Image Size & Printing

[zioneye]

I have a photo I cropped and adjusted in PSP9. Its' size is 2475 X 1133 pixels or 34 X 16 inches. Can I get a decent print that is actually 34X16 inches? The file size is 2.21 mb and is saved as a tiff. I shot the original photo as a jpeg and used a Canon 20D SLR.

[another view]

2475 pixels divided by 34" = 72dpi
1133 pixels divided by 16" = (about the same)

You'll need a higher resolution for a good quality print (as in more pixels). This topic has been discussed before, check my reply at the bottom of this thread - same situation here.

Of course the best way to have more resolution is in the original file, and this could come from a higher resolution camera or not cropping so much. That camera should have enough resolution and image quality for a 34" wide print, but since it's cropped in both directions you're stretching it even farther. One thing you could do is to increase the resolution of the file with software.

I don't have PSP, but there are a few ways to do it. Simply re-size the image up to maybe 180 or 240dpi (do the math as above to figure out what you need for pixels). Some Photoshop people say the quality is better if you increase the size only 10% each time, so resizing several times just this much might give you a better file (never heard this about PSP though). Or you could use an interpolation program like Genuine Fractals. One of these methods should give you a slightly better finished print than you're getting, but there's really no substitute for original file resolution.