Maximum Printing Size

jeniveeev

jeniveeev

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Hi - i have a Nikon D70 and was wondering if anyone knows roughly the maximum size i can print without losing quality?. I want to print some images up to, if possible larger than A3. Hope you can help or advise on what i should expect.
thank you:)
 
It depends on how close you want to view the image from. If you want to view it from fairly close up (print at 300dpi) divide the size of the image and you have the printed size in inches, if you aren't going to view from close up print at 180dpi and divide by 180.

If you want to print bigger then you can up-res the image, using (in order of preference) Genuine Fractals, Lightroom or Photoshop.
 
Genuine Fractals is fantastic software, from the research I did it seems its the best of the other plugins/software for this job. I blew some of my shots with my 6 MP D50 up to A3 with it and the quality is very good. :thumbs:

Craikeybaby, why is Lightroom preferable over Photoshop to interpolate?
 
Jim B said:
Genuine Fractals is fantastic software, from the research I did it seems its the best of the other plugins/software for this job. I blew some of my shots with my 6 MP D50 up to A3 with it and the quality is very good. :thumbs:

Craikeybaby, why is Lightroom preferable over Photoshop to interpolate?
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It uses a linear algorithm (see here)
 
Well I've printed 30x20" from my D40 and the quality is fantastic.
 
Well I've printed 30x20" from my D40 and the quality is fantastic.
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:eek:

Really? Not to offend or be doubting, but I thought the max print size with the D40 was 13X19. I've been wanting the D40 forever and was bummed out that I have to get a larger camera in order to print up to 18X24. Seriously - if a D40 can print posters up to 20X30. then I know which camera I'm getting. D40 all the way, baby. Can any one else confirm?
 
Nethawk said:
:eek:

Really? Not to offend or be doubting, but I thought the max print size with the D40 was 13X19. I've been wanting the D40 forever and was bummed out that I have to get a larger camera in order to print up to 18X24. Seriously - if a D40 can print posters up to 20X30. then I know which camera I'm getting. D40 all the way, baby. Can any one else confirm?
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Not sure where you hear that?!

The max size of an A3+ printer is 13x19 but the D40 with its 3008 x 2000 pixels allows a 100ppi image to be printed at 30" x 20". A little resampling can achieve even greater sizes.

As stated above the further away you look at an image the lower the resolution you can print. If you print a 10x8 at say 72ppi then it will probably look a little blocky as you view these images at only a few inches. Make that a larger image (say 30x20) and you will view this at a few feet (or a few metres). Now the image will look great!!

Careful use of resampling will allow you to print at almost any size you can reasonably think to print.

Larger resolution cameras do give you more pixels to play with. You can crop more without losing quality and you can print larger images at a higher resolution (so maybe slightly better quality).

I have a 40x30 printed from an 8Mp camera that looks fatastic!
 
The way you handle the image can make a great deal of difference to the final image. Over sharpening can be a real killer for larger prints. I've had 20 x 30 prints from both 6Mp and 8Mp cameras with excellent quality. These were photographic prints and I let the printer software took care of the resizing, rather than do it in Photoshop or Lightroom.
 
Chappers said:
The way you handle the image can make a great deal of difference to the final image. Over sharpening can be a real killer for larger prints. I've had 20 x 30 prints from both 6Mp and 8Mp cameras with excellent quality. These were photographic prints and I let the printer software took care of the resizing, rather than do it in Photoshop or Lightroom.
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I say it's best to size your image properly in Photoshop rather than use your printer driver. Butr if you get god results that's all that matters.
 
Hi

I am not sure when we went digital but it was when the Fuji S1 cost over £2000 so that might give you an idea. I think the S1s were 3million pixel cameras. Every customer we shot portraits for bought a 20inch by 16inch reprint. At one point as a company we were selling 100 of these per week. Not one customer complained about quality.

So in answer to your question it depends on how you are going to judge the photograph. I let my customers judge, if they are happy then it is fine by me. I have never understood getting out a lupe and checking the quality but I do accept that for some thats the way to do it.

How do you want to judge it, then we can give you an accurate answer

stew
 
ps

Qimage will beat any printer driver ever made, imho :):)
 
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