How to download your Visme project for high-quality printing

To ensure your Visme project is perfect for print, you’ll need to ensure you work with the right file formats, high-quality images, while also ensuring proper resolution and dimension for the design. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you as you are creating designs for professional printing.

Important: When printing your designs created in Visme, the PDF – High Quality export is your go-to format.

Why PDF

PDFs are the gold standard for printing. They preserve your design’s original layout, fonts, and colors without distortion and are compatible with virtually all printers.

Note: JPG and PNG are not the best file format for print. However, JPG and PNG are great when uploading your project to the web since they are usually smaller in size compared to the PDF files.

Important:

If you downloaded your project in a PDF format and your images are still blurry when you are printing, there might be other factors that are affecting the quality of your print. Please be sure to check:

– The size of your overall project (the height and width in pixels).

– The quality of the assets you uploaded such as images (upload high resolution images or use large images – best practice is to use a 1:1 ratio according to the pixel sizes of your project and the location size the image will take up within the design).

– The settings on your printer.

What Is PPI?

PPI (Pixels Per Inch) measures the number of pixels displayed per inch of a digital image. It directly impacts clarity and detail on screens and in digital files.

– 300 PPI: The professional standard for sharp, high-quality prints.

– 72 PPI: Common for screens but unsuitable for printing, as it will likely produce blurry or pixelated results when printed.

Note on Image PPI for assets/projects downloaded from Visme

– Web Version: When you download your project in a web-friendly format (e.g., JPG, PNG, or PDF – Standard), images are automatically down-sampled and recompressed to 150 PPI to optimize file size for faster online loading.

– Print Version: When you download your project as PDF – High Quality for Print, images retain their original PPI to ensure they meet professional printing standards and maintain maximum quality. This is the export format to use if you’re taking your Visme designs to a printer, as it will retain the highest PPI values to support a high-quality print.

Note: If you need a specific PPI for other purposes, you can adjust the image resolution in a third-party tool.

– Design Considerations: When preparing designs for print, always aim for a resolution of 300 PPI or higher to ensure crisp, high-quality results. If you’re starting your project in Visme, ensure that any images or assets you upload meet these standards.

– Adjusting Image Resolution: When modifying the resolution of an image for digital use, focus on PPI (Pixels Per Inch), which determines the quality of the image on screens. Increasing the PPI of a low-resolution image won’t improve its clarity or add detail—it simply makes the file larger and may still result in a blurry appearance. For example, converting an image from 72 PPI to 300 PPI won’t enhance its quality. To ensure the best results, always use high-quality images from the start, ideally no smaller than 1,200 pixels in width, to meet your design’s specifications.

Key Recommendation: Start with large image size

To avoid quality issues, always start your project with high resolution images (suggestion: 1,200 px in width or more). Designs made at a low PPI cannot be retroactively improved for print, even with resizing.

If you’re working in Visme, use high-resolution images and export your project as PDF – High Quality to ensure you have a larger file size, and your images are not compressed.

Note: All of Visme’s stock images, graphics, icons, and shapes are designed with high-quality resolution, making them perfect for print. Whether you’re creating a flyer, poster, or brochure, you can trust that the visuals you use from Visme will look crisp and professional on paper — no extra adjustments needed!

Differences Between Printing at Home and Professional Printing

When deciding between home and professional printing, consider the following technical aspects:

Printing at Home

– Printer Type: Most home printers are inkjet or laser, with limited color accuracy and paper size options. High-end inkjet printers can achieve decent results but may struggle with fine details and vibrant colors.

– Paper Quality: Invest in premium paper designed for printing (e.g., photo paper, heavyweight matte, or glossy). Standard printer paper may lead to dull colors or smudging.

– Color Settings: Match your printer’s settings to the project. For example:

– Select Best Quality or Photo Quality mode in your printer settings.

– Use the CMYK color profile if supported by your printer.

– Resolution: Ensure your design is exported at 300 PPI. Lower resolutions will appear pixelated or blurry.

Limitations:

– Home printers typically support sizes up to 8.5×11 inches (standard letter size).

– Borderless printing may not be an option unless your printer explicitly supports it.

Professional Printing

– Print Quality: Professional printers use advanced machines that can ensure sharper resolution, vibrant colors, and precise details. They also support a broader range of finishes (e.g., matte, glossy, satin).

– Paper and Materials: Professionals offer various paper stocks and finishes, including textured, laminated, or specialty papers for a polished look.

– Bleed and Trimming: Bleed refers to the extra space added around the edges of a design to ensure edge-to-edge color, leaving no white space along the perimeter after trimming. A professional printer can handle designs with bleed areas, ensuring no white edges after trimming. Provide your design with at least 0.125 inches of bleed on all sides.

– Large Format and Specialty Projects: For oversized projects like posters or banners, professional printers are essential. They can also handle specialty finishes.

General Best Practices for Printing

To achieve optimal results, follow these best practices:

– Use High-Resolution Images: Ensure all images in your design are high resolution (1,200 px in width or higher. Avoid using low-quality images, as they will appear pixelated in print.

– Set Up Bleed and Margins: Include a bleed area to allow for precise trimming and to avoid unintentional white borders around your printed material if you have an edge to edge color. Keep important content within the central area of the design (and not within the bleed borders) to prevent it from being cut off.

– Proofread Thoroughly: Review your text, images, and layout multiple times to catch any errors before printing. Once printed, changes can be costly.

– Test Print at Home (if possible): Print a draft version at home to check for color accuracy, layout, and readability before sending it to a professional printer.

– Select Appropriate File Type: Always export your design as a PDF – High Quality for Print. This ensures that all elements, including fonts and images, are embedded correctly.

– Communicate with your printer: If working with a professional service, share specific requirements, such as paper type (e.g., glossy, matte, textured), trim size and bleed settings and any additional finishing (e.g., lamination, embossing).

– Preview Before Downloading: Use Visme’s preview feature to ensure your design is error-free and aligned correctly before exporting.