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Editor

Understanding Resolution

Written By Philipp Brockerhoff

Last updated About 1 hour ago

Unlike a traditional image editor, Inkarnate does not create your map at a fixed image resolution. Instead, your map stores the information needed to recreate it at different resolutions.

This allows you to change the Editing Resolution at any time and export the same map at a higher or lower resolution without recreating it.

Editing Resolution

The Editing Resolution determines the resolution used while working in the editor.

A lower Editing Resolution reduces memory usage and can improve performance on slower hardware. A higher Editing Resolution displays more detail while editing but requires more processing power.

Changing the Editing Resolution does not affect the maximum export resolution or permanently reduce the quality of your map.

Paid Feature

3k and 4k editing resolutions are available with a paid subscription.

Changing the Editing Resolution

The current Editing Resolution is displayed in the bottom information panel of the editor. To change the Editing Resolution:

  1. Return to the Maps page.

  2. Open the map’s context menu.

  3. Select Open at Resolution….

  4. Choose the desired Editing Resolution and reopen the map.

Changing the Editing Resolution does not affect the map itself and can be done at any time.

Export Resolution

The Export Resolution determines the size and level of detail of the exported image.

When exporting, Inkarnate recreates the map at the selected resolution using the most appropriate asset resolution for the requested export size.

This allows a map edited at 2K to be exported at 8K without first changing the Editing Resolution.

How Detail Scales

Inkarnate automatically selects the most appropriate asset resolution for the requested export.

Each asset is created at a maximum resolution designed for an 8K export. An asset displayed at 100% size uses its full-resolution image when exporting at 8K.

For lower export resolutions, proportionally smaller versions of the asset are used. For higher export resolutions, the asset is scaled beyond its original resolution.

For example:

  • A stamp displayed at 100% size uses different source image resolutions depending on the export resolution.

  • Small stamps can continue gaining detail at higher export resolutions because larger source images are available.

  • Very large stamps may eventually reach the maximum available asset resolution, after which exporting at even higher resolutions increases image size but not additional asset detail.

Smaller stamps continue gaining detail at higher export resolutions because they use a smaller portion of the available asset resolution. For example, a stamp displayed at 50% size uses only half of the available asset resolution at 8K, allowing it to continue gaining detail when exported at 16K.

Tips

  • Choose the Editing Resolution based on your computer’s performance, not your desired export size.

  • Increase the Export Resolution only when you need additional image detail.

  • Maps with many small objects benefit more from higher export resolutions than maps containing mostly large assets.

  • Use 2K editing resolution for editing on lower-end hardware or for smaller web exports.

  • 4K is a good choice for most exports, balancing image quality and file size.

  • 8K is recommended for high-quality printing or maps with fine details.

  • 16K is most useful for very large prints or maps containing many small assets.

See Also

  • Export: How to export your map

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