Divi WordPress Theme

Busting The Megapixel Myth — How Much Resolution Do You Need For Print?

How many megapixels does your camera have? Mine has about 10 megapixels. But how much of it do you really need for a print? Here’s a small reference table to outline the pixels required to print some common sizes. This assumes that you print them at 200 dpi (dots per inch).

Print Size (in.) Diamension in Pixels Megapixels
3½ x 5 700 x 1000 <1
4 x 6 800 x 1200 1
5 x 7 1000 x 1400 1.5
8 x 10 1600 x 2000 3.2
11 x 14 2200 x 2800 6

So just in case you thought the pictures taken with your old 2 megapixel cameraphone were a waste, don’t give up hope yet. Retouch them to your liking and feel free to press the print button when you are satisfied. And if you want do bookmark this post – those reference tables do come in handy.

WordPress themes by Elegant themes

8 comments… add one
  • Nigel Dec 3, 2009 @ 13:33

    Kirsten, search out Ken Rockwell. Just go through his website thoroughly. It’s not about the camera (it’s about you).

  • Shivanand Sharma Dec 3, 2009 @ 13:36

    I like his blog but a mention of his name wouldn’t be such a good idea here. That’s because all threads relating to him are endless ;)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *