Enlarge photo prints through high-resolution scanning
With an HP Scanjet scanner and HP Photosmart printer, you can make large, high-quality photo prints even without the original digital file or negative!
Learn to use a scanner to add detail to small photos and create stunning enlargements in a few easy steps.
What's wrong with just printing a bigger copy?
The top image is an enlargement of a low-resolution photo. Distortion is clearly visible and quality is
poor—far from ideal for printing. The image on the bottom is an enlargement of a high-resolution photo.
Details are crisp and great for high-quality photo printing.
Well, if you have a high-resolution digital original, nothing. But what if you didn't take the photo?
Maybe it was e-mailed to you, or perhaps you only have a small hard copy and no digital file. In that case,
it probably doesn't have enough resolution for a detailed enlargement.
So what's resolution? And why does it play a part in transforming small photos into larger ones?
It's all about pixels. Pixels are little squares of data that make up an image. The more pixels there are
in a photo, the higher the resolution of that photo (or the sharper and more detailed that image is).
Photos that have been optimized for e-mail look fine on your computer screen, but they are bad for printing.
The following steps are a great technique for making enlargements of the following:
Wallet-size photos
4" x 6" photo prints (when you don't have a digital file to work from)
Step 1: Print an original with your HP Photosmart printer
First, make sure you have a high-quality print to begin with.
NOTE: If you've already got a good print to work from, continue on to step 2. Step 1: Print your photo at the size it looks best. For example, if you find that printing
bigger than 4" x 6" results in a loss of detail, then consider that your maximum print size for this step.
Remember to use the best
photo paper
you can to optimize the quality.
HP Photosmart printers
are also your best bet for brilliant prints at any size.
Next, take your printed photo and increase its resolution using an
HP Scanjet photo scanner. Step 2: Scan your photo at a higher resolution. Setting the resolution to around 300ppi
(pixels per inch) is usually sufficient, but the larger you want to print, the more resolution you'll need.
600ppi should be enough for almost any project.
Don't forget to save your scan for other projects or prints in the future.
Learn more about resolution and
Determining largest print size.
NOTE: The higher the resolution setting, the longer it will take your scanner to complete the scan.
Once you've created a high-resolution copy of your original photo, you're ready to print it!
Again, make sure you're using genuine HP photo paper to ensure the best print. Also, your printer
settings should be set to Best Quality.
To take your prints to the next level, explore the
HP Photosmart B8550,
capable of producing stunning gallery-quality prints up to 13" x 19"!
Learn more about HP Photosmart printers in our
photo printer buying guide.
The HP Photosmart G4050
is optimized for rich, detailed photo scans and is easy to use. It also comes
with software that allows you to make edits to your photos once you've scanned them. Here are just a
few of the changes you can make:
Remove red eye
Remove dust and scratches
Crop
Adjust color
HP Photosmart scanners also allow you to scan film negatives and slides, so you don't even need a
digital copy or an actual print to make a quality enlargement! Explore the
HP photo scanner buying guide
to find scanners with this feature.
Printable version
