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Printing images - what file size do you need? Resolution, pixel sizes and file sizes compared for print
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Printing images - what file size do you need?
A guide to required file sizes for printing out photos [Updated Feb 2016]

Image size Pixels
(Virtual Size of Scans)

Megapixel
rating

Print size (inches)
at 200ppi

Print size (inches)
at 300ppi

640  x  480

0.3

3.2 x 2.4

2.1 x 1.6

1,024 x 768

0.8

5.1 x 3.8

3.4 x 2.5

1,280 x  960

1.2

6.4 x 4.8

4.2 x 3.2

1,504 x 1,000 1.5 7.5 x 5.0 5.0 x 3.3

1,632 x 1,224

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

3,008 x 2,000

6.0

15.0 x 10.0

10.0 x 6.7

4,256 x 2,848

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.

Digital camera resolution vs print quality
Capture Resolution
Video Display
Print Size
2x3"
4x5"/4x6"
5x7"
8x10"
11x14"
16x20"
20x30"
320x240

OK

Good

OK

Crap

Crap

Crap

Crap

Crap

640x480
0.3Megapixel

Good

Excellent

Good

Crap

Crap

Crap

Crap

Crap

800x600

Excellent

Photo Quality

Very Good

Reasonable

Crap

Crap

Crap

Crap

1024x768

Excellent

Photo Quality

Excellent

Good

OK

Crap

Crap

Crap

1280x960
1 MP

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Very Good

Good

Crap

Crap

Crap

1536x1180

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

Very Good

OK

Crap

Crap

1600x1200
2MP

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Very Good

OK

OK

Crap

2048x1536
3 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

Good

OK

OK

2240x1680
4 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Very Good

Good

OK

2560x1920
5 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

Very Good

Very Good

3032x2008
6 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

Very Good

3072x2304
7 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

Excellent

3264x2448
8 Megapixel

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Excellent

10 Megapixel +

Excellent

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality

Photo Quality


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.



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: external link Alamy.com


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