How to Prepare Your Files for Gallery-Quality Prints

A strong print starts before the press ever runs. The same high-res file can live as a print-on-demand listing and as a wholesale run — but only if the file is built for print, not just for a screen.

This guide covers what actually matters when you upload to Prints by Brakebee: pixel size, color, crop, format, and the mistakes that quietly ruin otherwise good work.

What “high-res” actually means

The number that matters is pixel dimensions at the size you want to print, not the DPI tag sitting in the file metadata.

A simple rule:

Print size (inches) × target PPI = pixels needed

For gallery-quality work viewed up close, aim for 240–300 PPI at the longest edge you plan to offer. Large pieces that hang farther from the viewer can look excellent at 150–200 PPI.

Examples at 300 PPI:

If the file is short on pixels, do not “set it to 300 DPI” and resample up. That does not add detail. Offer a smaller size, or use the piece only at sizes the file can support.

Use the on-page preview on For Artists or Wholesale to see how the image sits at each size before you list or order.

Color that survives the jump from screen to print

Screens glow. Prints reflect light. That is why a file that looks perfect on a laptop can print a little darker or less saturated.

Practical habits that help:

• Work in sRGB unless you already have a calibrated wide-gamut workflow and know the lab can use it. sRGB is the safest shared space for most artist uploads.
• Soft-proof if you can, but treat it as a guide, not a guarantee.
• Watch deep blacks and neon highlights. Both can flatten on metal and canvas.
• Leave a little headroom. If the file is already pushed to the edge of the gamut, the print will show it.

Aluminum is especially honest. Fine detail and contrast look sharp; muddy midtones look muddier. Canvas is more forgiving of texture and slightly softer edges.

Crop, edges, and wrap

Different substrates treat the edge of the image differently.

• Aluminum and wood panel: what you see is what prints. Keep important content away from the very edge.
• Framed paper: part of the image can sit under the rabbet or mat. Leave a quiet margin around faces, signatures, and text.
• Canvas gallery wrap: the sides of the stretcher eat a strip of the image. Either extend the background, add a mirrored/color edge, or compose so nothing critical lives in the outer inch.

If a piece will be offered on more than one substrate, build the master with extra margin and crop per product in the preview rather than uploading five slightly different files.

File format and naming

For upload, use a clean, flattened file:

• TIFF or high-quality JPEG for photography and most digital painting
• PNG when you need a lossless raster and the file size stays reasonable
• Avoid tiny web JPEGs, screenshots, and files that have been compressed for Instagram or email

Name files so you can recognize them later: Title_Year_Master.tif is easier to manage than final-final-v7.jpg. The same master should be able to feed both a POD listing and a wholesale run without a re-export unless you change crop or color.

A short pre-upload checklist

1. Pixel dimensions support the largest size you want to sell.
2. Color is in a standard space (usually sRGB) and not clipped.
3. Important content is clear of wrap, frame, and trim edges.
4. The file is flattened, sharp, and not over-sharpened for web.
5. You have previewed the piece on the substrate and size you plan to offer.
6. One master file can serve both online listings and show inventory.

If those six are true, you are ready to list or order. The Phoenix lab still hand-checks the print — file prep just makes sure what they check is the work you intended.

Same file, both paths

Once the master is right, you do not need a separate “show file” and “online file.” That is the point of one catalog and one lab. If you are still deciding which path to use first, read POD vs Wholesale: When Artists Should Use Each.

Preview first. Sign up when you are ready to list or order a run.