Last night I stumbled across the blog of an exclusive iStock photographer, Joshua Hodge. IMO, Joshua, like the most downloaded stock photographer Yuri Arcurs, shoots close to “perfect” stock type images – so what he has to say carries a reasonable level of credibility.
All through my time as a newspaper and magazine journalist, the respective design departments sang the same pitiful mantra when asked what size images they required for print: “Any size, so long as it’s 300dpi”.
Like any good myth, this statement is rooted in partial authenticity – a veneer of truth to make it seem plausible. However, the “300dpi myth” is a half-truth. Okay, it’s a damn lie – and one that does nothing to explain image size, resolution or quality. It could also get in the way of selecting or using a quality image in your next print project or editorial piece.