Why does my RAW file become only 3x5 inches at 600 dpi, and how can I prepare it for a large print?
Asked 11/2/2011
3 views
2 answers
0
I'm editing a RAW photo from a Nikon D50 in Photoshop CS4 and need to place it into Illustrator for a large banner print. When I convert the RAW file to TIFF or JPEG and then set the image to 600 dpi, Photoshop shows the print size as only about 3x5 inches. I expected RAW to give me higher resolution than JPEG.
How do DPI, pixel dimensions, and RAW conversion relate here? If I need an image about 11 inches high at 600 dpi, what should I do to prepare the file for print?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
6
Sorry to say but you are confused. I suggest you read this article about resolution. I wrote it a long time ago but it still applies.
The resolution of a RAW file and a JPEG is identical unless you scale it down. Processing a RAW file does not affect its resolution. If you save it as TIFF, you can get the same color-depth too. If you save it as JPEG, then the bit-depth reduces to 8-bit per channel (24-bits per pixel).
The number of details you are asking for is a 600 DPI image of 11", so it needs to have 6600 pixels high. Your camera certainly does not have that resolution, even the 25 MP Nikon D3X falls short.
What you therefore have to do is to scale it up using to 4400x6600 for a landscape image or 9900x6600 for a portrait image using Photoshop's Image Resize function.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
RAW does not give you more pixel resolution than JPEG from the same camera. A RAW file and a JPEG from your Nikon D50 have the same image dimensions unless you resize them. Converting RAW to TIFF preserves quality and can preserve higher bit depth; converting to JPEG reduces it to 8-bit per channel, but neither conversion increases detail.
The issue is that dpi/ppi only describes how densely existing pixels are printed. For 11 inches high at 600 dpi, you need 11 × 600 = 6600 pixels in height. Your camera does not capture that many pixels, so Photoshop reports a smaller print size at 600 dpi.
To make it print larger at that dpi, you must upsample the image in Photoshop using Image Size/Resize. For example, you would scale it to 6600 pixels high, with width depending on the crop and orientation. Keep in mind this does not create real new detail; it only enlarges the existing image.
So: process the RAW file normally, save as TIFF if you want maximum quality, then resize to the required pixel dimensions for print.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI14y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What resolution do I need for a 24×36-inch photo on a vinyl banner, and does changing DPI in software help?
Is 50 PPI enough for a 12×5 foot banner viewed from about 10 feet?
Why doesn’t changing DPI in Lightroom make an exported JPEG larger?
How can I get enough image resolution from my camera for a 300 ppi print or Photoshop file?
What pixel dimensions do I need for a 32×18 inch poster at 300 dpi, and which file format is best?