Best DPI for a billboard

[hellboy]

I've got a printer that's demanding 150 dpi for a billboard that's 14 x 60. My machines here can't render out an image that size.

The printer (actually a client's printer) is feeding this info to the marketing person I'm dealing with and they won't take my word agaisnt their printers.

Is there anywhere I can find an industry standard regarding dpi for a billboard?

Thanks!

[seetomtype]

Do you think it's too high of a resolution, or too low? Are you talking feet (I'd guess so)?
If it's feet, it seems pretty high. Without being able to talk to the printer it will make it
sort of difficult. From what I know, which isn't a lot, an image that size should probably be
70 – 100 dpi @ 100% of size. It's not as though people will be seeing it from under 100
feet of distance in most cases.

I don't do any bill board work, but have inquired about it in the past..
I've been told (from an Ad Agency that does LOTS) anything from 90-150 dpi is sufficient.

Just think about how far away most bill boards are..
Hope this helps.

EDIT: Man _Tom is fast!!
Beat me to it... but I agree.

[fuzorsilverbolt]

I found a good thread on adobe's site: http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bc42f71

The best suggestions there being to use 1/12th scale, eg 1 inch = 1 foot. There is no way you are going to design and output a 150dpi image at 14' x 60'. Nor are you going to have better success at 70 or 50dpi. You need to give them a scaled version. So You'll make a 14" x 60" layout @ 300dpi and the printer will increase the size accordingly. Noone should get close enough to the billboard to tell that it's pixelated.

[The_Stevinator]

yeah, fuzosilverbolt is right. it's all about the distance that dictates how big the dot will be. i had a screen printer show me a piece he did where the dots were like 8 inches in diameter. but when you're looking at it say 250 feet away, it looked flawless.

[Mikie]

I used to work at a large billboard/POP company. we required 300 ppi at a scaled down verison, if I remember the ratio correctly it was 1100%. we did the scaling first on a copy dot type of camera before CTP came about, and later on scaling it on final output to the platesetter. the final DPI for the billboards was 15dpi for offset work, 8-10dpi for silkscreen.

man, never thought i would need to remember THAT bit of information lol.

[hellboy]

Thanks for all the help.

I did mean feet, by the way.

[Greg_OneVision]

They ask for 150 dpi. Just give them 70 dpi. It won't be the first time a printer has received a file lower than what they asked. ;-) j/k

Regards,
Greg