Printing

[William]

How do I determine the largest physical size that my image can be printed. For example a web sized image may struggle to be acceptably printed to 6x4 but a full resolution image from my camera may reach to A1. How do I work this out?

[Fast Glass]

It all depends on whats your lowest acceptable dots per inch or dpi. For smaller prints such as 8x10 and 11x14 200/350 dpi would be fine for most people. At larger prints such as 20x30 and above 200 or lesswould still be accetable because you are staying farther away.


Personally I don't liketo print anything less than 350/400 dpi for smallerprint sizes, because I like to look close up at the dietails and not be inhibited by resolution. But that's just me.


Toget a idea ofhow big you cangojust print a 8x10 at the dpi you expect to use and stand back at your typical viewing distance tosee if thats excceptable to you. Enlargement programs also help.


John.

[William]

Thanks for that. So does that mean a 350 dpi image of 3,500x3,500 pixels would print 35"x35". Are pixels and dots the same thing?


On my monitor many of my images still look good at full size (1:1, or Ctrl Alt 0 in PS). What would full size be in printing terms?

[Fast Glass]

So does that mean a 350 dpi image of 3,500x3,500 pixels would print 35"x35".

3500 pixels / 35" = 100 dpi. Sooo, I guess you can't print at 35" and 350 dpi.[]


Resolution divided by print size equalls dots per inch.

Are pixels and dots the same thing?

Yes. One pixel equals one dot, but your printer will print at whatever print resolution you set. Lets say 1400 dpi like on my R1900, the print may only be 100 dpi but the printer will interpolate it to 1400 dpi. There is only 100 dpi of dietail, but it will be much smoother and wont be asjaggedand pixelated.

On my monitor many of my images still look good at full size (1:1, or Ctrl Alt 0 in PS). What would full size be in printing terms?

You just do the math in reverse, most moniters are between 80 to 100 dpi. Lets say 100 dpi. Take 3500 pixels and divide by 100 dpi, thatequalls 35".


If you ask Daniel Browning what's the ideal resolution he'll tell you 1200 MP or so![:O]


BTW, 3500 pixels at 2 to 3 aspect ratio is about 8 MP, using a rebel XT,30D or the like?[8-|]


Hope this helps,


John.

[William]

Ok, that all makes sense now. Looks like my 30D is a little short on pixels when it comes to printing anything large, unless I stitch my images. I might try some samples, as you suggest, to see what I can get away with. Thanks for your help John. []

[Fast Glass]

Or upgrade to Phase One. Which by the way has 80MP. Oh, you do have a hole burning in your pocket. Right?[:P]


Cheers,


John.

[William]

Hole burning in my pocket...Yip...it

[Dr Croubie]

I

[neuroanatomist]

William, here

[HDNitehawk]

Some labs only print certain file types. I haven't found a local lab in my area that does a good job yet.


I know everyone is talking DPI and file size to find out how big they can print. In my opinion that is secondary. If you do not have the quality detail in the pick to start with it is not going to look good when you blow it up.


I know everyone says that experience is more important than gear, and it is true that if you do not have the experience and take a good picture it isn't going to look good at any size. I like to print big, and I have both the Canon Pro 9500 Mark II and the 9000.


Equipment does matter. I had a 50D, which I gave to my brother a while back. I could never get a pic over 8x10 that I found acceptable to me, however when I owned it I never used a prime with it. The 5D II and 7D have always capable of producing to the 13 x 19 size.


But lenses matter to, primes in general give better quality and detail. You are more likely to be able to go large with a 35mm or 24mm L than you are a 16 x 35mm L II.


So to sum up in general Primes are better than Zooms for this. Better cameras increase your chance as well. If you do not have the skill it does not matter what you own.


Now determining if the pic can hold up I use a simple test. On my 24" monitor I look the pic over in adobe bridge, full screen. If the pic holds up looking at 300x it will for sure hold up printing 13 x 19, at 200x it may be ok, maybe not. If it can't go past 100x most of the time it isn't sharp enough for me. Most of my pics are landscape, wildlife or macro where the detail matters to me. Other types of photography may require less detail, where some softness is ok.


Of course it is all subjective, my opinion of what looks good may be different than other people.