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Chapter 8: Printing Photos
47
Selecting a Print Size
The quality of photo prints is directly related to the number of pixels in the
photo. A high-resolution photo contains a lot of detailed visual information, and
can be printed at larger sizes. For example, a photo whose dimensions are 2048
x 1536 pixels (3.1-megapixel) would look good even when printed as large as
8” x 10” on most printers.
A low-resolution photo has less detailed visual information, and therefore
cannot be printed in larger sizes. A photo with pixel dimensions of 1280 x 960,
for example, lacks the detail needed to fill an 8” x 10” print. The result would
be a grainy, pixilated image. But printing this photo at a smaller size, such as 4”
x 6”, would give you a sharp, detailed print.
Determining a Photo’s Pixel Dimensions
How do you determine the number of pixels in a photo? If you haven’t cropped
the photo since you’ve taken it, you may know the pixel dimensions that you
had set on your camera for that photo. But if you don’t remember how you set
the camera or if you have cropped the image, you can check to see a photo’s
pixel dimensions before you print it.
To check a photo’s pixel dimensions:
1 On the Format menu, click Resize Image.
2 Under Select a page size, set the Units box to pxl.
The Height and Width boxes fill with the pixel dimensions.
3 Click Cancel.
How Large a Print Can You Get?
When you print a photo, you can set the printer to print at a variety of sizes,
which is expressed as dots per inch (dpi), or sometimes called pixels per inch
(ppi). Different desktop printers vary as to how much resolution they require
for the same print sizes. Some printers can produce crisp sharp prints at only
about 150 dpi, other printers require 300 dpi to produce quality prints. Experiment with your printer to see what kind of prints it can produce.
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