File size requirements for large format printing are a bit different than for small format. And, like most things, acceptable standard files are different from printer to printer. Here at BIG Images, although we accept many file formats, there is one kind of file that tends to work very well with our workflow, and that's the incredible TIFF.

The standard file we accept is

• a flattened TIFF
• saved at 150 ppi (lower ppi will work depending on size of the graphic and distance the graphic will be viewed from)
• embedded with the Adobe RGB 1998 color space
• saved with LZW compression
• saved at the physical size it'll be printed

I know, I know; that's a lot of details, acronyms and geekiness, but that's just the biz. A major reason we accept files this way is because our RIP (or Raster Image Processor) will prepare these files for print far quicker than any other file format—faster than PDF, JPEG, or anything else we can throw at it. JPEG uses a very heavy-handed compression technique and PDFs generally contain lots of vector data—two criteria that slow down the RIP when processing. And when you flatten the file it not only speeds up the processing, it also eliminates font and transparency errors that can spring up.

TIFFs saved this way are generally smaller than a layered PDF, making the file easier to email, transport and archive. Also, unlike the lossy JPEG, TIFFs are a lossless format; No matter how many times it's opened or saved, it doesn't degrade into the jumbled mess that a JPEG will. Plus, the TIFF can be opened by just about any graphics program since the dawn of time. It's good to be the king.

A note on pixels per inch: even though the industry standard resolution for small format is 300 ppi, in the large format world the larger the graphic, the less the ppi required. We have plenty of success with 150 ppi images in almost every large format situation. Some billboards we print are as low as 25 ppi without a noticeable difference in quality at the distance they'll be viewed.

Even though these standards work for BIG Images, it's always a good idea to ask a printer what kind of files they'd like to receive. Make good files, and you will do your part to ensure less headaches, higher quality prints and faster turnaround time.

If you liked this then check out Ben’s 7 steps to effective large format imagery, starting with step 1.

Tags: tips, tiff, design