

The final factor to consider is what the resolution of the final print will be. What will the resolution of the print be?
PHOTO PRINT SIZES PROFESSIONAL
If you have purchased digital images from a professional photographer you could also go back to them to check what the best aspect ratio is.
PHOTO PRINT SIZES HOW TO
This short guide from the New York Times explains how to do this. If you’re not sure what ratio your photo should be printed in you can check it’s dimensions in pixels, and use these measurements to determine the best ratio – for example if the size of the photo is 1800 x 1200 it has an aspect ratio of 3 x 2. For some photographs this may not be an issue, but if your subject fills the frame it’s especially important to print it at the right aspect ratio. It’s sized to print in a 2 x 3 ratio, and you can see that if it is printed at a different ratio parts of the image are lost. Here’s an example of a photograph I took on a commercial shoot recently. The reason why it’s important to consider this is that if you choose a to print your photo in a different aspect ratio you may lose some important details from your print. For example is it sized to print in a 3 x 2 ratio such as 6” x 4” or in a 5 x 4 ratio such as 10” x 8”? The next consideration to make is what the aspect ratio of the original photograph is.

What is the aspect ratio of the original photograph? It shows some of the most common print sizes to scale – you may be surprised at how large you need your print to be! This is a service that I offer my clients and many other full-service photographers do too.Īs you’re considering where to display the prints you may also find the guide below useful. If your photographer offers printing services you may find that they can use computer-generated-imagery to show you exactly what the photographs will look like on your wall saving you from making your own templates. Once you have your templates on the wall you can stand back and see how they look – does the size look proportionate to the rest of the room? Does the size of the frame make the statement that you want it to? If you’re planning a gallery wall cut out templates for all of the frames and stick them on the wall in the layout you have planned. Start by cutting out a template of the frame / canvas from brown Kraft paper and stick it up on the wall before you print it and purchase the frame. Once you’ve considered all of these factors, a simple way to check whether your print will be the right size is to make a template of the final framed print or canvas. On the other hand, if the photograph is of your child running through a large meadow it will probably be difficult to see them clearly in a small 6” x 4” – in this case a much larger print may be a better choice.Ĭhoosing The Right Size Print For Your Space Regardless of the size the viewer will clearly be able to see who the photo is of. A close-up of your children is likely to look good in a large frame on the wall and in a small frame on the mantelpiece.

For example a landscape photograph will probably work well over a large sofa but in the same place a portrait photograph may have too much empty space around it.Ī final consideration when it comes to where you will display the print is the subject matter. You don’t want to go to the trouble of printing your photograph and then find that it is too small and looks lost in the middle of a large, otherwise empty wall.Įqually, it’s important to think about the orientation of the print and where you want to hang it. If you’re choosing to hang the photograph(s) on a wall, an important consideration is whether the print will be the right size for the room. Will it be in a large frame on the wall, or in a small frame on a shelf or mantelpiece? Will the photo be alone, or grouped with other photographs – for example in a gallery wall? The first consideration when choosing what size to print your photos is where you are planning to display them. Where are you planning to display your prints? In this post I’ll explain how each of these can impact the size that you choose to print your photos, and how you can decide what the best size for each photograph is.
