Have you ever had a problem ordering a photo on canvas because your digital photo was "too small"? The actual size of the photos produced by your camera determines how large you can successfully print. When you are told your image or photo is too small, you are really being told, "The print size you are ordering is too big."

Why is the print size too big for my digital photo?

Blame it on the camera. Digital cameras measure photo size in terms of megapixels, and not all cameras produce photos of the same measurements. For example, a compact point and shoot may only be a 5 megapixel (5MP) camera, while a digital SLR camera might be a 10 MP camera. A megapixel is equal to one million pixels, and that means a 5MP camera produces photos which have a total area of 5 million pixels. That may sound like a lot, but when you are aiming to have over 200 pixels per inch (optimal print resolution for digital photos),5 million pixels does not go very far. Too learn more about how pixels and resolution affects your print size and results, check out How Big Can I Make My Canvas.

Can I Use My Camera's Megapixels to Determine Canvas Print Size?

Definately. Just use the MP reference chart below. Knowing how many megapixels your camera has is the first step. Once you know that, use this chart to determine how large, and how well you can successfully print photos taken with your camera.

Isn't Image Resolution What Determines Print Size?

There are still a few that offer a dpi or ppi (dots per inch or pixels per inch) reference - important for those of us who understand how pixels determine image resolution. But the unfortunate truth for those who do not, is that many  canvas printing companies leave you in the dark during the ordering process, and you have to wait for your print to arrive before you have any idea what kind of results you are getting. This is why it's a good idea to have a point of reference for determining what your camera's capabilities are when it comes to print sizes.