Help with Print sizes please.

Hi all,

Can someone please advise what the largest size prints I can get from my
digital camera using the following resolutions, 2816x2112, 2816x1872 &
2048x1536. I was sort of hoping the first resolution could possibly print a
fairly sizeable picture such as poster size.

Thanks,

Ian

 

A figure of around 200 - 300 pixels per inch will give you reasonable
prints viewed at arm's length. On that basis 2816 x 2112 could perhaps be
enlarged to about 14 x 10 inches. If you are viewing the prints from a
greater distance, a proportionately smaller number of pixels per inch is
required.

David

 

As big as you like. But the quality will go down with size!

As a rule of thumb, 300dpi satisfies almost *everyone*, and 200dpi is
good enough for the majority of prints. 2816x2112 will give superb 10x8s
(with a bit of white margin 'cos the aspect ratio is slightly different)
and excellent 14x11s. Bigger than that it depends on what you want to do
with the image and how you want it viewed - you'll lose crispness, but
if you're creating something to be viewed from a distance that doesn't
matter as much.

For example, I've made 30x20 poster prints from 1600x1200 originals that
were perfectly adequate (at barely more than 50dpi, but the enlargement
worked really nicely!) and 16x12s from 2304x1728 that look great framed
behind glass on the wall.

pete

 

Thanks for that Pete, 30 x 20 sounds great. Not sure of the dpi on my home
printer (Epson R200), but for the right photo will consider a proffesional
printing outfit, there must be loads of options on the 'net'.

Thanks again, Ian

 

I've been very happy with http://www.transpacolor.com/ in the UK!

I do my own inkjet prints (HP5650) up to 10x8 for 'casual' use, but I've
used transpacolor for enlargements and high-quality prints on several
occasions with almost universally excellent results. They are far from
being the cheapest around, but the quality is excellent -- they give
quite the richest and most vivid colours of any online print service
I've come across.

I've also used ofoto in the past for 30x20 enlargements, and the quality
was excellent.

pete

 

Don't confuse ppi which is really what Pete is talking about with
printer dpi. They are not the same.
________________________________________________________
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 ()
See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
http://EdwardGRuf.com

 

Not a hard-and-fast question, it depends on the image (lots of small
sharp detail that makes the image, or does it depend on smooth rich
tonality?). It also depends on your standards. It also depends on
the viewing distance -- you could make a fine billboard from any of
those, if it was designed to be viewed from a few hundred feet away.

I've gotten a quite good 16x24 inch print from 3kx2k pixels (DSLR).
It looks good even when viewed close up. It even includes some rather
sharp fine detail (a necklace, and hair and eye details of the
model).

The rule of thumb of 300 camera original pixels per linear inch is
just a rule of thumb, and mostly makes sense for prints to be held in
the hands and examined closely (say, up to 8x10). The rule seems to
err on the side of being conservative -- far more people report good
prints from "inadequate" resolution than report bad prints from
"adequate" resolution (considering only the resolution; lots of people
get bad prints from adequate resolution for *other* reasons!).

You might very well get a decent poster from the top resolution in
your collection there, on the right kind of image.