how hard should it be...
Jan. 22nd, 2009 06:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acroyear...to get a simple answer to the following question:
What is the optimal resolution an image file should have to not look like absolute crap when enlarged to 5x7, 8x10, 8x12, a 12x36 banner, or a 12x24 poster?
My google-fu is failing me on this.
I keep seeing things either useless, or in "DPI" - I don't think "DPI", dammit, I'm looking at 3456x2304 and 3280x2460 and I want a straight answer dammit. DPI is all about the printer - I don't care about the printer, I am asking about the source image itself.
(I also keep seeing sites about 5mp and "expensive memory", and all that is SO 3 years ago...).
Ok, one site is finally hinting that 7200x4800 (or 34mp) is best for that 24x12 poster, so that's out with what I've got... guess I'll go with a set of 8x12s mounted side by side.
of course, along the way I run into sites about resolutions to enlarging the european parliament, and high resolution images on other...enlargements...
oh well. gotta go for now.
What is the optimal resolution an image file should have to not look like absolute crap when enlarged to 5x7, 8x10, 8x12, a 12x36 banner, or a 12x24 poster?
My google-fu is failing me on this.
I keep seeing things either useless, or in "DPI" - I don't think "DPI", dammit, I'm looking at 3456x2304 and 3280x2460 and I want a straight answer dammit. DPI is all about the printer - I don't care about the printer, I am asking about the source image itself.
(I also keep seeing sites about 5mp and "expensive memory", and all that is SO 3 years ago...).
Ok, one site is finally hinting that 7200x4800 (or 34mp) is best for that 24x12 poster, so that's out with what I've got... guess I'll go with a set of 8x12s mounted side by side.
of course, along the way I run into sites about resolutions to enlarging the european parliament, and high resolution images on other...enlargements...
oh well. gotta go for now.
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-23 12:13 am (UTC)I've printed out perfectly good enlargements up to, I think, 20 or 24 inches on the long side from my 6mp 10D. That's 3072x2048 without cropping. And I know 11x14's look fine, as I just took a look at one And it depends a lot on the camera, I've seen lower MP cameras with a better sensor and better glass make better prints.
As a general rule I go by 300 pixels per inch, but my example above obviously ignores that. Do you have a Costco membership? Their enlargements are relatively cheap, I think you can get a 20x30 for $10. I'd recommend just picking an image and getting one and see how it looks.