How to Get a Big Picture Printed: 7 Best Practices

Do you have a picture that you would like printed bigger on a flexographic printer? There could be many reasons why you would want to create a real big print of your picture. You probably want to hang it on your wall, print a banner for an event, print an advertisement poster or frame it and present it as a gift. No matter what your reasoning is, getting a big picture printed is possible with the right software and technology. Most people use a flexographic printer and flex storage solutions for this type of printing.

Regardless of which printing technique you choose, you should always make sure the resolution is the right size to scale it to a larger size. Images that are clear on-screen does not always print well. Certain dimensions and resolutions apply for the picture to print well. If you try to print the picture that does not have the right resolution, then you are likely to get a pixelated and unusable print. Generally, the resolution for good quality or large quality print is 300 Dots per inch (dpi). More than this resolution is even better to get a big picture printed.

Many software applications can help you enlargen your picture to make it the right size for print, but it does not always guarantee that the print will be vivid. Most pictures without the right dimensions, file size and resolution, are pixelated. Follow these best practices to ensure you understand how to get a big picture printed with good quality:

1. File size of the image

If you have control of the photography, then you want to ensure all the images are of a certain resolution. If you are working with a professional photographer, they shoot high quality uncompressed RAW images that retain the resolution properties of the image. Request for these image files instead of the compressed jpeg files.

2. Increasing resolution

Use dedicated photo software for enlarging your picture. For sure, you can resize an image using Adobe Photoshop. However, you have to be careful on how far you scale it based on the dimensions and resolution. There is professional software that can enlarge images without distorting its pixels. Scanners can help, but it will all depend on the initial picture.

When scanning, first ensure the initial image has the right resolution, then adjust your scan setting to 600 dpi and save the image as a Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) file. This can help in printing a larger picture.

3. File formats

TIFF is the recommended format for good quality and high-resolution printing in big pictures. Avoid using jpeg, png or gif files. Most printing companies will request a certain file format to enable them to print your picture larger. Jpeg, for instance, does not allow for further enhancements or improvement to the quality or resolution of the picture.

4. Force image resolution and resampling

There is a function that allows for resampling, which, in other words, means changing the pixel dimensions of the image. Adjustments can always be made to the resolution and pixels if the image is a minimum resolution size. This will allow for enhancements before you get a big picture printed.

5. Preparing for large format printing

To avoid software adjustments in the first place, you should always take photos that are in a large format that is ready for print, such as TIFF. Other ways would include the force image resolution and resampling that will adjust the pixels and resolution accordingly for print.

For example, if the file size is 200 MB and the dpi is only 100, there is the possibility to enhance the resolution of the image to make it a 300 dpi without losing the resolution properties. This is why both the file size and the resolution matter when preparing your file for a large print.

6. Color format

For large prints, you want to ensure your picture is set to CMYK colors. Your computer monitor will depict the images as RGB (Red, Green, Blue), but when set to CMYK (CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK) you ensure the correct colors are produced during print.

Remember that RGB, which is the colors you see on screen may not be the colors that are printed. When you submit your file and are not sure that your picture is set to CMYK, you can request the printing company to check this requirement before they set your image for print.

7. Offset printing

Apart from printing in quantities, the offset printing process can print large format images with a very high-level finish. Many offset printers can tell you if your file size can print a large picture. The offset printing process offers great precision and a better rendering of the picture colors. The images are very vivid and can be printed as large high-quality formats that can be used for outdoor posters, roll-up banners, vinyl PVC posters and more.

Offset printing supports large format printing, which is why this technology uses specialty production equipment to accommodate bigger than normal print dimensions. If, however, you just want to print one large image, your best choice is digital printing.