what's best res for use w/tattoos?

Been making some tattoos lately. I've found 200-300px/in to be working pretty well.

What do some of you recommend or use?

Thanks!

The resolution (pixels per inch) is completely ignored by the SL avatar baker. Tattoos must be 512x512 pixel targa files with one alpha channel. Other sizes may work (don't know) but they will be resized by SL to 512x512.

That said, I sometimes find it easier to work in different resolutions and then resize prior to saving. If you are working from the templates at http://secondlife.com/downloads/templates.php - which you should do unless you like getting the positions wrong - you'll find that they are "set" at 72 ppi. This affects only your local printing and has no effect on uploads. The templates are 512x512 which is the right size.

Hi, thanks for the reply

I understand what you mean about the 512X512, and I do use the templates of course. I'm talking about the original file res. The difference is huge between using 72ppi and getting extremely jagged edges for the tattoo curved lines/etc - which I see a lot of by the way - and using 200-300ppi like I mentioned in the original, placing it where I want on the template, then merging/flattening/etc; I get nice clean edges once they are uploaded.

Oh well guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing b/c they are looking great in any case.

Thanks again!

Pixels per inch(ppi) is an RL printing term used to measure resolution per inch and has no bearing in a world such as SL. 300 ppi is a common resolution for 150 dpi (printed halftone dots per inch). 72 dpi/ppi is a common default monitor resolution, and refers to pixels per inch. Pixels can also be refered to as dots on a computer screen.

Malachi is right in pointing out that SL bakes all avatar textures at 512x512 pixel resolution. There is no reason to import images any larger than 512x512 for maximum resolution on an avatar. There is also no need to reduce huge files to eliminate jagged edges.

Jagged edges and white fringes on supposedly smooth textures come from less than perfect alpha channels. Jagged edges most commonly come from non-antialiased selection and drawing tools used to sample out background. White fringes come from smooth (antialiased) edged textures that have had thier background sampled out of them with a selection tool. It is always best practice to draw 32 bit textures starting with NO background on a completely transparent layer and use antialiased drawing tools, or use those same tools to draw directly on the alpha channel.

Here's an explanation in layman's terms:

Rip a piece of paper and look at it with clear vision. You will see the rough edge made up of jagged paper fibers. Look at that same ripped edge of paper with slightly blurred vision and it will appear much smoother. This is what antialiasing does to pixel information along hard jagged edges to smooth them out.

Now imagine trying to tear away the white paper background from a solid smooth black circle drawn in the middle of that paper. It's almost impossible to eliminate the white edge without tearing into the black circle. This is how trying to sample out background pixel information on an already antialiased image leaves a white fringe.

Lay a clear piece of actetate over the same piece paper and trace the same black circle on the acetate. Now lift the circle off the paper with ease. This is how drawing on a transparent layer avoids the two prior problems.

Thanks for your reply, too I seem to have intuitively found the correct way to make the tattoos, in any case, and the explanations are certainly interesting to me. Cheers --- Sol