As a student with low vision, I often encounter blurry, low resolution, or hard to see images as part of assignments, online readings, exams, and during class presentations. One strategy that has really helped me access information visually is learning how to create high resolution images for low vision and advocating for the importance of finding high resolution images for accessible materials, which make it easier for me to use tools like pinch-to-zoom and screen magnification to enlarge details of images. Here are my tips for how to create high resolution images for low vision, and how to locate high resolution images online.
Definition of a high resolution image
A high resolution image is defined as having at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) and can be scaled across multiple sizes for web and print materials, as well as enlarged without any visible pixelation or blurriness. Most high resolution images are 3.5 megabytes (3.5 MB) or higher.
High resolution images typically are saved as Portable Network Graphics (PNG), though JPEG and GIF images can also meet the criteria for high resolution images. I prefer to use PNG files whenever possible, as they have a wide range of colors and compression options, and can be enlarged without sacrificing quality. This isn’t to say that I can’t use JPEG, GIF, or other formats, but I do find it easier to use PNG.
Related links
- Purposes of Media Descriptions for Visual Impairment
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- Recognizing Images With Seeing AI
How I view high resolution images with low vision
I prefer to access information visually whenever possible and use strategies like large print, screen magnification, and displaying content on screens that are within my field of vision to access information. With high resolution images, I can easily zoom in to view details, crop images to focus on a specific area, or make edits or annotations to an image as needed without having information appear blurry when I enlarge it. Strategies I use for looking at images with low vision can include:
- Displaying an image on my iPad, which has an adjustable display I can angle under the bifocal in my glasses. I can use pinch-to-zoom and pan-to-zoom to enlarge details of an image, or save images to the Photos app to zoom in within the gallery.
- In an eReading application or when reading an online article, I select an image to view it on a full screen layout or open it in a new tab.
- For class assignments, some of my instructors will provide images in a separate folder that I can open. Image file names are typically the question number, or the assignment itself will indicate what image I have to open (e.g. “using the ‘flights’ image”).
- On my desktop computer or laptop computer, I open an image in a new tab and either use a zoom slider (browser zoom) or open Magnifier.
- If I am having trouble seeing an image on my phone, I can use Cast (Chromecast) to enlarge it on a smart TV
- When I first look at an image, it often looks like a swirl of colors or appears distorted due to double vision. I often use pinch-to-zoom, browser zoom, or magnification to zoom in on part of an image and pan (move around the screen) to look at different elements and get an understanding of what I am looking at.
When it comes to viewing images at a distance (like on the board or when someone is holding up a phone to show me a picture), I usually ask for a copy of the image so that I can view it on my own device. If it’s a friend showing me a picture on their phone, I usually take the phone to look at the image.
Related links
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- Windows Magnifier and Low Vision
- How I Use Google Chromecast With Low Vision
Is it better to use color images or black and white images for low vision?
Like the answer to most questions about preferences for visual access, the answer is “it depends!” There’s a common misconception that black and white graphics are the best option for high resolution images for users with low vision, since they have a limited color palette. However, color images are also great candidates for creating high resolution images, especially rich and saturated colors. I actually prefer to use color images myself, because I have normal color vision and can use color to convey or get a quick glance at information.
High contrast and high resolution images are two different things, but they are often mentioned together in conversations about accessible images. Contrast is defined as the difference of color that makes an object (or the foreground) visible against a background of a different color, with a contrast ratio showing the luminance of the brightest shade to the darkest shade. For low vision, high contrast color schemes may involve limited color palettes or removing non-essential colors, while other high contrast color schemes simply make colors easier to see against different backgrounds. High resolution images that are designed for users with low vision often incorporate high contrast elements in some form to make information easier to see.
