#Printing resolution calculator how to#

#Printing resolution calculator how to#

This tutorial explains how to add an image border in lightroom but you can use other applications to achieve the same effect. When you centre the image on the paper, at a resolution of 300dpi it will leave a 1-inch border around each edge.Īn alternative is to produce an image with a border of the required size and make a borderless print. To produce a photographic quality print at 300dpi resolution you need an image that’s 4,800 pixels wide (16 x 300) by 4,200 pixels high (14 x 300). The image size then becomes 16×14-inches. If you are printing on an 18×16-inch paper and want to leave a 1-inch boarder around the edge you can calculate the image size by reducing the paper dimensions by 2-inches.

Most printers have an option to do this and many print services do this by default (or give you the option). The assumption here is that any print you make is centred on the paper. Next, consider the size of the border you want to leave. Alternatively trim the paper after making the print. The only way to resolve this is to crop the image to match the paper aspect ratio. This can look acceptable up to a point but then may start to look odd if the difference in size is too great. For example, you could have a larger boarder on the long edge compared to the short edge. If the image and paper have different aspect ratios, the border around the edge won’t be even. You first need to consider the size of the paper in relation to the image. Alternatively, you could trim the paper after printing. If you are using Photoshop then this tutorial explains how. If you aren’t sure how to do this and use Affinity Photo, see my tutorial explaining how. If you don’t, you will need to crop the image to match the aspect ratio of the paper. The important decision in this scenario is “do you want to leave a border around the image”. Image and Paper Have Different Aspect Ratios The print will then fill the paper at the best resolution for a photo print. If the paper measures 16×12-inches you would multiply each side of the image by the required resolution for your printer. If you decide to make a borderless print you should calculate the size of the image (in pixels) using a photo resolution. This is the easiest option as you can either print with a border or borderless. Image and Paper Have Matching Aspect Ratios Let’s go through these in a little more detail.

You want to leave a border around the edge of the image.

The image has a different aspect ratio to the paper.

The image has the same aspect ratio (width to height) as the paper.

There are several scenarios that could exist: This is when you need to allow for the border when calculating the resolution size for the print. But what if you need to leave a border or the image is a different size to the paper. The print measurement is a simple calculation like the one above. If your printer or print service supports borderless printing, this is easy. Something that’s frequently forgotten when making photo prints is the print border. There’s also a similar tutorial explaining how to resize and image using affinity photo. If you’re unsure of how to resize your image I have a tutorial explaining how to resize an image in Photoshop. It’s also important that you apply any output sharpening after you have resized your image. All you need to do is multiply the dimensions of the print you’re making by the required dpi resolution (let’s assume 300dpi).įor example, if you are making a 16×12-inch image print, the pixel resolution of the image would be 4800 × 3600. Now you understand the resolution for making a photographic quality print it’s easy to calculate the pixel dimensions of the image. Calculating Required Image Size Using Resolution

Failing that, use a resolution of 300dpi. If the website doesn’t say contact them for advice. If you are using a third-party print service, check the website. For Epson inkjet photo printers assume a resolution of 360dpi. If you are using your own printer, assume you need a print resolution of 300dpi unless it’s an Epson printer. Some wide format printers use a lower resolution like 254dpi. Some inkjet printers like the Epson work best with a print resolution of 360dpi. The Printer Used is ImportantĪssuming a print resolution of 300dpi is a general rule to help you understand the resolution you need for a photo quality print. It can also important to sharpen the image for print output as the process of printing will soften the image. To reproduce an image as a sharp photographic print you need the correct resolution which is approximately 300dpi. Whilst the image will appear OK, it won’t appear as sharp as it might look on a computer screen. When we try to use an image with too many pixels per inch, the printer throws away the pixels it doesn’t need.