posting settings

For icons on SNS, etc.

Sizes vary depending on the SNS, so it's convenient to create a larger one!

Social Media	Twitter	instagram feed	Instagram Stories
size	1,920×1,080pixel	1,080×1,080pixel	1,920×1,080pixel
resolution	72ppi
Color Mode	RGB

Settings for YouTube thumbnails

These are settings for YouTube thumbnails, which have become increasingly popular recently!

It's convenient to make a template of the canvas size in advance!

size	1,280×720pixel
resolution	72ppi
Color Mode	RGB

summary

This time, we have compiled a list of recommended canvas settings for each application for creating illustrations.

What did you think?

If you have any other information you would like to know, please feel free to comment!

Maximum free trial print

PHOTOPRI is a large-format printing service with quality for photo exhibitions and art exhibitions, and can handle prints up to B0 Nobi size. Our professional staff, including myself, use expert color matching to produce high-definition, beautiful photographs, illustrations, and posters.

If you are worried about the image being blurry or grainy, we offer a free trial print of A4 size, so please check the quality first!

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