Blow it up? Not a Flames question!

[Doctordestiny]

I have a digital photo that's 1280x1024, 640x426 pixels, 300 dpi resolution, 137 KB. How large can this photo be blown up with excellent results? Can I blow it up to 16x20 inches?

[Rathji]

Anything higher than about 240 PPI (which I assume your DPI actually means is PPI) is normally printable at decent results (at a certain size).

I always think of it like this (and I could be totally off base):

1280/240x1024/240 = size that can be printed in inches

in this case is 5.3x4.2.

I have never been sure about the accuracy of this calculation though, since if you increase to 300PPI, it should be able to get bigger, but the number comes out smaller, so at best it is a really rough guess IMHO.

edit: Actually, I misread your post. As Kunk pointed out you have 2 resolutions posted, which drastically changes the results that you can get. (and chances are neither will look any good at 16"x20")

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Doctordestiny

I have a digital photo that's 1280x1024, 640x426 pixels, 300 dpi resolution, 137 KB.

Is it 1280x1024 or 640x426? If it's originally 1280x1024 and was resized to 640x426 (assuming you changed the dpi to 300, causing the resize), that doesn't add any quality to it. A 640x426 image is not going to print well at 16x20. I would think to get even a good quality print (let alone excellent) that large your image size will be in the mBs, not kBs.

My math may be a bit off, but taking an 8.5 mega pixel image:
Size: 3582(px) x 2384(px) (4.09mb), normal print size at 300 DPI would be approximately 12x8. So even with those dimensions you would be enlarging it by a large amount.

[Russic]

A 137kb image won't be looking all that good at most sizes. Can you replace the image with something else?

[Hack&Lube]

As previous noted, an image cannot be both 1280x1024 and 640x426 pixels.

That's like saying I have a poster on my wall that is simultaneously 50 x 150 inches and 30 x 70 inches.

[Hanni]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

That's like saying I have a poster on my wall that is simultaneously 50 x 150 inches and 30 x 70 inches.

Is it a poster of Erwin Schrödinger?

[Doctordestiny]

Sorry, I don't know where the 1280x1024 came from. It doesn't say that in properties. I must have been dreaming.

I didn't take the photo. It's a sports photo and I got permission from a team to reproduce it off of their website. Here is what it says under properties.


-width 640 x height 426 pixels
-300 dpi horizontal and vertical resolution
-137 KB
-JPEG image, has not been resized
-bit depth 24


Can this be blown up to 16x20 inches and stay sharp? Many thanks, all.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Doctordestiny

Can this be blown up to 16x20 inches and stay sharp? Many thanks, all.

No, sorry. Does the team have the original photo? That's about the only chance you have at this point.

[photon]

Not even close, at 16x20 it's going to be like 30ppi, not 240. It wouldn't even look decent at 4x3.

[Russic]

Whoops nm.

[MoneyGuy]

nm

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Okay, thanks to all who have responded. I guess it's Plan B for me and my rumpus room canvas-wrapped photo.

You and Doctordestiny are the same person?

[Hemi-Cuda]

unfortunately there is no CSI "Enhance!" option in Photoshop, so a picture that small won't look good at all blown up