# Enlarging 8x11.5 prints to poster size
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 4, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522 "2009-10-04T06:15:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/1 "2009-10-04T06:15:23Z")
A long time ago I worked at a newspaper and I could get magazine pictures blown up to poster size that were proportional and had great clarity. I was wondering if I could take some Japanese woodblock prints to Kinko’s and have them blown up the same way? The prints range from 100 kb up to 400-600 kb with a few at 1-2 mb.
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### Author:  [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/2 "2009-10-04T06:32:15Z")
It would be far more helpful if you can give the image size in pixels. In general you don’t want to print at less than 200-300 ppi, although for posters you could go down to 150 ppi. So if you take the image size and divide each dimension by 150 you will get the maximum dimensions that you could print at. Just looking at those file sizes you are probably out of luck except for those in the 1-2 mb range.
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### Author:  [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/3 "2009-10-04T06:40:27Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#):
>
> It would be far more helpful if you can give the image size in pixels. In general you don’t want to print at less than 200-300 ppi, although for posters you could go down to 150 ppi. So if you take the image size and divide each dimension by 150 you will get the maximum dimensions that you could print at. Just looking at those file sizes you are probably out of luck except for those in the 1-2 mb range.
I not good at computers, I don’t know how to find out the ppi. I downloaded the prints at: [http://www.artelino.com/archive/artists.asp](http://www.artelino.com/archive/artists.asp)
Here’s an example
[http://www.artelino.com/show/window\_image.asp?itm=11114](http://www.artelino.com/show/window_image.asp?itm=11114)
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### Author:  [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/4 "2009-10-04T06:48:17Z")
Right click on the image and choose properties. It should list the dimensions (in pixels). My guess is you will not find many high resolution pictures for the specific reason they want to keep people from doing what you are trying to do.
For example the linked photo is 948 x 651 pixels, or a max print size of about 6.3 x 4.3 inches.
If you do find something high enough resolution I would recommend an online print store like shutterfly (or others)
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### Author:  [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/5 "2009-10-04T07:00:00Z")
I just wanted to add their may or may not be copyright issues as well with what you are trying to do. Any reputable company will not print a copyrighted image. I am no expert though in copyright law, so I won’t add any further comment beyond that.
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### Author:  [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/6 "2009-10-04T08:30:00Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#):
>
> I just wanted to add their may or may not be copyright issues as well with what you are trying to do. Any reputable company will not print a copyrighted image. I am no expert though in copyright law, so I won’t add any further comment beyond that.
Just to let you know, the prints I want are no longer copyrighted. They reverted to public domain it was either 50 or 80 yrs. after the artists death.
Also, want to say thanks for the input on this thread and another one I started on Corel vs Photoshop. Learn something new everyday on here. You gotta love this site.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/7 "2009-10-04T08:39:58Z")
> [@jakesteele](#):
>
> Just to let you know, the prints I want are no longer copyrighted. They reverted to public domain it was either 50 or 80 yrs. after the artists death.
Don’t expect the guys at Kinko’s to know that, though. I had serious problems getting second copies of pictures of myself and my family to which I owned the copyright because there was a stamp on the back.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/8 "2009-10-04T15:06:44Z")
Kinkos is usually significantly more expensive (like 2 to 3 times) than graphic shops catering to engineers, builders and architects which have equipment that can do the same thing.
FWIW a low res pic will often look jagged and terrible if blown up.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/9 "2009-10-04T16:48:40Z")
If that was the real image, then there’s no way to print that out at poster size and have it look good. The image is just far to small. There are ways to extrapolate additional pixels using software, but it won’t give you enough for poster size prints from this image.
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### Author:  [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/10 "2009-10-04T22:44:20Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#):
>
> Right click on the image and choose properties. It should list the dimensions (in pixels). My guess is you will not find many high resolution pictures for the specific reason they want to keep people from doing what you are trying to do.
>
> For example the linked photo is 948 x 651 pixels, or a max print size of about 6.3 x 4.3 inches.
>
> If you do find something high enough resolution I would recommend an online print store like shutterfly (or others)
The prints from about 100-150 kb on up print out really well on 8.5 x 11 and legal size.
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### Author:  [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/11 "2009-10-04T23:28:25Z")
You should buy the print, scan it at a high resolution, make any adjustments like fixing color casts and sharpening, then make a large print.
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### Author:  [@cplif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplif)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/12 "2009-10-05T08:12:53Z")
I have here in my office a poster made from a 8x11 inch BW photo. It was enlarged to 1.20 x 2.00 meters nicely. it was done here in France on a German machine that charges a 1.20m roll and can color print up to the full length (50m). The original was a good tri-x contrasted picture on Dupont RC paper, they digitalised it directly, it cost me 80 euros. It must be possible to find an equivalent machine in your area.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-8x11-5-prints-to-poster-size/512522/13 "2009-10-05T12:37:45Z")
Depending on how they make the smaller print, scanning it in and blowing it up may produce poor results. If the print is at 300 dpi or less, your resulting poster will suffer.