What is a typical policy for image downsampling in the preflight process?

What is a typical policy for image downsampling in the preflight process?

• A. Always downsample to 72 ppi regardless of output.
• B. Keep all images at their original resolution.
• C. Downsample only to improve color accuracy.
• D. Keep final output at 300 ppi and downsample only above that threshold to reduce file size.

Answer: (D)

In preflight for print, the goal is to deliver sharp images without making the file unnecessarily large. The standard policy is to keep the final output at 300 ppi and only downsample images that exceed that threshold. If an image already sits at 300 ppi or less at the intended print size, it’s left as is to preserve quality. Downsampling to 72 ppi would degrade print clarity, and downsampling merely to improve color fidelity doesn’t make sense—color accuracy depends on color profiles and management, not the pixel count. By downsampling only when above 300 ppi, you reduce file size while ensuring the image remains crisp at the final size.

In preflight for print, the goal is to deliver sharp images without making the file unnecessarily large. The standard policy is to keep the final output at 300 ppi and only downsample images that exceed that threshold. If an image already sits at 300 ppi or less at the intended print size, it’s left as is to preserve quality. Downsampling to 72 ppi would degrade print clarity, and downsampling merely to improve color fidelity doesn’t make sense—color accuracy depends on color profiles and management, not the pixel count. By downsampling only when above 300 ppi, you reduce file size while ensuring the image remains crisp at the final size.