Related links
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Diagrams For Low Vision
- Highlighting Information With Low Vision
- How To Describe Science Experiments For Visually Impaired Students
- Tuva Tools and Low Vision Accessibility
How high resolution images help me as a student with low vision
Many years ago, one of my teachers asked me why I needed high resolution images if I had “low-resolution” (blurry) vision. Here are four short stories about the impact of having access to high resolution images has had for me as a student with low vision:
The test that failed me
When I was taking an online placement exam, I realized that I couldn’t zoom in on the details of several graphs or charts to get the information I needed for the question. As I tried to enlarge the image, it became more and more blurry, and the patterned background of the coordinate plane made it even more challenging to locate the points and numbers I needed. I also couldn’t use color as a landmarking tool, and all of the areas of the chart essentially looked like a giant blob. Even though I had gotten a perfect score when I took a practice test with images I could enlarge, I got every single question wrong because I couldn’t see the images on the test.
Confidence in calculus
Instead of zooming in on images embedded in a document, my calculus professor shared a folder that contained all of the images for the exam, including corresponding question numbers and/or answers (e.g. “Question4A”, “Question4B”, etc.). These images were screenshots from a graphing software, and my professor had also highlighted lines and points in a contrasting color so I could easily locate them. Because I could enlarge all of the images without having them turn blurry or distorted, I could focus my energy on answering questions instead of straining to see, and got a perfect score on the exam!
This reminds me of a dinosaur!
My teacher put an image on the board and asked everyone in the class to write down details about what we noticed about it or create a sketch of what it looks like. Even when I walked up to the board to get a closer look, I had no idea what I was looking at because a lot of the colors were very similar and swirled together, plus it was very dark. I saw the reflective ground and brown tones of the image, and it reminded me of something I saw at a museum (that also had a very shiny, reflective floor).
The teacher called on me first to share my thoughts about the image and what it looked like, and I delivered a very confident but completely incorrect answer since I didn’t want to admit I had no idea what I was looking at— I thought it was the underside of a dinosaur skeleton, and it was actually Luray Caverns (a cave in Virginia). When my teacher found an HD wallpaper of the same image, it was much easier for me to see that I was looking at stalactites and stalagmites.
Lemon on a pear
I have a post linked below from a talk I gave about accessible memes that was inspired by several people sending me the same image— a blurry, compressed image of a lemon on a pear. It wasn’t until I received the image for the sixth time that I recognized what it was (thanks to a friend adding their own caption), and that people had shared it with me because they knew how much I loved Bon Jovi and the song “Livin’ on a Prayer.” While it doesn’t relate to academic access, I share this story because this was an example of how low resolution images can impact individuals in social contexts as well, especially if they don’t want to ask someone what’s in an image or disclose that they have trouble seeing.
Related links
- Highlighting Information With Low Vision
- Using PicsArt To Simulate Low Vision
- Lighting And Low Vision
- Lemon On A Pear: Accessible Memes For Low Vision
- Customize Microsoft Edge Accessibility For Low Vision
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
- Meet The Cast: Supporting Literacy For Students With CVI
Tips for creating high resolution images with technology
When it comes to creating high resolution images with technology or accessing high resolution images, I find the following tools to be useful for drawing or modifying images without compressing them or making them blurry:
- Using a large canvas size when working on drawing projects in tools like Paint or photo editing applications. This can make it easier to look at smaller sections of images at a time.
- Creating designs in PowerPoint and saving slides as PNG files— note that this should not be used as a substitute for adding text to slides in an actual presentation.
- Use a digital whiteboard application like Apple Freeform or Microsoft Whiteboard and take a screenshot
- In iOS 15 and later, long press over the subject of a photo in the Photos app to remove the background and copy the image to the clipboard, or save the image with a transparent background and add it to another project. This is helpful for removing a visually cluttered background from images so they are easier to see, and may help with preserving image clarity and resolution.
- Save images of charts and graphs created in Excel, Word, or similar applications by right-clicking or long-pressing on an image and selecting the Save option.
- Another option is to share a link to dynamic visual content like digital maps, a 3D model, a dashboard, or images from a museum collection that the user can open on their own device and zoom in on further.
While my website graphics are not visually complex, I use the free Canva tool to create all of the graphics for my website with the exception of my logo because I can zoom in on different areas of the image and use keyboard shortcuts.
