Digital cameras make it easy to capture images at any moment, while facilities like Facebook and Flickr let you post and share photos online with your loved ones. However, when it comes to showing off your favourite snap shots, photo printing gives you plenty of options to put your best moments on display.
Things to know about enlarging photos
When it comes to enlarging your digital images, it's all about quality. Unlike film negatives that could produce prints of almost any size, the size of your digital prints will depend on the quality of your original image file. The overarching rule is that, the higher the resolution of the original image file, the more options you'll have for enlarging prints. Here are some points to keep in mind:
- Megapixels - most compact digital camera models now offer 5.0 megapixels (or 5 million pixels) or more when it comes to resolution, so you'll have a variety of options available to you when it comes to enlarging your prints. It's a good idea to invest in a larger memory capacity as it means you'll be able to store more images at higher resolutions on a single card.
- Get in close - in addition to making large prints, photo enlargements give you the opportunity to hone in on a particular part of your image. Get a good look at the action in the background or isolate a face in a group for a stunning portrait shot. Most basic digital photography software lets you crop your images or you can make adjustments at the lab.
How large can I print?
Just how large can you go with your digital files? In photo printing, the recommended resolution for good quality images is 300 pixels per inch. That means if you're looking to make a 4 x 6 inch print you'll be looking at an image that is about 1200 x 1800 pixels in size, while a poster sized A1 print will require about 7020 x 9930 pixels. So the more pixels you have, the bigger you can make your prints.
Inkjet printers allow you to print lab quality digital prints right at home. When combined with advanced photo editing software and a high quality digital camera, you can make the most of your photo displays from your desktop. Get more creative photo printing ideas from Canon.