Industry-standard label printing runs at 300 DPI (dots per inch). The resolution is more than sufficient for most label applications; the human eye at normal viewing distance cannot distinguish individual dots above approximately 200 DPI. We print at 600 DPI. The difference is not visible to most viewers at standard distance; the difference is meaningful in specific contexts.
Where 600 DPI shows
Fine line work in the crest is visibly sharper at 600 DPI. Italic Cormorant Garamond on the quote line, particularly at the smaller point sizes used on the back label, holds detail at 600 DPI that drops out at 300. The customer reading the back label at twelve inches sees the difference; the customer at three feet does not.
Where it does not show
The brand line in foil is not printed at any DPI; foil is hot-stamped. The 600 DPI vs 300 DPI distinction does not apply to the brand line. The crest, if rendered in foil, is also stamped. The 600 DPI applies to the printed elements: the back-label legend, the quote line, any non-foil ornament.
Cost
The 600 DPI print run is approximately fifteen percent more expensive than 300 DPI for our production volumes. The cost is rolled into the standard per-bottle price; customers do not see a separate line item. We have decided the print quality is part of the heirloom-grade signal and is worth the modest cost difference.