Related links
- How I Use Microsoft Whiteboard With Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible PowerPoints
- How To Make Music Accessible With Microsoft PowerPoint
- Secret Microsoft Office Accessibility Features I Use Every Day
- Visible Body Suite Accessibility For Low Vision: 3D Anatomy Models
- Taking Online History Classes With Low Vision
- How To Modify An Instrument Fingering Chart For Low Vision
Tips for drawing images that will be used for high resolution images
When I was working with an elementary school student, their teacher would often draw images by hand and scan them so that the student could view them on their laptop or an iPad. Strategies that can help with drawing images that can be enlarged easily include:
- High contrast tools like markers, Sharpie pens, high contrast pens, and similar writing tools work best
- If using a dry erase board, make sure the board has been wiped clean and there are no shadows, and use bold ink colors that are not faded
- Use cardstock or other thick paper to avoid having ink bleed through or reflections/artifacting on the scanned images
- For uniform shapes, use tools like rulers, protractors, compasses, and similar
- Avoid wrinkled paper or paper that has been crumbled
When I was working with the same student, I would often use digital drawing applications and my Apple Pencil to annotate images.
Related links
- How To Modify Accessible Anatomy Graphics For Low Vision
- Digital Rulers For Dysgraphia and Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Classroom Posters For Students With Visual Impairments
- Adapting Accessible Trifold Posters For Low Vision
- How I Use The Apple Pencil With Low Vision
- Writing Aids For Low Vision: My Personal Superlatives
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
Tips for scanning high resolution images for low vision
- Use the highest resolution available for scanners and printers
- Position pages flat on a table, and use a different colored background—avoid scanning white paper on top of a white desk when possible
- If using a mobile scanner, make sure that there is no shadow cast over the image
- For mobile scanning, I love the Microsoft Lens application for Android and iOS. I’ve linked an entire post about Microsoft Lens below
Related links
- How I Use Microsoft Lens With Low Vision
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
- Zine Accessibility and Low Vision
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Printers
- How To Create Tactile Images With Everyday Objects
- Tips For Creating Art For Visually Impaired Friends
- Upcycling Music Stands into Assistive Technology
Searching for high resolution images
Several search engines have filters for finding HD or high resolution images, along with options to search for images with a minimum resolution. This can be done by selecting the Filter option on Bing or Tools on Google, and choosing a size from the drop-down menu.
Some examples of websites that have a large amount of high resolution images include:
- Wikimedia Commons
- US Government websites
- Museum archives
- University libraries/.edu websites
- Pexels and Pixabay
Another source that has been great for finding high resolution and high contrast images for students with low vision is the Tactile Graphic Image Library (TGIL), which offers free dual media (braille and large print) images and diagrams. I also share several other sources in my post on free braille and tactile images.
What about reverse-searching for high resolution images?
Already have an image and looking to see if it’s available in a higher resolution? Run a reverse search for an image to see if there are other image dimensions available on other websites. A few options for doing this include:
- Right clicking or long-pressing on an image on any website and selecting Search For This Image
- Selecting an image in the image search results page and selecting Search for This Image or Additional Sizes
- Upload the image to reverse.photos
- Select the Visual Search icon on Pinterest to search for an image on Pinterest
Improving the resolution of an existing image
There are a few tools online and that are available with photo editing applications for increasing the resolution of images and improving the clarity of existing images, including:
- Canva photo enhancement tool
- PicsArt AI photo enhancements and the ability to resize images
- Adobe Express Image Enhancer, a free tool from Adobe
- There are several free websites for improving image clarity and increasing photo resolution that can be found online.
Related links
- Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
- How To Run Effective Web Searches
- How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions For Photojournalism Images
Other strategies for creating high resolution images for low vision
- When an image is high resolution but not high contrast, I find it helpful to use a tool like Invert Colors to make it easier to see information. Learn more at How To Use Invert Colors With Low Vision
- Another strategy I use for accessing images with low vision is alt text and image descriptions. I have an entire post category on this, and I recommend reading How To Write Alt Text For Educational Content and How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
- Want to know how I take photos with low vision? I write about one specific type of photo in Taking Selfies With Low Vision
- Wondering how I access different types of images for math classes? I several resources on this topic, including Adapting Accessible Charts: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Another strategy for making images accessible is to add narration— learn more at Creating Audio Narrated Images For Low Vision
Published January 1, 2018. Updated June 2025