Best size for pictures in Apple eBook
I am working on a children’s book that will have a lot of illustrations.
- What is the best image size and DPI to use?
- What is the minimum image size and DPI that should be used?
iPad Pro, iPadOS 17
- What is the best image size and DPI to use for images in a book for children?
It depends on how the book will be published. For print, the minimum DPI is 300dpi. Otherwise the best DPI is whatever the publisher tells you to use. The DPI is related to the paper being used. Fine paper prefers 600 dpi. Glossy paper prefers something like 1080dpi. You can save all the pictures in the book folder and use the DPI that you are going to need for that edition.
If you are going to have online editions, the DPI is 72dpi..
Remember. When setting the DPI always go from higher resolution to the lower resolution. Once you reduce the resolution you can not regain clarity by increasing the resolution. The picture will look grainy. This also applies to sound recordings. Common musical sounds are recorded at high resolution. The voice can be acceptable down to much lower resolutions. But once downgraded you can not go back to a higher resolution and recover the high fidelity.
Another consideration is the size of the page and the placement of images. You need an idea of the size of the page and how much will be used for images. Images can be resized when placing them on the page. However, if you have a small image and drag the corner to become larger, you are decreasing the resolution. Once you have the page size, you can have folders for images with pictures for 1/4 1/2, 1/3, and full page sizes. You also have to consider portrait and landscape formats and set the limits accordingly.
Remember, start with the high DPI pictures and lower resolutions using the high def original.
What do I mean? 1080 => 800, 1080 => 600, 1080 => 400, 1080 => 300, 1080 => 72. Never try the reverse.
Finally, the publisher may require a particular format including, TIFF, JPG, or PNG. ALWAYS ASK.
For online work, I prefer PNG, simply because it allows transparency, which can be better in some situations, such as having something in the background shoe behind the picture.
Children's books are often in either format.
Good Luck!
Plan ahead and stick to your plan!
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