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The print shop refused my images because they are WebP. Which format should I convert them to?

Designs, logos and labels with text: convert them to PNG, which adds no loss at all. Photographs: convert them to JPEG at a high quality such as 95. But also ask the printer what resolution it needs for your print size, because changing the format adds no pixels, and a small image stays small.

Published · 3 min read

Why print shops turn down WebP

WebP was built for the web, to make pages load quickly. Print software and prepress systems are built around older, more widely accepted formats such as PDF, TIFF, JPEG and PNG. So it is normal for a printer to ask for something else, and it says nothing about the quality of your file.

Which format for which file

  • Business card, packaging label, logo, artwork with text and sharp lines: PNG. Converting from WebP to PNG is not lossy, so what you see is saved as it is and hard edges stay intact.
  • Product or people photos for a catalogue or a poster: JPEG at quality 95. That becomes 0.95 internally and keeps the detail at a far smaller size than PNG.
  • A transparent design to be printed on a particular paper color: ask the printer. JPEG fills transparency with a color, PNG keeps it, and some printers prefer the background color decided in advance.

Resolution: the question the format cannot answer

A printer cares about how many pixels there are relative to the print size. If it asks for, say, 300 pixels per inch, a poster 10 inches wide needs an image 3000 pixels wide. WebP images saved from websites are usually small because they were made for screens. Converting them to PNG or JPEG keeps their dimensions exactly as they were and does not make them fit for a large print.

So look at each file's row in the Image format converter: the image's pixel dimensions appear under its name. Divide the width by the figure your printer asks for to find the largest suitable size. Enlarging in the Image resizer adds no real detail, it only stretches the pixels you have, so if you are short, the answer is a bigger source file from the designer or photographer.

Steps

  1. Split the files: artwork and text in one group, photographs in another.
  2. Add the artwork to the tool, choose PNG and download.
  3. Click Reset, add the photographs, choose JPEG, raise the quality to 95 and download.
  4. Send the printer the new files with their dimensions and ask whether they are enough for the size you want.

A note on color

The tool does not carry over embedded color profiles, and print uses a different color system from screens. For everyday printing this rarely causes trouble, but if brand colors are critical, it is better for the designer to export the print file straight from the design file with the settings the printer asks for.

Common questions

Do printers always accept PNG?

Many do, but some prefer PDF or other formats. Ask before sending.

Is quality 100 better than 95 for print?

The difference is rarely visible and the file grows a lot. If the loss worries you, choose PNG.