Output Resolution from Layout to PDF?

Hi, can somebody tell me what the output resolution is, and whether (or not) this affects line weight (does 1.0x line weight = 1 pixel)?

It seems like the resolution is around 300dpi but some areas are a bit more grainy than others.
Is it technically possible to output at a higher DPI (eg 600, which most laser printers now produce?)

Thanks!

Are your views set to ‘Vector, hybrid, or raster’ rendering mode?

Raster
the inconsistent grainy areas often appear when hybrid is used (eg transparancy/curves) which I guess is to be expected

Does output DPI vary between raster/hybrid?

Cheers

It does…kind of… But only for edges. Hybrid renders edges (lines) as vector graphics so DPI is not relevant at all for edges since vector can be scaled to any resolution with no pixelation. The materials in the SU model however are rasterized so those may still pixelate.

If you want to share your LO file I can take a closer look for you. PM it you don’t want to or can’t share here.

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LayOut raster output resolution is controlled by the Output Quality setting in the Document setup >Paper dialog. Low=96 DPI (72 on MAC), Medium = 150 DPI, High = 300 DPI.

The pixelation you see is possibly caused by keeping on the “Use JPG compression” setting in the PDF export options. JPG compression looks terrible in images with areas of uniform colour. You get better results by exporting without compression, and, if necessary using the optimization option in a PDF editor like Acrobat or PDF Exchange editor afterward if the file size needs to be made smaller.

As to the necessity of higher than 300 DPI resolution, that is in practice the highest that any colour printer can reproduce. They use dithering to create colours, so to reproduce to 300 PPI you need a printer with at least 1200 DPI resolution. The only printer type that can create continuous colour is a dye sublimation printer, and they, too, max at 300 PPI.

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Thanks for your reply - it is helpful to know the DPI.

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I’ve attached a little snippet zoomed in and one at 100%) showing the resolution issue;in this case the example shows an area becoming grainy for text (which was generated in SU, not LO).
This is printed in Raster (HQ and no JPG compression). I accept that it would look crisp in vector or hybrid, but vector will loose detail in other parts of these plans, and hybrid just takes too long & freezes LayOut, plus (when it does work) it often has grainy/block areas around critical details.

I can workaround the issue by creating a custom template at A1 size (instead of A3) which should give me a boost in resolution - haven’t actually compared the results of each carefully yet, but that’s my next step. I will be printing these at A1 or A0 size for this project.

I used to do a lot of Site plans/renderings in Photoshop and we always used 600dpi as a minimum for technical drawings; the results were very noticeable for linework and fine textured details.

I’m happy to upload some of my output files as a message but dont want to post them in a public forum for confidentiality reasons.

If you’re curious, the specs on my A1 printer are as follows:
Print resolution Up to 2400 x 1200 optimized dpi
Ink types Dye-based (C, G, M, pK, Y); pigment-based (mK)
Ink cartridges 6 (cyan, gray, magenta, matte black, photo black, yellow)
Line accuracy +/- 0.1%
Minimum line width 0.02 mm (0.0008 in) (HP-GL/2 addressable)
Guaranteed minimum line width 0.07 mm (0.0028 in) (ISO/IEC 13660:2001(E))

…and the Laser Printer just says 1200x1200dpi.

Cheers!