Clip Studio Paint Printing Quality Issues

[SquishyTimez]

So I recently got a button maker and Im trying to expand towards printing my art both as buttons and prints. For both I have the same reoccurring issue, they come out super pixelated when I go to print them. I've printed both on my at home printer and at a printer store such as UPS with the same issue. The image comes out super pixelated, so Im beginning to think that its an issue with my settings on clip rather than a printer issue. I've tried changing the dpi to 300+ and I usually use a 2000 x 2000 or 3000 x 3000 pixel canvas. I dont want to sell products that are pixelated, so any help is appreciated! Could it be something to do with my pen settings as well? I have anti-aliasing on strong for all my brushes to make it look smoother.

[LunarScyphozoa]

Have you tried making the resolution/dpi (I think they’re the same thing) a higher number?

[SquishyTimez]

I have, that would be the DPI I believe!

[LunarScyphozoa]

Oh uh…. I have no clue then. Sorry

[sadsackcomic]

make them vector images and the pixels won't show up. You can't do it in Clip Studio but what I do is put it into Illustrator and make them into .SVG images so I can shrink or expand infinitely and pixels don't show up.

-cxr

[Shanny8]

Mirroring @sadsackcomic I'm about to ask the same- are you trying to print the images in JPEG? I'd say go vector, PNG, or PDF- these formats are better at retaining quality.

[SquishyTimez]

No worries I appreciate the help! <3

[SquishyTimez]

It was in PNG format. I will try that and get back to you all! Thank you for the help!

[SquishyTimez]

Do you know if Inkscape would work? I do not have Illustrator, but Inkscape is a vector program I use! I will def look into it! Thank ya!

[sadsackcomic]

I've heard of inkscape working but I wouldn't know how

[Shanny8]

Clip Studio has vector capabilities...

[SquishyTimez]

How would I go about using Clip for vector files? Apologies if that sounds dumb this is new to me.

[SquishyTimez]

Oooh! I know it has vector layers, would I have to start out using those in order to save it as a vector file?

[rajillustration]

So this is just an idea, but I wouldn't save it to a px measurement. Because the DPI is higher, then the same amount of pixels will cover less space, and you can end up accidentally stretching it out to fit a larger printing area. Instead, save to inches/cm so you have the exact width and height for printing, and perhaps that will help the measurements work better. (and keep the DPI 300+)

[noenoh]

Ive been reading this thread cause it has been happening to me as well and I been cautious to work in big formats and I never work in less than 300dpi ever and yet
so I end returning to PS to fix that....

[DarkChibiShadow]

Are you making sure your images are the correct size (in inches) for the buttons you're making?

300 DPI is great (you don't need more than that for color, from my understanding) but if the file just isn't the right dimensions, that can cause issues. Make sure you draw on a canvas that's the size of the button!
For example, a 1.5 inch button would be drawn on a 1.75 inch button template, etc etc. (I have a template for a 1.5 inch button if you want it btw, just DM me. I've been making buttons from home for 5+ years!)
Using a 2000 pixel by 2000 pixel canvas basically means nothing, and could be causing your issue. You wanna go by inches or cm, with the correct DPI, and ignore the pixel sizes.

You could also try not printing outside of the program? Aka, don't export and then print. Try to print from within Clip or Photoshop. (Also, are you printing from a laptop or desktop? I think tablets and other stuff can compress your images and mess with your DPI when you export them, so try not to print from a tablet or phone.) Just a troubleshooting idea.

Make sure you also check your printer settings too so the printer knows the size of the paper and all that.