How much resolution should I use when exporting photos?

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MorganP

Well-known member
How much resolution should I use when exporting photos? When searching the web it seems that 300 is the current level many suggest up from the 200 from the past. Why not 400 or 500................? At higher levels are you just making the noise worse?
 
How much resolution should I use when exporting photos? When searching the web it seems that 300 is the current level many suggest up from the 200 from the past. Why not 400 or 500................? At higher levels are you just making the noise worse?

Exporting for what purpose? It mostly depends on how the image will be displayed as this is the rate-limiting step.
 
If exporting for printing then 240dpi is a safe size. If exporting for web use then I go with 96dpi. Printers for the most part downsample a file that is higher than 240 ppi/dpi and I believe it is better if I do this in my editor instead of having the lab's printer doing it.
 
Large medal prints 20 x 24 to 30 x 45...? I also export for screen back grounds as well as post to Backcountry Gallery.

The company that is printing your metal prints should have posted information specifically regarding what they want. I use Bay Photo and they do this, generally saying "send us the largest file you can (within their set limits) at 300 ppi." Most printing companies want 300 ppi, but again check with them to see what they require. For web, use sRGB and I use 150 ppi; 72 ppi is the very lowest resolution you can use to get a continuous tone image from a digital file, which is not a continues tone image in its original format, and was set long ago when all screens, for the most part, could only handle 72 ppi. I use a lower ppi because I'm hoping this will discourage anyone from printing a file of any size. Many screens today have a higher resolution. Size should be equivalent to the intended use, across and down. If you send too small a digital file and it tries to fit into a larger size you will get pixelation as the image tries to fill the allotted space. For the web, it's generally from, on the long side for pixels, perhaps 900 to around 1200 or perhaps even 1500. There are many differences. Sites such as Facebook or Instagram, that provide you with the information regarding image sizing. This is a very complicated topic.
 
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If exporting for printing then 240dpi is a safe size. If exporting for web use then I go with 96dpi. Printers for the most part downsample a file that is higher than 240 ppi/dpi and I believe it is better if I do this in my editor instead of having the lab's printer doing it.
The only thing that matters for web use is the pixel dimensions. DPI or more correctly, PPI, doesn't mean a thing. A 1200 x 800 pixel image at 300 ppi will be the same size on a monitor as it would be at 96, or anything else. PPI is only a tag for printing. For printing, you need enough pixels to print at your desired size in inches at the ppi desired. For example, using 300 ppi, an 8" x 12" print would require a image that was 2400 pixel x 3600 pixels. For set dimensions in pixels, the higher the ppi, the smaller the print. Noise isn't a factor.
 
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Large medal prints 20 x 24 to 30 x 45...?
Crop your print to the needed ratio (if needed) and send them as much native resolution as your image has. Unless you are sending absolutely massive files, there is no downside to send the file at native resolution (cropped of course if necessary to meet the print ratio) when printing. Sending too little, on the other hand, is an issue. 300 ppi is generally considered the standard for a closely viewed print. A lot of images can be printed with only 200 ppi and still look acceptable depending on subject matter, but you are now cutting it close for more intimate viewing. Anything over 300 ppi just gives you and the lab some extra cushion. Noise should only be an issue if it was an issue in the original image and not addressed in post processing.

Good luck,

--Ken
 
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The only thing that matters for web use is the pixel dimensions. DPI or more correctly, PPI, doesn't mean a thing. A 1200 x 800 pixel image at 300 ppi will be the same size on a monitor as it would be at 96, or anything else.
In general, that is my experience too. The one big exception I find is that gmail uses the DPI value with embedded email images. My birding companion uses 96 as a default with his images and when he sends me a shot it is HUGE in my email. If I click on it to view it, it is sized normally. I use 300 as my default and my images embedded in gmail are displayed much smaller. FWIW
 
This calculator shows how the viewing distance, the size of the image, the visual acuity of the viewer, and the resolution all relate. Ignore the 'inscribed pixel' checkbox. Obviously if you are farther away viewing a billboard then 10 pixels per inch can look good, but if you are up close viewing a 30x45 print then more pixels per inch are needed. Another obviously is we can't focus our eyes that close to something no matter how much we squint. I find things start to blur around 12 inches away. So even someone with 20/20 vision can't do much better than around 300 pixels per inch no matter how close they get.

A fair rule of thumb for the viewing distance is the diagonal of the print so that is what I set in the calculator. Arms length is also good. So your 30x45 inch print viewed at arms length 28 inches by someone with 20/20 vision would look sharp at 123 pixels per inch. Get 12 inches away though and it takes 287 pixels per inch, but if someone is scrutinizing your giant picture that close looking for noise then, well, what does that say about them. Since 287 pixels per inch in a print that big is more than 100 megapixels you better stick with arms length. Using the diagonal of the print as the viewing distance 54 inches you only need 64 pixels per inch. So tell the museum visitors to stay behind the velvet ropes.

There is no need to change your resolution when sending out to print though. As long as you have more than the minimum resolution per the calculator just keep your file full size. The printer's software is very capable of matching your image to their equipment without us messing with the size.

 
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