What resolution to work in for video, image, and design

Quick answer: work at the highest reasonable quality for production and export versions tailored to each channel. In video, 4K is usually a solid baseline if your gear and budget allow it. In design, use vector when you need to scale and high-resolution raster when working with photography.

Why it matters

Resolution shapes cropping, reuse, clarity, and the shelf life of your content. A high-quality master can be scaled down. A small file cannot magically become premium material without losing quality.

Video

For professional content, 4K lets you:

• Reframe.
• Create vertical versions.
• Stabilize.
• Pull stills.
• Archive better.
• Export in 1080p with good quality.

But 4K also takes up more space, demands more from your editing setup, and can slow machines down. If the project is simple, 1080p may be enough. A recording of an internal webinar or a podcast interview hardly justifies the extra weight of 4K; on the other hand, a brand piece meant to live on the web, in ads, and on social media with several crops will benefit from it. The general rule: the more future reuse you anticipate, the more resolution makes sense.

Image and design

Use vector for logos, icons, and scalable illustrations. Use high-quality raster for photos, textures, or complex images. Avoid saving only compressed versions if you'll later need to adapt them for campaigns. A catalog photo at 300 dpi works for print, web, and social; an already-compressed web version can't be enlarged without losing detail. When in doubt, keep the original and export when needed.

How to decide

Ask yourself:

• Where will it be published?
• Will there be crops or alternate versions?
• Will it be reused in the future?
• Can the team edit it smoothly?
• How much storage is available?
• Does quality affect trust?

File management

Store masters, working files, and exports in Media with tags for resolution, format, and use. Plan in Studio which final formats you'll need: horizontal, vertical, square, thumbnail, web, presentation, or ad.

Checklist

• Master saved.
• Working file preserved.
• Exports per channel.
• Separate thumbnail.
• Compression reviewed.
• Clear naming.
• Approved final version.

A good final export also weighs appropriately for its destination: a piece built for the web that loads in four seconds is worth more than the same piece at slightly higher quality that takes ten. Optimize compression and format (H.264, H.265, WebP, AVIF) based on where the file will live.

The right resolution isn't always the maximum possible; it's the one that maintains quality, flexibility, and efficiency for the real goal. To understand when it's worth jumping to higher formats, also review 8K and why record in 4K; the decision combines your gear's capacity, your need to crop, and the expected shelf life of the material.