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Printing images - what file size do you need?
A guide to required file sizes for printing out photos [Updated Feb 2012]
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Image size Pixels
(Virtual Size of Scans)
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Megapixel
rating
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Print size (inches)
at 200ppi
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Print size (inches)
at 300ppi
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640 x 480
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0.3
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3.2 x 2.4
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2.1 x 1.6
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1,024 x 768
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0.8 |
5.1 x 3.8
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3.4 x 2.5
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1,280 x 960
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1.2 |
6.4 x 4.8
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4.2 x 3.2
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| 1,504 x 1,000 |
1.5 |
7.5 x 5.0 |
5.0 x 3.3 |
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1,632 x 1,224
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2.0 |
3.3 x 6.1 |
5.4 x 4.1 |
| 2,000 x 1,312 |
2.6 |
10.0 x 6.6 |
6.7 x 4.4 |
| 2,240 x 1,488 |
3.3 |
11.2 x 7.4 |
7.5 x 5.0 |
| 2,275 x 1,520 |
3.5 |
11.4 x 7.6 |
7.6 x 5.1 |
| 2,272 x 1,704 |
3.9 |
11.4 x 8.5 |
7.6 x 5.7 |
| 2,590 x 1,920 |
5.0 |
13.0 x 9.6 |
8.6 x 6.4 |
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3,008 x 2,000
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6.0 |
15.0 x 10.0
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10.0 x 6.7
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4,256 x 2,848
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12.1 |
21.3 x 14.2 |
14.2 x 9.5 |
| 4,536 x 3,024 |
13.7 |
22.7 x 15.1 |
15.1 x 10.1 |
| 5,782 x 3,946 |
22.8 |
28.9 x 19.7 |
19.3 x 13.2 |
Professional/online printing
Some professional services specify lower resolutions for image sizes, so you could get away with smaller image sizes.
Kodak, for example, suggests these resolution/file sizes:
For a 4" x 6" print, the image resolution should be 640 x 480 pixels minimum.
For a 5" x 7" print, the image resolution should be 1024 x 768 pixels minimum.
For an 8" x 10" print, the image resolution should be 1536 x 1024 pixels minimum.
For a 16" x 20" print, the image resolution should be 1600 x 1200 pixels minimum.
For a 20" x 30" print, the image resolution should be 1600 x 1200 pixels minimum.
For a Wallet-size print, the image resolution should be 320 x 240 pixels minimum.
Quality vs file size
This guide shows you the kind of quality you can expect when you're printing out your photos.
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Digital camera resolution vs print quality
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Capture Resolution
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Video Display
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Print Size
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2x3"
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4x5"/4x6"
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5x7"
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8x10"
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11x14"
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16x20"
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20x30"
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320x240
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640x480
0.3Megapixel
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800x600
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1024x768
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1280x960
1 MP
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1536x1180
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1600x1200
2MP
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2048x1536
3 Megapixel
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2240x1680
4 Megapixel
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2560x1920
5 Megapixel
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3032x2008
6 Megapixel
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3072x2304
7 Megapixel
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3264x2448
8 Megapixel
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10 Megapixel +
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Crap |
Horribly pixelated blocky mess, like something out of 1987 |
OK |
Looks reasonable enough, but nowhere near photo quality |
Good |
Pretty good all round, with a fair bit of detail |
Very Good |
This will be fine for most uses, unless you get up reeeeal close |
Excellent |
As good as a photo for most purposes |
Photo Quality |
Woohoo! Fantastic quality print, full of detail and perfect for your picture frame or for your showing off your very best shots.
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WANT TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO PHOTO AGENCIES?
There's no hard and fast rules for stock library resolution requirements, but as a rough guide, you should be looking to get a dSLR camera 10MP and above (you might just get away with 6MP or less for web use only) and remember you'll need model release forms for people featured in your images.
Be sure to check the terms and conditions of the agency you're submitting your work to very carefully and think twice before signing off your very best photos.
Here's a useful guide from a stock library agency:  Alamy.com
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