Resizing an image for printing

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Katie
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Hi, I have an image of a horse jumping a jump that the owner wants to buy. He wants to make a poster (he didn't say how big he's making the poster) to advertise the stallion at an event.
I just need to know what I can do to resize the image without losing quality. After cropping and adjustments it is about 3.5 MP and the resolution is 350 Pixels/inch. He wants it to be up to 10 MB and 700 pixels/inch. Also I am using Photoshop CS3. Thanks
 
Ignore the 700pixels per inch, everything is printed at near enough 300dpi, what you will need to know is the dimensions of the final print size, say 30inch x 20 inches, you will then need to resize the image in an editing programme.

For example 30x20inches @300dpi would be = 9,000 x 6,000 pixels.

Depending on how big the poster will be, you will prob get away with using only 3.5mp as I doubt anyone would be inspecting the quality up close and would be only viewing it from a distance.

Oh and welcome to the TP! :)
 
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The short answer is whatever you do you'll loose some quality, the bigger you go the more you loose.
When you resize up photoshop has to invent new pixels, in CS3 the best option for resizing up is bicubic smoother, if your going really big try adding a little contrast and sharpening after resizing. There is better software around designed just for resizing but the price will probably make it pointless buying unless you do a lot of enlarging images.
 
If you need any help, I can run it through Photoshop CS5.5 if you want me to.
 
This is the kind of thing I need help with. I really dont understand the printing aspect of photography. I have a picture of a jetty I took which Im really happy with and would like to print out, most likely canvas. Its in portrait format. Now the size etc is as it came out of the camera. I took it in raw and did a little touching up, and then made it a jpeg 8bit. I have looked at the info at the bottom of the picture in elements and its the following :-

width 2848
height 4288
resolution 240 pixels/inch

Can anyone help me with what I have to do to the picture before firing it down the phone line to be printed out? What size can I choose for printing, can it be pretty much what I want? I dont want it huge.

Thanks,

Ben
 
I would say the mimimum resolution you should aim for on canvas is 150dpi so 2,848 x 4,288 = roughly 18x28 inch print. You could resize the image as Wayne suggest in his post and get a bigger print but would loose a little definition up close.

Also the bigger the print, the more of a chance it will be viewed from a distance so any slight loss in detail will look fine.

In the past I've had a 9,000px image (from 3 photos stiched) blown up and printed 6m wide, which up close looks generally ok, but from about 2 meters away looks excellent.

hotel2.jpg
 
Thanks for the reply, and that picture is impressive. Im still a bit confused about the dpi, am I meant to change that or just keep it as it went in to elements and send the file off? I would only be getting it done a regular size, but also wanted to know if there is a specific size if its a portrait picture?

What size ratio do I go for a portrait picture? e.g. If I want it 25" high how do I work out its width? Making my head hurt. The recommended site on here for canvas lets you specify the size, but it isnt a fixed ratio, so I could literally enter any figure in the drop down menu.
 
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OK Here goes
You have an image that is width 4288 x 2848

If you print at 150ppi then you'll have a 28" x 19" print

Lower ppi = bigger print. You "could" resample yourself (add pixels) but your LAB's RIP software will probably do a better job so send what you have and tell them the size you want it - they can sort that.
 
Showjumper said:
Hi, I have an image of a horse jumping a jump that the owner wants to buy. He wants to make a poster (he didn't say how big he's making the poster) to advertise the stallion at an event.
I just need to know what I can do to resize the image without losing quality. After cropping and adjustments it is about 3.5 MP and the resolution is 350 Pixels/inch. He wants it to be up to 10 MB and 700 pixels/inch. Also I am using Photoshop CS3. Thanks
Click to expand...

Anyone who says they need a 10Mb file at 700 ppi knows nothing about what that information means.

the only things that matter are
the number of pixels you have and you need to know the size they want printed. Also keep the quality to 100%.

Ps = Px/R

Print Size = Pixels/PPI
 
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