How to Optimise Photoshop Files for Print (Poster Sellers Guide)
If you're designing posters in Photoshop — whether for Etsy, your own store, or PrintShrimp — it’s important to set up your files correctly to ensure the best print quality. The good news? It’s actually very simple.
This guide breaks down everything you need to do to prepare your Photoshop files properly, including DPI, colour profiles, file types, and common mistakes to avoid.
🎨 1. Set Your Canvas Size Correctly
Before you start designing, always create your canvas at the exact size of the print you are making. Designing at the correct size avoids scaling issues and prevents images from becoming blurry when printed.
Common sizes in inches:
-
A4: 8.27 × 11.69
-
A3: 11.69 × 16.53
-
A2: 16.53 × 23.39
-
Standard: 12×16, 18×24, or 24×36
🖨 2. Use 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch)
Your Photoshop canvas should always be set to 300 DPI. This is the industry standard for high-quality printing and ensures your artwork stays crisp. While simple vector art can sometimes get away with lower settings, 300 DPI is the safest choice for photography, digital illustrations, or AI-generated content.
🌈 3. Use the Right Colour Setting (sRGB)
For poster printing across multiple countries and labs, set your colour profile to sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
Why sRGB?
-
It displays most accurately on customer screens.
-
It converts cleanly to professional CMYK printers.
-
It avoids muddy colour shifts.
To set this in Photoshop: Go to Edit → Color Settings → sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
💾 4. Export as a High-Quality JPEG
For posters and print-on-demand, the best export format is JPEG.
-
Quality: Maximum (7 or higher).
-
File Size: Keep it under 75MB (PrintShrimp's limit).
-
Ideal Range: 2MB – 25MB is usually perfect.
Use File → Export As → JPEG to keep your files sharp but efficient.
🧼 5. Avoid Bleed and Crop Marks
For posters printed through PrintShrimp, you do NOT need bleed or crop marks. We print edge-to-edge automatically. Just ensure that no critical design elements or tiny text are sitting right on the border—leave a few millimetres of "breathing room" to account for small trimming variances.
🧠 6. Upscale Your AI Art
If your artwork comes from Midjourney, DALL·E, or Stable Diffusion, always upscale before importing it into Photoshop. AI tools often export at low resolutions (72–96 DPI). Use tools like Gigapixel, Pixelcut, or Adobe Super Resolution to hit your 300 DPI target before you finalise the design.
🔥 Quick Checklist for Perfect Files
-
✔ Canvas: Correct physical size + 300 DPI.
-
✔ Colour: sRGB profile.
-
✔ Design: High-res images + breathing room at edges.
-
✔ Export: JPEG format under 75MB.
Do this, and your posters will print beautifully every time.
Ready to Start Selling?
PrintShrimp prints posters domestically in the UK, US, EU, Canada & Australia with fast dispatch and free tracking. If you want to learn more about optimising your workflow, join our free Skool community for more step-by-step guides for sellers.
