Largest Print Size for Nikon D3s

I recently had a client from Switzerland request a large canvass print, we’re talking 9 feet on the longest side, of a swan image that was published in Digital SLR Photography Magazine in April 2012.

My first reaction of course was one of euphoria having made the sale but my second was one of horror.  The image that had been requested was taken with my Nikon D3s which is a 12 MP camera.  According to the charts as depicted below the biggest picture size is 9×14 inches which is a far cry from the 108 inches being requested.  Well I am writing this to let you know that the largest print size for a Nikon D3s or any other 12MP camera I expect can in fact be pushed to at least 9 feet.

Above is the canvass print proudly displayed in the clients home and they have reported that the quality is stunning.  Of course I am sure a well researched and knowledgeable printer is a mandatory part of this equation as one does need the facility in which to process this large print size.  I am sure that a sophisticated enlargement software was also used to extrapolate the image to the final size while still maintaining image quality.  Point here is it can be done, so don’t shy away from big picture sizes.

You may view the original “Five Swans In The Mist” image without the living room in our waterfowl gallery.

For reference sake the chart below provides suggested large print size by camera resolution.  Each colored box represents a certain number of megapixels. The numbers along the top and left side are print dimensions in inches at 300ppi (pixels per inch). Most books and magazines require 300ppi for photo quality. For example, the chart shows that you can make a 5″ x 7″ photo quality print from a 3 megapixel camera.