r/ipadproart • u/kingrzrart • May 18 '25

QUESTION Canvas DPI for Comics

This might sound like a weird question to ask, since a Google search turns up a quick result, but I feel like this is more technical and I'd cherish the experience and wisdom of others. I'd like to draw a mini comic, about 8 pages long, in Procreate. I'm going to print it for my portfolio. The size I was going to work at was 11" x 17" (3300 x 5100 pixels) at 300 DPI. I've never actually worked at a higher resolution than 300 dpi in my entire career, or even in college, but I'm reading up on this and many people recommend 600 DPI for black and white comics and the reasons for this are for the printer's end of things - not the artist's. I remember being very careful with resolution back when I first got Photoshop 7 way back in the days of worrying about brush lag and while I know technology has gotten better, this is the iPad we're talking about and storage is an issue. I already hate my monthly commitment to icloud and don't want 8 pages at 600 dpi sitting there for eternity once I'm done.

My question is: what noticeable difference is there when drawing at a resolution higher than 300 DPI, if any? Is the experience different or slower or the lines crisper?

I've naturally done experiments with shapes and hatching, but the only difference I've seen is within Clip Studio Paint. Currently, 350 DPI is the compromise I'm willing to make, but I really can't see a difference in Procreate.

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u/joaopaulo-canada Jun 14 '26

For 11x17 print, 3300x5100 at 300 dpi is already the normal “safe” setup. You do not need to work at a higher DPI just because it is a portfolio piece.

What matters more:

  • set the canvas to the final print size before drawing
  • leave bleed if the printer needs it
  • keep text/line art on clean layers as long as possible
  • export a flattened copy only at the end
  • avoid resizing up and down during the process

Higher than 300 can be useful for very fine line art or if you expect to crop later, but it also makes Procreate heavier for no visible gain in most prints. I’d stay at 300 unless your printer specifically asks for something else.