Max print size for a given resolution.

[dicksallee]

Ain't it the truth. I think we are in total agreement.

[EOS_JD]

Originally Posted by dicksallee

Ain't it the truth. I think we are in total agreement.

[pscala]

Since I spend all day long in a service bureau doing this stuff I will share what over 10 year of ojt reveals.
The biggest issue is jpg files. They do not blow up big well because of the data that the camera tossed in making the smaller file size. Any large solid color area, like sky, water, any field of color tends to break up because the transitional data is missing. Also edges go soft and blurry again from the lack of data.
What we do for our clients is try to talk them down, and if they will not listen we offer to print a proof strip they can look at before they jump in up to their hips. Fractals and other software can only do so much. If the data is not available it has to best guess. We find Fractals works best when up sizing a good sharp RAW file. We have made wall paper from smaller images, but we send the print out to be drumb scanned to size.
Also any noise or lack of focus becomes very visable when you blow up an image.
I have spent a lot of time explaining ugly BIG prints to clients and it no fun to either side of that conversation.
Ps

[dicksallee]

Originally Posted by pscala

Since I spend all day long in a service bureau doing this stuff I will share what over 10 year of ojt reveals.
The biggest issue is jpg files. They do not blow up big well because of the data that the camera tossed in making the smaller file size. Any large solid color area, like sky, water, any field of color tends to break up because the transitional data is missing. Also edges go soft and blurry again from the lack of data.
What we do for our clients is try to talk them down, and if they will not listen we offer to print a proof strip they can look at before they jump in up to their hips. Fractals and other software can only do so much. If the data is not available it has to best guess. We find Fractals works best when up sizing a good sharp RAW file. We have made wall paper from smaller images, but we send the print out to be drumb scanned to size.
Also any noise or lack of focus becomes very visable when you blow up an image.
I have spent a lot of time explaining ugly BIG prints to clients and it no fun to either side of that conversation.
Ps

Admittedly, my comments above were based on TIFF files which is pretty much all I use. They upsize quite well to ppi ratings well below what is generally considered essential. However, JPEGs can cause exactly the problems you mention. I don't think we are in disagreement.