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Print Size vs. Image Quality Comparison Charts

How many pixels do you really need for a print? There is no real scientific answer to that question. It is simply a matter of taste and personal preference for a certain style of art. With that said, there are recommended resolution for different sized prints. Here are some recommendations from different manufacturers.

Canon

The chart below shows the recommended size an image should be printed according to the resolution of the camera. (Based on 2003 Canon Digital Camera PowerShot / Digital EOS Brochure.)

Resolution Pixels Print Size
640 x 480 Small
1024 x 768 Middle Computer Screen
or
TV Monitor
1280 x 960 1 MP 4" x 6"
1600 x 1200 2 MP 6" x 8"
2048 x 1536 3.3 MP 8.5" x 11"
2272 x 1704 4 MP 11" x 14"
2592 x 1944 5 MP
3072 x 2048 6 MP 13" x 19"

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Microsoft

Photo size in inches
Image resolution in pixels

4x6

800x600

5x7

1024x768

8x10

1600x1200

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Nikon

DIGITAL CAMERAIMAGE SIZEOUTPUT SIZE
350,000 pixels640x4808.1cm x 6.1cm
800,000 pixels1024x76813cm x 9.8cm
1,000,000 pixels1152x87214.6cm x 11.1cm
1,300,000 pixels (E910)1280x96016.2cm x 12.2cm
2,100,000 pixels (E950)1600x120020.3cm x 15.2cm
3,300,000 pixels (E990)2048x153626cm x 19.5cm

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Sony

Web Site:

Image resolution refers to the number of pixels used to record by the camera. By recording more Mega Pixels, the image has more information for detail and clarity for printing or viewing purposes.

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DSC-P92 Operating Instructions:

Image Size Examples
5.0 M 2592 x 1944 Printing fine images
4.5 M (3:2) 2592 (3:2) 3:2 prints *
3.1 M 2048 x 1536 Printing A4 size images
1.2 M 1280 x 960 Printing postcard size images
VGA 640 x 480 Creating your home page

* This option records images in a horizontal to vertical porportion of 3:2 to match the size of the print paper used.

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Copyright © 2003 by Chieh Cheng. All Rights Reserved.