COMPUTER TIPS & TRICKS

Digital Camera Images

Image Resolution

Digital image resolution is the size of your image, measured in pixels ("picture elements"). A high-resolution image (such as 1600 x 1200 pixels) will result in a better printed photo than a low resolution image (such as 320 x 240 pixels), all other things being equal. If the resolution is too low for the size of the print chosen, the photograph will look fuzzy and indistinct.

Minimum Resolutions

To get high-quality prints in variety of sizes, the Gallery recommends your photos have at least the following minimum resolutions:

      For a wallet-size print, the image resolution should be 320 x 240 pixels minimum
      For a 4 x 6" print, the image resolution should be 640 x 480 pixels minimum
      For a 5 x 7" print, the image resolution should be 1024 x 768 pixels minimum
      For a 8 x 10" print, the image resolution should be 1536 x 1024 pixels minimum
      For a 16 x 20" print, the image resolution should be 1200 x 1500 pixels minimum
      For a 20 x 30" print, the image resolution should be 1200 x 1800 pixels minimum

What is a pixel?

Pixels are the basic building blocks of every digital image. The more pixels in your photos, the better the prints will look. The term "resolution" refers to the number of pixels in the photo.

What is DPI?

DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch) are relative measurements that can mean many things depending on the application for which you are preparing your image. For the purposes of digital photo-finishing, this measurement is not relevant and will not affect your image file.

For example, an image that is 1024 x 768 at 100 DPI is the exact same file and has the same resolution as an image that is 1024 x 768 at 500 DPI. Both files contain a total of 786432 pixels in a grid that has 1024 pixels on one side and 768 pixels on the other side. A more reliable measure for digital photo-finishing is the actual resolution, which represents the number of pixels that make up the image.

What is aspect ratio?

Aspect ratio refers to the slightly different rectangular shape of each print size. For example, a 4 x 6" print looks skinny compared to an 8 x 10" print, which is more like a square. To make your image fit these varying print shapes, photo labs typically enlarge the image slightly and crop off what doesn't fit.

Thanks to Kodak for providing this information.