Mega
Pixels
Digital
Graphics
Technology
Printout quality depends on the paper and printer as well. Make sure you are using quality photo paper and not just inkjet or laser paper. Plus, ensure that your printer is configured to use the high-quality paper.
The dpi (dots per inch) of a printout helps determine the image quality and how many megapixels you may need. Generally, the greater the dpi, the clearer and crisper the printout (to a point). While you can print larger images from smaller digital photos by decreasing the dpi, the results may not be as impressive as if the original image were larger and printed with a larger dpi.
A megapixel is 1 million pixels. It's an area measurement like square feet. A typical 8 megapixel camera produces images that are 3266 x 2450* pixels.
If you multiply 3266 by 2450, you get 8,001,700 or 8 million pixels. To find the largest photo quality image you can print, simply divide each dimension by 300:
3266 / 300 = 10.89 inches
2450 / 300 = 8.17 inches
If you are not publishing your images in a book or magazine, and you're just making prints for yourself or your friends, you can "cheat". Good quality inkjet printers can make a nice looking print at 250 or 200ppi. At 200ppi, the maximum print size becomes:
3266 / 200 = 16.33 inches
2450 / 200 = 12.25 inches
Mega pixels & Maximum Print Size Chart
|
Mega pixels |
Pixel Resolution* |
Print Size
at 300ppi |
Print size
at 200ppi |
Print size
at150ppi** |
3 MGP |
2048 x 1536 |
6.82" x
5.12" |
10.24" x
7.68" |
13.65" x
10.24" |
4 MGP |
2464 x 1632 |
8.21" x
5.44" |
12.32" x
8.16" |
16.42" x
10.88" |
6 MGP |
3008 x 2000 |
10.02" x
6.67" |
15.04" x
10.00" |
20.05" x
13.34" |
8 MGP |
3264 x 2448 |
10.88" x
8.16" |
16.32" x
12.24" |
21.76" x
16.32" |
10 MGP |
3872 x 2592 |
12.91" x
8.64" |
19.36" x
12.96" |
25.81" x
17.28" |
12 MGP |
4290 x 2800 |
14.30" x
9.34" |
21.45" x
14.00" |
28.60" x
18.67" |
16 MGP |
4920 x 3264 |
16.40" x
10.88" |
24.60" x
16.32" |
32.80" x
21.76" |
|
