Image & Animation Resolution Guide

WHAT IS IMAGE RESOLUTION?

Rendering resolution is the most important specification of the quality of an image. Furthermore, digital images are a grid of tiny colored squares called pixels. 

Every digital image has a dimension (or resolution), which is, a fancy way of saying a number of pixels tall by a number of pixels wide. 

If the resolution is too low, you will see the individual color squares, and the image will look grainy or blurry. When it comes to 3D rendering and 3D animation, you want higher resolution. Below is are examples of a very low and high-resolution versions of the same image. Note the exaggerated quality differences 

 

Low resolution 45px x 25px

view_1_final_copy_super_low.jpg

High Resolution 4000px x 2250px

view_1_final_copy.jpg

 


UNDERSTANDING IMAGE RESOLUTION FOR PRINT

Image resolution is often a confusing subject when it comes to preparing it for print. Image scale, DPI and  file formats are not things commonly thought about by those who are not in the industry.

Fortunately, we have broken down the resolutions needed for typically desired sizes for optimal quality at 300 DPI

 (DPI is an outdated and inaccurate term which refers more to analog printing instead of digital media. PPI, or pixels per inch, are more accurate when talking about images viewed on a screen)

 

UNDERSTANDING IMAGE RESOLUTION FOR THE WEB

When optimizing a website, it is best practice to use as few resources as necessary without compromising quality. This improves your site load time, and as a result, your user’s experience is improved, which Google likes!

When you’re adding images to a website, it is best to make the file sizes precisely the size you need. If your image is being displayed at 700×500 @ 72 PPI it doesn’t make sense to display it as a 6000×6000 300 DPI image. It can be time-consuming to compress your images properly, but it is definitely worth it in the long run. We use a website called https://tinyjpg.com/ to compress our images when we are doing web design.

 

PHYSICAL IMAGE SIZE (INCHES) IMAGE SIZE IN PIXELS @72 PPI (IDEAL FOR WEB) IMAGE SIZE @ 300 PPI (IDEAL FOR PRINT)
4" x 6" 334×432 1391×1800
5" x 7" 360×466 1500×1941
8" x 10" 576×745 2400×3106
8.5" x 11" 612×792 2550×3300
11" x 14.235" 792×1025 3300×4271
18.544" x 24" 1335×1728 5563×7200

 

IMAGE RESOLUTION FOR CREATING BILLBOARD IMAGES AND EXTREMELY HIGH RESOLUTION

When creating a billboard image, it is important to realize a couple of factors:

Billboards are typically not viewed up close, and creating a resolution of 72000 x 93182 pixels at 300 PPI is not practical for several reasons.

  • Most rendering engines will cap out around 10000 x 10000 pixels
  • Design programs like Photoshop may run out of memory at such a size
  • The final file size will be around 20 gigs

All of this makes the previously mentioned standards for print impossible. With this, the question arises, what is the best file resolution for large-scale printing projects?

 

The answer to this is working in high PPI and scaling that back once the image is ready for print.

 

For example, you would start by creating an image in as high of a resolution as practicable, like 8000 x 8000 @ 400 PPI. 

This would technically give you excellent quality at 20 inches x 20 inches, which can be used for proofing or alternate marketing material.

Once the image has been finalized, you scale the PPI from 400 to 40.

The image should now be suitable for 20′ x 20′ at 40 PPI, which is an acceptable resolution for a billboard-sized image. Because billboards are likely to be viewed from further away, your need for a tighter pixel grid is reduced.

 

Image Resolution for texturing 3d objects

When it comes to texturing a three-dimensional object, it is essential to consider what the final resolution will be in relation to where the object will sit compared to the camera. For example, if the resolution of the image will be 1028x1028 pixels and the texture of the object takes up 100% of the screen, you would want at the very least 1028x1028 texture size. With that in mind, it is relatively easy to estimate the appropriate texture size you will need based on this. (Final image resolution x (screen % or estimated proximity to camera) 

Keep in mind textures occupy a 3D space, so you must factor in the closest element of the texture to the camera when considering the texture resolution to avoid a drop in texture quality.

For more 3d texturing information, please view our 3D Texturing Guide and Tutorial.


UNDERSTANDING IMAGE RESOLUTION FOR ANIMATION

What is the Best Resolution for Animation?

Much like image resolution, animation resolution will depend on the medium on which it will be displayed. If your animation is going to be projected on a cinema screen, the required resolution will be very high. If the animation is going to be shown online or on a TV, consider what the highest resolution may be. Generally, 1080P is the standard in architectural animation at this time(2019). That being said, 4K TV's and even 8K TV's are becoming increasingly popular.

 

You can render video at any resolution, but the standard resolutions are:

  • 480p = 640 x 480 (standard definition tv). 
  • 720p =1280 x 720 (web or old high definition tv). 
  • 1080p = 1920 x 1080 (high definition and current standard). 
  • 4K = 3840 x 2160 (highest practical resolution at this time).
  • 8K = 7680 x 4320 (still unsupported by many mediums).

 

EFFECTS OF RESOLUTION ON RENDER TIME

Every time the resolution of an image doubles, the surface area quadruples. As well as, render times and file sizes go up fourfold. These relationships are particularly relevant to video, where the render times are already very long. It is important to agree upon the resolution prior to the start of a project so neither party involved is taken advantage of.

One thing to consider with animation resolution is the fact that it is comprised of around 30 images each second. This means that an increase in animation resolution is going to take exponentially longer to render as each image now requires longer to process.

 

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