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Using the proper file format for the job can mean the difference
between a professional-looking document and one that looks blurry
or is missing graphics. Graphic file formats for the web and offset
printing are totally different animals.
Web sites
Graphics on web sites are low-resolution (72 DPI) jpg or gif file
formats. Scan your photos to the RGB jpg format. Logos and other
graphics--that are not photos--should be saved to the gif format.
A special gif89a format gives you the option to make the background
transparent so you don’t get a white rectangle behind the graphic.
Offset Printing
Graphics for offset printing are high-resolution (300 DPI) tif or
eps file formats. If you use a low-resolution graphic (ie: a logo
copied from a web site) on an offset printed job, a fuzzy "pixelated"
image or no image will result.
PDF-A Universal File Format
An essential tool for universal document exchange is Adobe Acrobat.
This $250 software converts just about any type of file into a pdf
(portable document format) file. Using the pdf format is the most
reliable, efficient way to share documents across platforms --Windows,
Macintosh, or UNIX. The layout, content, fonts and graphics in your
file are preserved and can be viewed and printed. Pdf files can
be part of your web site, (as a downloadable document), an email
attachment, an ebook, an on-line fill-in form, or provided to your
printer for offset printing.
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