What image pixel dimensions are suitable for printing between A2 and A0?
Asked 8/20/2015
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2 answers
0
I want to submit a photo to a competition, and their rules say the image must have enough resolution to be printed anywhere from A2 (596 × 422 mm) up to A0 (841 × 1189 mm). I resized the file in Photoshop and now it shows about 1000 × 644 pixels at 300 ppi. Is that acceptable, and what pixel dimensions should I actually be aiming for?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
2
No mette. You are doing it it wrong Xo)
1) You already have a photo. DO NOT MANIPULATE IT! If it works, it works, if not...
2) Ok. What are the dimensions of your original photo?
3) @ths already gave you some recomendations. Sumarize here:
For an A2 (42.0 x 59.4 cm) (16.53 x 23.38 inch) print:
100 ppi 1653 x 2338 px. (4 Mpx photo, Just enough quality)
150 ppi 2479 x 3507 px. (8.5 Mpx, Good quality)
200 ppi 3306 x 4676 px. (15.5 Mpx, ideal quality)
A0 (84.1 x 118.9 cm) (33.11 x 46.81 inch) print:
50 ppi 1655 x 2340 px. (4 Mpx photo, Not suitable)
75 ppi 2483 x 3510 px. (8.5 Mpx, Just enough quality)
100 ppi 3311 x 4681 px. (16 Mpx, Good quality)
A note:
In my opinion the specifications are really dumb. They should just say:
A Photo of 6 Megapixels (or whatever) or more.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The key number is pixel dimensions, not the 300 ppi setting in Photoshop. A file that is only about 1000 × 644 px is far too small for good-quality printing at A2 or A0.
Approximate useful targets from the community answers:
-
A2:
- 100 ppi: 1653 × 2338 px minimum
- 150 ppi: 2479 × 3507 px good
- 200 ppi: 3306 × 4676 px ideal
-
A0:
- 75 ppi: 2483 × 3510 px just enough
- 100 ppi: 3311 × 4681 px good
For large prints, lower ppi can still work because they’re viewed from farther away, but simply upscaling a small file in Photoshop does not add real detail. If your original image is smaller than roughly 1650 × 2340 px, it’s unlikely to print well at these sizes. If it’s around 2500 × 3500 px or more, it may be acceptable depending on the final print size.
So: check the original file’s native pixel dimensions and avoid judging quality by the DPI/PPI number alone.
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