Saving a file for photo printing

RBEU · **Joined:** Oct 12, 2016 **Posts:** 2

GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: Windows 10
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

Hello I have a file which is a collage of different photos I have taken of my family. All the photos have been taken on an SLR Camera so they are high quality. The Gimp file I have created is about 8MB. However, when I save the picture as a JPEG with quality of 100, the max I can get is 4MB.... To print the photo onto a canvas I need at least 7MB. Does anyone know what I can do about this?

Thanks Heaps

Blighty II · **Joined:** Sep 23, 2016 **Posts:** 316

What is the size of the canvas (in inches or cm)?
What is the size of your Gimp file in pixels?

Wallace · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:59 am **(#3)**

Have you tried exporting it as a PNG or PDF file?

You could also extend the boarders of the image.

As a general rule for printing.
The image should also be (if it isn't already) at least 300 DPI or more for best print quality.

Also when printing there is what is called Bleed.
Bleed is any printed area that extends off the edge of the page.
Presses do not print to the very edge of a sheet,
so files with bleeding elements,
must be larger than the desired finished size and printed on larger sizes of paper,
then cut down.

So extending the boarders can help in this instance.
To achieve the desired image weight/file size.

The thumbnail below is an example image of what Bleed is.

rich2005 · **Joined:** Mar 04, 2011 **Posts:** 2446

RBEU wrote:

GIMP Version: 2.8.14
...The Gimp file I have created is about 8MB. However, when I save the picture as a JPEG with quality of 100, the max I can get is 4MB.... To print the photo onto a canvas I need at least 7MB. Does anyone know what I can do about this?

To me it reads that the collage was started with a size too small.

Time to look at the different formats for images and the filesize produced. Starting out with straight-from-camera jpeg image about 5 MB (4800 x 3300 pix)

Gimp 2.8 images are compressed to a certain extent (RLE) and can be further compressed xcf.gz / xcf.bz2
What is the difference? Efficiency, but time to open an image can be longer.

Lossless formats
plain-gimp.xcf 46 MB
compressed-gimp.xcf.gz 34 MB
more-compressed-gimp.xcf.bz2 28 MB
default-png.png 21 MB

When it comes jpeg, compression is very efficient but it is lossy. Quality is not linear. 100 to 90, big saving in file size without much visible difference in quality. 70 and less, not much change in file size, big loss in quality.

lossy
100jpg.jpg 9.4 MB
95jpg.jpg 4.8 MB
85jpg.jpg 2.8 MB

All that means, file size is no real guide.

When it comes to printing, depends on the size to be printed, photo 6"x4" or A4 or printed as a poster. That is where the image size in pixels comes in

RBEU · **Joined:** Oct 12, 2016 **Posts:** 2

Ok - thanks everyone for your replies. I am going to try recreating the file with a Larger image. Will let you know how I go.

	Similar Topics	Replies
	Script for selecting, cropping the selection and saving the file	8
	printing	2
	Printing	1
	Trouble printing the correct size	6
	Printing from Gimp - Using win32 Application	1