FREE SHIPPING with purchase of ANY two or more items.
Not all images are created equal.
Top quality build materials are of no value if the printed image is low quality, but we don't all have high resolution cameras that can produce photo quality images in larger print sizes. To that end, PremiumPrintArt.com uses advanced AI powered software to enhance lower resolution images, when appropriate, at no charge to you. That said, even the best software is not a cure all.
Read on about how file size affects image quality, along with tips to ensure the best possible final product.
Megapixels translated to image size
Megapixels are only part of the story when it comes to digital image quality, but generally the more megapixels, the larger you can print and still maintain good quality. True "photo quality" prints are those printed at 300 pixels per inch or higher.
The adjacent chart offers a rough guideline comparing megapixel count to acceptable print quality at different sizes. By comparison, most cell phone cameras released in the past 5 years feature anywhere from 12 to 16 megapixel sensors, while modern point and shoot digital cameras will typically capture at least 20 megapixels.
After our free photo enhancement service, size options listed in Green, Blue, Purple and Yellow can be reproduced with very good to exceptional image quality. For images where high detail is less critical, we have successfully printed images smaller than .1 megapixels in sizes up to 8"x10", though such small file sizes are not recommended.
A "how to" on file size
Easily find out if your file is “big” enough for a quality print on a computer. The first step is to look up the image pixel count. This will vary based on your operating system – for a PC, right click the subject image and select “Properties,” then select the “Details” tab. On a Mac, right click the image, choose “Get Info” then expand the “More Info” section. In both cases, look for the file dimensions in pixels.
From here it’s time for a little math. For a true photo quality image of 300 pixel per inch (ppi), simply take the pixel count and divide by 300 to get the resulting image length or width. Remember we can achieve good image quality with pixel counts as little as 100 ppi. In this case, take the pixel count divided by 100 to calculate the largest length or width of your final printed image. But remember, the more pixels on the original file, the better.
EXAMPLE 1: A 4800 x 6000 pixel image can be printed in true photo quality of 300 ppi up to a 16″x20″ image size. This is equivalent to about a 28.8 megapixel file.
EXAMPLE 2: A 1600 x 2000 pixel image can be printed at 100 ppi to the same 16″x20″ image size. This is equivalent to about a 3.2 megapixel file.
The information on this page is intended as a guideline. Some photos perform better than others when enlarged, but thanks to our value added image enhancement, an every day cell phone photo can look great, even at larger sizes. In most cases, staying with the chart above will result in a beautifully printed image. If image quality is found to be substandard during pre-production, a representative will contact you with alternatives before going to print.