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Photo Resolutions and Minimum Mexapixel Camera Requirements

Dave’s definitions:

100 DPI/PPI:
Poster/basic print quality: Good for basic prints or much larger photos (posters) viewed at a distance.

150 DPI/PPI:
Minimum quality for canvas or framed photos. Larger photos will show increasing loss of image quality including pixilation, graininess, or blurring.

200 DPI/PPI:
This is above the minimum requirements from most vendors e.g. Walgreen’s/ Kodak/ others...  for canvas or higher resolution photos. The final picture should be “good” to “very good” depending on the details within the original photo and the size of the printed photo.

240 DPI/PPI: Very good to excellent results expected depending on the size of the photo created. Larger photos will show some loss of image quality when examining the photo closely, however, it should look just about perfect from a viewing distance of at least a couple of feet. 

300 DPI/PPI: Perfection…. Few if any imperfections. Photo quality. Show off to your friends....

Select the quality of the final printed picture depending on use




Note:  The quality setting selected above will determine the minimum digital camera resolution (megapixels)
required to create the final printed picture size below.  It is important to remember that you cannot simply look at the megapixel output of a camera.  Some simple point and shoot cameras can produce high resolution photos that are of poor quality because of a substandard lens. (Megapixel myth).

Select the size(s) below that you are interested in printing.

5 x 7 inches     8 x 10 inches       11 x 14 inches    
16 x 20 inches     20 x 30 inches
 Multiple selections can be made
Photo Resolution – Minimum Megapixel Camera Req.