"Charlie" {
[email protected]} wrote in message
} On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 21:33:15 -0500, "Sharon Sims"
} {
[email protected]} wrote:
}
} }Hi,
} }
} }I have a 2 x 3 snapshot that I need to enlarge to a 8 x10. At what
} }resolution should I scan to get a good quality 8 x 10 picture? Thanks!!
} }
}
} You should spend some time at Wayne Fulton's web site,
}
www.scantips.com.
}
} First, your 2 x 3 snapshot will enlarge to 8 x 12 (4x magnification on
} each dimension), so to get it to 8 x 10 you'll have to crop the long
} side some.
}
} Second, there's no magic way to transform a 2 x 3 snapshot into a good
} quality 8 x 10 (or 8 x 12). It will look like a very soft/fuzzy
} enlargement.
}
} But since you need 4x enlargement per side, I'd suggest scanning at
} 800 ppi and then printing the resulting image at 200 ppi. Scanning 2"
} at 800 ppi gives 1600 pixels in the short dimension, then printing at
} 200 ppi gives 8 inches in the final print, which is what you want in
} the short dimension.
I'd add one point to that - rather than scanning at 800 dpi, scan at an even
division of your scanners actual resolution. If your scanner supports 1200
dpi, then 600 dpi will give a better scan than 800 dpi, because at 800 dpi
the scanner will smudge every other pixel it.
You could scan at your scanner's native resolution, but you'll probably find
no benefit above 1200 dpi, because even in a photographic print, the
resolution is probably not that good.
Regards,
Aaron Queenan.