For the same print size, should I downsize the image or keep full resolution and print at higher PPI?

Asked 12/16/2013

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I shoot RAW on a 12 MP Nikon D700 (4256 × 2832). For a print around 13.3 × 8.85 inches, I could either:

  • downsize the file to 2128 × 1416 and print at about 160 ppi, or
  • keep the full 4256 × 2832 file and print at about 320 ppi.

The print size would be the same either way.

Downsizing often makes an image look cleaner on screen because noise and small flaws are less visible, so I’m wondering whether a lower-resolution file printed at lower ppi might actually look better than using the full-resolution file at higher ppi.

Assume the printer is a good professional printer, and I’m mainly asking about small prints (A4 and smaller) that will be viewed closely.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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If the physical size of the prints isn't changing, i.e. remaining 13.3 x 8.85 inches, then I would say stick to the larger image at 320 DPI. If you print the same size image at 160 versus 320 you'll have less printed dots per inch, meaning the physical resolution of the print is smaller, and I would argue the lines and curves in the image would appear less smooth at 160, and colour tones would graduate less smoothly too.

Have you thought about what might happen if you brought the resolution of the image down even further? let's say we halved it one more time, and then again, to 532 x 354. Would you print a 13.3 x 8.85 inch photograph at 40 DPI? Taking this further, you could arguably get down to only a few dots per inch. I'm confident the photo would look a lot less like a photo and just a splotch of colour.

Reducing the pixels on screen doesn't eliminate noise or other image artefacts - it just conceals them from your eyes. To achieve this effect in print, you need to pack more dots into an inch. The higher the number of pixels you have, the easier it is to pack more dots into every inch. If you have a 4256 x 2832 pixel image, and you printed at 320 DPI, you'd have a 13.3 x 8.85 inch photograph. If you printed that same image at 600 DPI, you'd have a 7.09 x 4.72 inch photograph. The latter would be smaller, but it would achieve the same visual effect as the on-screen pixel reduction.

Cheers

Originally by user24756. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user24756

12y ago

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AI Answer

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For the same physical print size, keep the full-resolution file and print at the higher ppi.

Downsizing can make an image look cleaner because it hides noise and small flaws, but it also throws away real detail. If you print 13.3 × 8.85 inches at 160 ppi instead of 320 ppi, the print has less image information, so edges, curves, and tonal transitions are more likely to look less smooth.

In general, the less unnecessary modification you make, the better. Start with the original image and let the print process use as much source detail as possible. If the image needs noise reduction, sharpening, or tonal correction, do that deliberately rather than relying on downsizing alone to “improve” it.

The exact result can vary with the whole workflow, but as a rule: for a fixed print size, more source pixels are preferable to fewer. Downsizing may mask defects, but it does so by sacrificing detail.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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