Can an upscaled 1500×630 image make a decent wall print?
Asked 6/23/2020
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I have an older image that is 1500×630 pixels. In Affinity Photo I can upscale it to about twice the size using Lanczos 3, and it looks OK on screen to me. If I print it for wall display, will the upscaled version look decent, assuming the printer itself is not the limiting factor? How much does the original pixel count matter, and is changing the DPI/PPI setting enough to improve print quality?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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It will not look good by definition. When increasing the resolution you are essentially trying to add information to the image where there is none. There are some AI assisted methods and smart enlarging filters, but all they do is just an educated guesses.
However... looking at a print is a different experience than looking at a photo on a screen. I have printed things in B2 format from instagram resolution photos (1350x1080 @ 72dpi) and they look just fine.... as long as there is not to much detail in them. If there is a shallow depth of field (a lot of blur) and not to much detail (like small type and many small sharp edges) it can be just fine.
To try the AI assisted enlarging try imglarger.com. There are other services out there, but this one somehow seems to be to provide the best results, however that all depends on the use case. For other services just google "ai image upscale".
Originally by user92724. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user92724
6y ago
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Changing the DPI/PPI number alone does not add detail. What matters most is the image’s actual pixel dimensions: 1500×630 px is all the real information you have. Upscaling with Lanczos or similar methods can make the file larger, but it cannot truly restore missing detail; it only interpolates. AI enlargers may sometimes help, but they are still making educated guesses.
That said, prints are viewed differently than screens. A low-resolution image can still look acceptable as a wall print if it won’t be examined closely and if the photo doesn’t contain lots of fine detail, small text, or many sharp edges. Images with blur or shallow depth of field often enlarge more gracefully.
A practical test is to preview the image on your screen at the physical size you want to print. If it still looks good at that size and viewing distance, the print may look fine too. Once you see obvious pixelation on screen at the intended size, you’re beyond what the file can comfortably support.
So: upscaling may help slightly, but the original pixel count remains the main limit. It might still make a decent wall print depending on subject matter and viewing distance.
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