Our logo prep guide covers file formats and DPI in general. This one is about a question that comes up constantly: why does the same logo need a different file depending on where it’s printed?
~10×10 cm
~30×40 cm
Why size on the body changes what the file needs to be
A pocket logo is viewed up close, chest height, a few feet away at most, so any softness or pixelation is obvious. A full back print is viewed from further away and covers a much larger area, so it can tolerate a lower effective resolution without looking blurry, but only if the file was built for that size to begin with.
The rule of thumb
If you have a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG), you don’t need to think about this at all, vector scales cleanly to any size, pocket or full back.
If you only have a raster file (PNG, JPG), the requirement scales with the print size:
- Pocket logo (roughly 10×10 cm): needs to be sharp at that size, so aim for the image to be at least 1200×1200 px if you can.
- Full back print (roughly 30×40 cm): needs a larger source image to avoid visible pixelation once stretched, aim for at least 2400×3200 px, since the file is being blown up to cover far more physical area.
A logo that looks perfectly crisp as a small pocket print can turn blurry once stretched to cover a full back, not because anything went wrong, but because the file simply wasn’t built with that much surface area in mind.
When in doubt
Upload what you have. If your file isn’t large enough for the placement you want, we’ll tell you before production, either suggesting a smaller placement that fits the file, or letting you know if the design needs to be redrawn as vector first.