If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Two ways of looking at how large to print
In another thread the question came up as to how large can you make a
print from a give size image, in this case from a 3.2 MP camera. There are two ways to look at how big a print should be made, both are correct under some circumstances. On one hand you might want the print to be just as sharp as you can get it, in this case you would want to print at 300 dpi and some people would say even higher. This would limit a 3.2 MP image to about a 4 x 6 print. But the other way to look at it is that the photo has a certain amount of detail in it and you might want the people looking at the print to be able to see all the detail that is in the photo. The human eye has a hard time seeing low contrast details that are small, so printing the photo large will make more visible to the viewer. To many photographers the sharpness of the print it critical and they are reluctant to make prints that would reduce the resolution below 300 dpi. But for any give photo printing it larger will make a print that almost all people will prefer to look at. I have seen this over and over again, I used to make small prints from my Nikon 995 (3.2 MP camera) that where very sharp and I would also make 8 x 10 prints of these same photos. People overwhelmingly preferred to look at the 8 x 10 prints. So what resolution is right for a print depends on the circumstances, if you know you are going to be making 8 x 10 prints, then you are best off using a camera that has somewhere around 8 MP. But if rather you have a photo form a given camera and you want to make the best looking print from it then you would print larger, printing at a DPI of somewhere between 150 and 200 seems good. Just to be clear I am not saying that for a given size print 150 dpi will look better then 300 dpi, far from it. What I am saying is that for a given digital image printing at it 150 to 200 dpi will produce a print that most people will enjoy looking at more then a smaller print made at a higher dpi. I should also point out that the amount of noise in a photo will greatly effect the optimum size to print it at, more noise smaller print. And of course it always help if the photo is in focus. Scott |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Ping: Ryadia --Large Digital Prints | Alan Browne | Digital SLR Cameras | 22 | February 22nd 05 03:54 PM |
roll-film back: DOF question | RSD99 | Large Format Photography Equipment | 41 | July 30th 04 03:12 AM |
Print more photos on one paper and save printing papers! | Steve Chambers | Digital Photo Equipment For Sale | 0 | February 26th 04 07:07 PM |
WTB: Large Print Roller | Gordon Chapple | Darkroom Equipment For Sale | 0 | February 6th 04 10:56 PM |
Help needed to identify an old print. (Platinum??) | Graeme | Fine Art, Framing and Display | 3 | January 17th 04 07:20 AM |