Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

Figure 18.9). This way you can scan at up to 2400 dpi or higher. These lower-cost

flatbeds are a great way to scan negatives inexpensively.

CHAPTER 18 PRINTERS AND PRINTER RESOLUTION 283

FIGURE 18.9
Flatbed scan-
ners now enable
you to scan
your negatives.

This type of hybrid technology will enable you to

print much larger prints. Regular scanners, which

can only scan images, usually scan from 600

samples to 1200 samples per inch. Considering

that your printer can only print at a realistic 300

ppi, you can double or triple the size of a print by

scanning negatives and slides. You can read

more about samples per inch and its relationship

to ppi in Chapter 6, “Getting Your Pix Onscreen.”

Assuming your printer’s maximum print resolu-

tion is 300 ppi, here is a simple enlargement

formula:

Max scanner resolution/300 ppi = Max

print enlargement

In other words, your printer can print at 300 ppi,

your scanner’s maximum scan resolution is 1200

samples, and the image you want to enlarge is

4''×6''. In this example, you would follow the following rules to achieve specific

enlargement sizes:

■ 100%.Image scanned at 300 samples and printed at 300 ppi

■ 200%. Image scanned at 600 samples and printed at 300 ppi

tip

Need to increase the

printed size of a scanned

image and only have the

print? Scan the image at 300

samples per inch and then

print it at 150 ppi. This will

double the size. Or, scan at

600 samples and print at 300 ppi

or 150 ppi. If your scanner soft-

ware allows you to scan at per-

centage values (100%, 200%,

and so on) you can also choose

this method. It’s that simple!