Resolution should be set to 300 dpi. Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed.

Design programs allow you to resize an image, but it’s important to understand why resizing a low resolution image will not create a high resolution image. When you resize and make a low resolution image larger all you are really doing is stretching the image. Since high resolution images are based upon the number of pixels an image contains, resizing will not create new pixels, and will only make each pixel larger by stretching it. The only way to ensure high quality printing of your photos and images is to start with a high resolution image.

It’s also important to note that you should save all photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode whenever possible. Images saved in RGB will be converted to CMYK and may shift the color.