Low-resolution images

How you'd notice this

Images look sharp on your screen but come out blurry, pixelated, or fuzzy in the printed proof, or KDP/IngramSpark flags an image as low-resolution during upload.

Why it happens

Screens display images at roughly 72–96 pixels per inch, but print needs far more detail, 300 pixels per inch (PPI) at the image's printed size, to look sharp on paper. An image that looks fine on a monitor can still be far below 300 PPI once you check its actual printed dimensions, especially if it was pulled from a website or resized up from a small original.

How to fix it

• Check each image's resolution at its ACTUAL printed size: divide the image's pixel width by the inches it will print at. If the result is under 300, it will look soft or pixelated in print.
• Never upscale a low-resolution image in your formatting program to make it fit, stretching pixels doesn't add real detail; source a higher-resolution original instead.
• For photos, request the largest/original file from whoever supplied it rather than a web-optimized copy. For cover art, work directly with your designer's original high-resolution file, not a downsized preview or a screenshot.
• If an image must stay small, print it smaller rather than sizing it up, a 2"×2" image at 300 PPI looks better than the same file stretched to 4"×4".