GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: XP - SP3
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

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I am working on a picture. I really want to have this picture printed out. I want to have it framed. I want this picture to be 24x20 inches when it is printed. Ok so here is my question.

Do i have to scale the picture to this size while it is in gimp and save it to this size in order to make this picture?

Sometimes when i have found a picture on line and used it in a picture for gimp and when i have changed the image size the picture then becomes blurry.

So i need to know if i make the picture smaller than 24x20 in gimp and then have them enlarge it, will my picture be blurry once it is printed?

you can not upscale a picture and expect it to be printed in good quality

in fact the opposite is true, people make their art bigger and then downscale, to get the best results

also the dpi is important, needs to have 300dpi +

The fundamental criterion is your print definition.

If you want very good print quality, so that people can look up close the pictures, you need a print definition around 300PPI, so this means your picture should be 24x300 by 20x300 = 7200x6000 pixels (43MPix, very few cameras produce pictures that big).

Photographers have a different stance: at a viewing distance that lets you see the whole picture, you can't see details smaller than 1/1800th of the diagonal. This translates into a rule that says that you picture should be at least 6MPix (2683x2236 for your 6/5 form factor).

If you current picture is smaller, upscaling it will only produce a finely printed blurry picture. All the detail/sharpness is in the pixels of the original image.

In my experience, 300 pixels per inch is the optimum, but you can probably get away with going down to 150 pixels per inch without noticeable loss of quality.
As Ofnuts says, 300 p.p.i. means your image needs to be 7200 x 6000 pixels.
Going down to 150 means you need 3600 x 3000.
How large is your image? I don't think there's anything to gain from making it larger - if the extra details aren't there, then they're not there. Enlarging the image will only add pixels based on what's already there, as you've already seen when increasing the size has made pictures "blurry".

The important thing to do in Gimp is to get the aspect ratio right. 24 x 20 is more "square" than a normal photo from a digital camera so you'll need to crop off the sides to get the right shape.

Reading and learning!
This is all new to me! Very good take note of this!
Thx Ofnuts!

sounds reasonable

got the tip from a media designer

but that doesnt necessarily mean he knows it all

As I set foot in the very complicated world of printing today (needed to print some annoucements of marriage I made in gimp) I can share some tips and constraints:

- if you bring rgb images instead of cmyk, be prepared to face some color shifting of your printing, depending on the paper type, paper color and paper weight (it wasn't too nasty for me, I was lucky)
- a printed material is darker on paper than on screen, contrast is also handled really differently.
- grain seems blurrier (I've compensated for this with high pass filter script, good result!), grain will also depend on the paper type, the printer type (inkjet or laser).

I guess the best way to handle this is first to make the picture. then post it here and give you guys the details about the picture and go from there. the picture is not done yet. i may work on it tomorrow and post it some time tomorrow afternoon. but thanks for the help so far.

Below are the two pictures i plan on using to make my picture. Below each picture are the original image sizes for each picture. So let's say i make a picture to be printed with these two images, and the size i want that picture to be is 8x10. Am i gonna run into any problems with this if i make no changes to these two images?.

I changed the size of the picture i wanted to make because i wanted to make a poster. but i changed the type of picture i wanted to make. Later on i do plan on making a poster. My guess is that the second image resolution must be increased to above 300. Is there anything else i need to be worried about. I know someone said that the color's come out darker in print than on your screen, so should i lighten the picture up in gimp before saving the picture? Thanks. I really want to make this picture and try and have it printed on Monday so any help you give will be appreciated.


Picture 1)


Picture 2)

The "Braves" image is low on detail and it may actually be possible to increase the size quite effectively as the extra pixels to be added will be the same as the ones they will be going between.

The stadium image is a different matter - printing an 800 pixel image at 10" is only 80 pixels per inch. If we look at the vertical size (assuming you crop the sides to fit into the right shape) a 533 pixel image printed at 8" is only 66 ppi.
As I said above, I think 150 is the minimum for a quality print - although Ofnuts' figures suggest going down to 112 may be okay. Either way, 80/66 will probably not look that great.

How are you going to do this? Your original post said you want 24x20 and you're now talking about 10x8. Are the two images going on the same poster?

@rdg:
Well, reading your measures I think there is a misunderstanding between pixels, inches and dots per inches here, specify first the target paper size you want http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_size then enter the measures in mm for your canvas.

For instance A3 format (width=twice a letter) requires a 3508px*4960px canvas and it outputs approx. as 11,6inches*16,5inches in 300pixels/inch quality in gimp

i think i am getting more confused with every post i make.

here is what i want to be able to print out.

The picture you posted, 576px*720px, is really small for printing, is it the original scale or is it a downscaled version ?
If it is the original scale, expect a quality stamp size but no more
If it is a downscaled version, then re-read my precedent post.

i got some stuff to do before i go to bed. i will post tomorrow the answer to this.

Perhaps you could ask the original photographer for the full sized image, or maybe they could sell you a print:

http://www.arielbravy.com/photoblog/ind ... wimage=626