to write your own

When it comes to inches and pixels / Print and Web design, there can be plenty of confusion. When folks design for print ads, they usually go with the original measurements: inches. They also use hight dpi, perhaps 300 or so to design prints. This can be very frustrating for Web designers and programmers because they have to convert the files to 72 dpi and in pixels. If a web site is designed using the old methods of print, the height and width, when converted to pixels sometimes exceed over 2500 pixels. Have you ever seen a web site with that width? 
When we reduce the size and convert the file to 72 dpi, the original design looses its look and it becomes pixelated and out of sync. The best way to counter this confusion is to design in pixels for web. This can also be confusing for print folks, so the best way is to have a system that every designer uses. Whether they are using Illustrator, InDesign and/or Photoshop, it is a good practice to have all the design in pixels and at 72 dpi.

Here is a small example of banner design dimensions:

• 728 x 90 Banner  =  10.111 x 1.25 inches
• 300 x 250 Banner  =  4.167 x 3.472 inches
• 160 x 600 Banner  =  2.222 x 8.333 inches
• 120 x 600 Banner  =  1.667 x 8.333 inches