How BIG Can you Print? - Printing Explained Simply

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It is easy to make big beautiful prints to hang on your wall.

In the video above I show you just what you need to know to crop, pick the perfect aspect ratio, and figure out just how large you can print.

Find more FREE Lightroom Training at http://photorec.tv/lightroom

The Steps -

  • Turn on Loupe View info that shows cropped dimensions. View > View Options . . .

  • Crop in Lightroom to the aspect ratio you plan to print. Don’t see the aspect ratio? Enter it as a custom aspect ratio.

  • Export the photo as JPEG, sRGB color space quality 100. Leave the image sizing section unchecked and DPI can be ignored.

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  • I do sharpen low for the type of media I will be printing on.

  • If you want to print BIG - bigger than 11 x 14 - consult Bay Photo File Prep Guidelines and the chart near the bottom showing resolution necessary for different prints. The left shows optimal and the right shows minimum resolution. Compare your cropped resolution with the chart, you want to be near the optimal sizes but don’t stress if you are slightly below. You can also use the calculator at Scantips to find the DPI of the photo you are about to print. Anywhere from 200-300 is just fine for large prints.

  • The larger the print the lower the acceptable DPI. Consult the chart below for more info.

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  • Upload to BayPhoto and choose the same aspect ratio that you cropped to. Choose Color Correction ON in the checkout screen.

  • BayPhoto produces gorgeous prints - the steps above are what I do to print large images for my walls and my clients. Check BayPhoto Savings page and take advantage of discounts.