10mp print bigger than a3?

[thefonz78]

I usually print a4 and a3 which look fine form my 10mp d40x. But i have been asked to print larger than this. I don't want to print a larger one and it to look terrible. They want a B&W print i don't know id that makes any difference. What size can i get away with printing?

[Stormsong]

To be honest, I think you are pushing it with 10MP at anything larger than A3.10MP is not a lot really. In printing terms, the bigger you enlarge an image, the looser the pixels/dots per inch become on the paper. So if you are shooting in RAW, and converting to 300 pixels per inch/dots per inch in j-peg format, anything beyond A2 print size is going to start showing a lot of noise, even in B&W. Perhaps do a test at that size and see. But bigger than A2 is going to be a struggle.

Regards,
Denise

[GeoffWessex]

I agree - my 10Mp camera does a good job up to 11"x14" (roughly A3), but then struggles (I have a large printer and could print to 16"x over 40"). Bigger prints require bigger images - and resizing in Photoshop or equivalent can only do so much.... as you increase physical dimensions of an image you reduce the resolution - and if it drops below 200dpi you've had it.

If you're going to be regularly printing bigger in the future there are two options: A bigger Sensor on the camera or investment in software like Genuine Fractals (now called 'Perfect Resize') but it's not a cheap plug-in.

I've used a third method on occasion, but it's something that needs planning.... making one large picture from 2 or 3 shots (each taken in 'portrait' orientation). Join them by editing them on layers or just go for a panorama. That 10Mp picture can actually be closer to 30Mp once three of them are joined up.

[thefonz78]

Thank you guys thats pretty much what i thought. I will not be doing it often and they will not be looking so critically as a photographer would be. How does the resizing software work? I've just bought myself a Nikon d5100 16mp will i struggle to print over a3 with this too?

[OldBoy]

Forget Genuine Fractals if you have Photoshop, as that does as good a job or even better in most cases. In Photoshop select Image, Image Size, in the box/window that pops up make sure Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions and Resample Images boxs are ticked. The Bicubic Smoother is selected, then just enter a new size in the Document size box or enter a new figure in the Pixel Dimensions box. For example My D3 has a normal file size of 34.5mb but if I increase the Pixel Dimensions from width of 4,256 to 8,512 my file size jumps from 34.5mb to 137.9mb and the resolution remain at 300ppi. This is bigger than A2 and triple the Pixel Dimensions take it to 310.4mb and over 4AO size. All you then need to do is apply a little sharping and it is ready.

Remember, most large images are viewed from a distance and not up close, so this allows you to view the full image in the whole.

[thefonz78]

thanks oldboy I have photoshop so i will give it a go.

[jet_kit]

Originally Posted by OldBoy

Remember, most large images are viewed from a distance and not up close, so this allows you to view the full image in the whole.

I agree with Oldboy. I had one of my images end up on a billboard a few years ago and that was on my old S2Pro which was technically only 6MP, but from the usual viewing distance (in your car 50M away) it looked OK.

[GeoffWessex]

Is it now a general opinion that the latest Photoshop (CS5) can resample for larger images better than 'Genuine Fractals'? Genuine Fractals had become almost an industry standard for enlarging with minimal loss of quality and was the stock answer to the question of how best to make a big print from a small(ish) image... so has Adobe really caught up? And if so, can we say the same for the latest PS Elements?

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by GeoffWessex

Is it now a general opinion that the latest Photoshop (CS5) can resample for larger images better than 'Genuine Fractals'? Genuine Fractals had become almost an industry standard for enlarging with minimal loss of quality and was the stock answer to the question of how best to make a big print from a small(ish) image... so has Adobe really caught up? And if so, can we say the same for the latest PS Elements?

Photoshop CS3 could match Genuine Fractals upto about 6 times enlargments. Not sure on Elements as I've never used it.

[CaptainJamie21]

Personally I think if your worried about lack of quality at a3 or larger, then getting a test print is probably a good idea.

10mpx is a low number on todays cameras but its not about how many pixels you can cram onto a sensor. Granted the fewer you have the smaller your largest print can be.

I sold a canvas that was just over a3 that was shot with D60 (same sensor I believe as D40X) and that seemed ok, though I wouldn't want to bump up to a2 if I knew someone was going to go up close and inspect it.

Software can help with enlarging but if you don't have it already it could cost more than a higher resolution body.

How many larger prints are you likely to get in future. If lots is the answer maybe a permanent solution is needed