Why Does my Image Appear Blurry?
The images on the site are all 300 dpi high quality images. We've put together some helpful tips for you to help you troubleshoot in case you are having an issue with blurry images.
There are several factors that can cause this (error in download process, save/export process, image manipulation, software settings, shortcuts used, printer settings). Here we will share the most common reasons an image on the site may appear blurry for you when you view or print it. There are illustrations and videos to help you understand these points below too.
Not Saving the Full Size Image
If you save individual files from the site, be sure you bring up the full size image, and are not inadvertently saving a thumbnail version. Thumbnails are smaller files, and thus lower quality when you enlarge them to work with. (Note: if you can’t clearly see the difference in quality below, you may want to click the image below to bring it up even larger in your browser, just keep on clicking it until it gets to it's largest size before saving)
This video below demonstrates the incorrect way (and correct way) to save individual images. We look at clues to help you identify if you are working with a lower quality thumbnail, including clues in the image file’s name, file size characteristics, and what the image looks like in an image editing program.
The best practice for working with individual images on the site, is to click to open an individual image thumbnail to reveal the full size image, then right click to save the image down to your computer.
Copy / Paste Images from Website in to Other Programs
Some are used to using keyboard shortcuts or copying/pasting images from one location or website directly in to an image editing program. Variables like the browser you use, computer settings, and the program you are pasting in to, could give varied results, including:
- a lesser quality or web version of the image gets pasted in, not the full size image
- the browser or program changes a transparent png to another file type during the copy/paste process so the image can’t be layered
- the image appears with remnants from the browser, like a black/grey/white background
Please do not copy/paste images from the site in to other programs unless you are 100% certain how copy/paste works for your set of variables in your situation. In my case, copying from one browser works okay in one of my image editing programs, but gives me a totally unusable result if I paste in another program.
In the video below, see how copy/paste in to an image editing program (rather than saving the image first) creates unintended consequences.
Remember, the best practice for working with individual images on the site, is to click to open an individual image thumbnail to reveal the full size image, then right click to save the image down to your computer.
Enlarging an Image too Much
Please note the .png and .jpg files on this site are raster files (not vectors), which means the image can lose quality during heavy image manipulation, causing a less than ideal image. For example, enlarging a smaller image (like 4″) many times its original size (like up to 20″) will give you a less crisp-looking image as there just aren’t enough pixels at the larger size to give crisp quality.
Another example is heavy image manipulation. For example, taking an image (usually in a digital collage) and playing with it (resizing up/down up/down, rotating, skewing, adding/removing effects etc. over and over) to the point where it loses quality. This post on Smart Objects explains the concept of what heavy manipulation of an image can do to quality: Smart Objects Introduction.
The best practice when you are manipulating images is to create a few copies of the image so you can test out effects, and maintain a copy of the untouched original in case you ever need to revert back to it.
Program or Printer Output Settings
If you are positive you have saved the image correctly, are using a full resolution image, have not over-manipulated the image, you may want to look at the settings on your image editing program or printer. It is possible you are working with a project just fine, and when you go to save, export, or print, that those settings are outputting your image / project at a lower quality than intended.
If your program lets you specify a resolution for export or print, make sure you are using full quality (resolution of 300). Some programs let us choose to save “web quality” versions or print “draft” versions which are not full quality. When you go to export a project or print a file, look for terms or settings you can adjust like: quality, resolution, export resolution, web resolution, draft, or high resolution, and adjust accordingly.
Nature of the Image
We’re only adding this final point as it has come up a few times. The images we offer are antiques, made with antique printing methods, that have been scanned in. You will notice differences in quality based on the type of image. For example, items meant for short-term consumption, like newspaper ads, employed printing methods that don’t hold up well over time. In contrast, an illustration or fine engraving in a book sold to collectors would use more expensive methods and hold up better over time.
Some are not used to working with antique images like this, and are surprised to learn some antique images include things like visible dots (due to printing methods) or coloring that goes slightly outside the lines (due to hand painting), and think there is something wrong with images when they see this. These are all natural variations of antique images and are okay; we think it adds to the charm of the images too!
