How Big Can I Print?

[dpolston]

<welcome back max!> =o)

 

[Alpha]

<welcome back max!> =o)

That's not a very nice thing to be facetious about

 

[RKW3]

The claim that one can print a 6mp image "without significant deterioration" at 30x40 is a wild exaggeration to say the least. I believe it's patently untrue at any reasonably close viewing distance. Do the math...that's 70ppi.

Whatever a 6mp image at that size looks like, it isn't sharp at any normal contrast level. If you think that's sharp, you don't know what sharp is.

Well the print isn't necessarily going to be at 70ppi, because of the enlarging process in PP I assume will happen. And there are some programs like Genuine Fractals that enlarge photos with surprisingly good quality. Even photoshop can upsize pics pretty well.

 

[Alpha]

Well the print isn't necessarily going to be at 70ppi, because of the enlarging process in PP I assume will happen. And there are some programs like Genuine Fractals that enlarge photos with surprisingly good quality. Even photoshop can upsize pics pretty well.

You can resample it to split each pixel into more pixels of the same color, but that doesn't change the fact that it's 70 ppi. Perhaps you're thinking print dpi?

 

[Seefutlung]

I'm with Max ... I just don't see it ... I print 13x19 off my Epson with 8MP and 12MP files and I don't think I could double the size and maintain what I would consider a quality image. As to the 5x10 footer ... please ... the shop must have re-scanned the image at a very high res or used some super duper interpolation program ... they just didn't print from your file without any adjustments/modifications/enhancements/tricks et cetera.

Gary

 

[RKW3]

You can resample it to split each pixel into smaller pixels of the same color, but that doesn't change the fact that it's 70 ppi. Perhaps you're thinking print dpi?

I don't think i'm thinking of print dpi.

I'm trying to say that you can upsize pics pretty well with the right computer program (genuine fractals ie). Then you can get the image's size to be at 200ppi @ 20x30 inches, for example. So as long as it looks good at 100% on your pc after the upsize, the print should come out acceptable.

Am I making sense?

 

[Alpha]

I don't think i'm thinking of print dpi.

I'm trying to say that you can upsize pics pretty well with the right program. Then you can get the image's size to be at 200ppi @ 20x30 inches, for example. So as long as it looks good at 100% on your pc after the upsize, the print should come out acceptable.

Am I making sense?

No offense. You're trying to make sense but I think you misunderstand the math behind what you're saying. No matter what, a 6mp image at 30x40 inches is 70ppi. There are lots of things you can do in resizing to make it look sharper, such as increasing contrast, using various resampling algorithms, etc. But when push comes to shove, they're not really increasing the pixel count-- they're just making it look a little better. I can take a 70ppi image and turn it into a 4900ppi image, easy. Then again all I've done is turn every pixel into four pixels of the same color.

 

[RKW3]

No offense. You're trying to make sense but I think you misunderstand the math behind what you're saying. No matter what, a 6mp image at 30x40 inches is 70ppi. There are lots of things you can do in resizing to make it look sharper, such as increasing contrast, using various resampling algorithms, etc. But when push comes to shove, they're not really increasing the pixel count-- they're just making it look a little better. I can take a 70ppi image and turn it into a 4900ppi image, easy. Then again all I've done is turn every pixel into four pixels of the same color.

Okay.. I understand.

If the upsizing program does a very good job at "resampling", doesn't that mean there's hope for making a good looking, non pixelated large print out of a smallish original shot?

 

[Seefutlung]

Okay.. I understand.

If the upsizing program does a very good job at "resampling", doesn't that mean there's hope for making a good looking, non pixelated large print out of a smallish original shot?

Then wouldn't that would be the resampling program not the camera which is capable of making large print(s) ...

Gary

 

[dpolston]

shot of the 5x10 display:

 

[dpolston]

That's not a very nice thing to be facetious about

Wasn't being facetious... I haven't seen you in a while here.

 

[kidchill]

I dunno what to think. I will say this, even some of my best pictures don't look all that great from my D80 when they're stretched across my 17" laptop screen. I've always been told that with the D80 and 10.1 effective MP the best I'd really get at good quality would be 8x10. I know there's a huge difference b/n viewing onscreen and printing, but I dunno.....

 

[RKW3]

I dunno what to think. I will say this, even some of my best pictures don't look all that great from my D80 when they're stretched across my 17" laptop screen. I've always been told that with the D80 and 10.1 effective MP the best I'd really get at good quality would be 8x10. I know there's a huge difference b/n viewing onscreen and printing, but I dunno.....

The quality should look fine on your screen at that size still.. I guess just make sure your shooting at low ISO's and such. I also find that I need to reduce noise in many of my pics in order for them to look good large.

 

[Jeff Canes]

Alpha PM me your address, I will have one made and send it to you for free to review

 

[skywalkerbeth]

You'd have to be viewing from the moon to think that a 20x30 or 30x40 print from a 6mp camera looked sharp. :lmao:

I've made some wonderful prints from an old 4 MP camera, the Canon S400. And they were 20x30. I've also made some really great 16x20s from an SD800 IS. I can't wait to start enlarging those from my 30D.