Enlarging a digital pic

[Kathy]

Assuming a person has a really nice digital picture to work with, how do you go about enlarging it for printing?

I have a copier/printer/scanner that will print out photo's using Kodak photo stock, up to standard printer paper size. But what if you want to make a poster or even just an 11 X 14 size print-do you have to take the pic on disc to a photo shop? What other home options are there?

[vera]

Hmmm... I think that if you enlarge even a sharp photo, it'll print somewhat blurry. You'd have to take the photo at a high resolution - in addition to being better quality (sharper), these also come in bigger sizes than the lower resolutions, if I'm not mistaken - and print it at the size it is or smaller. The pictures I'm taking with that wonderful new Fuji camera are HUGE, about 3 times the size I post them here. At that size, they'd be good enough for large prints, but if you were to take the reduced pics I posted (600x450) and enlarged them again to the original size, they'd be blurry because reducing the size and saving the pic at a smaller file size reduces detail. Does that make sense?

[Kathy]

vera said:

Does that make sense?

Surprisingly, it does!! ;D And that's quite a compliment since I'm about as technologically challenged as they come!!

Thanks, when I get my new camera I'll make sure to check my settings if its a pic I hope to enlarge. I have a couple of pictures that were sent to me and I had thought about enlarging them-I guess I'll see how they look when I 'blow them up'. ;D

Thanks for the easy to understand explaination.

[Deleted]

Very good Job Vera. I dont think I could have said it any better myself.

Mark

[thrillbilly]

vera said:

Hmmm... I think that if you enlarge even a sharp photo, it'll print somewhat blurry. You'd have to take the photo at a high resolution - in addition to being better quality (sharper), these also come in bigger sizes than the lower resolutions, if I'm not mistaken - and print it at the size it is or smaller. The pictures I'm taking with that wonderful new Fuji camera are HUGE, about 3 times the size I post them here. At that size, they'd be good enough for large prints, but if you were to take the reduced pics I posted (600x450) and enlarged them again to the original size, they'd be blurry because reducing the size and saving the pic at a smaller file size reduces detail. Does that make sense?

Excellent explanation!

My friend ran into the same thing. Anything larger than 8x10 I take to a local shop about 30 miles away and just hand them the memory card and let them print it out for me. I have few enlargements on the wall that are huge. Just make sure if you are going to be blwoing them up really big that you use the very best setting for your pics.

i know its great to get 400 pics on a card but when you blow them up youll regret it. keep it on at least a happy medium.

Id rather have 30 extremely clear high quality photos as 400 good 4x6 that blows to a 8x10 and looks like theres a fog in the way.