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In computer technical language, the word "mega" is equal with a
million. Therefore, a 3-megapixel camera is a model whose
recording sensor contains around 3 million pixels to record an
image. (2,048 pixels horizontally and 1,536 pixels vertically.)
How big can you print your photos?
An average person won't notice the
difference between three and four Mega pixel cameras on a 4 x 6
inch print.
For good results, a 4" x 6" print
generally requires at least a 2-megapixel camera. If you
will print an 8" x 10" photo you may need a minimum 3-4
megapixels camera, and with above 5-megapixel
cameras, you will be able to make even 11" x 14" prints easily.
If you want to make prints that look sharp and bright enough,
you need to have a resolution of at least 240 dots per inch in
both directions.
 The image
resolution that will give you the best result from your printer
is 300ppi.
(Pixel
per inch.) (Regardless
of the printers resolution)
It
basically refers to the density of pixels in a one-inch segment.
Dpi and ppi
technically means the same thing. Which
may confuse some photographic enthusiasts and lead to a common
printing problem, such as printing at the wrong resolution. This
may result in less contrast, weaker color and a less sharp
printed image.
Dont go higher than 300ppi because it can cause the printer to
turn down in print quality if the (Density) resolution is too
high. (The software driver wont know what to do with the extra
pixels and it may randomly throw those out too, which
might be needed.)
To
determine how many megapixels you will need
from a digital camera in order to print a specific size, you
will need to multiply the dimension of a print in inches
times 300ppi and you will get the amount of resolution
needed.
For example for an 8x10 size photo
you will need an area resolution of 2400x3000, the total
number of pixels is 7200000.The
word "mega" is equal with a million,
so basically you will want an
approximately 6-7 megapixels camera for achieving the most
accurate outcome from your printer.
This is just my rule of thumb. You
should be able to make a nice 8x10 size print from a 5 or even a
4 megapixels camera.
Even if you have a 5-mega pixel
digital camera, you don't always have to take your photos at
the highest resolution. Most
digital cameras have adjustable resolutions. Pictures taken at
high resolution require more memory than the one with lower
resolution. If you plan to send
pictures through e-mail or use them online, use the Standard
resolution setting.
Keep in mind that your camera places
your pictures on a memory
card. The more pixels you
will have (or the better the resolution) the more space you will
use on the camera memory
card. So the quality
and resolution will determine how many pictures you can store in
your card.
In conclusion:
There isnt any relationship between
the resolution of a digital image (300 ppi) and the resolution
of a printed photograph (300 dpi).
Resolution
may refer to the pixel count
of an image, such as 5 mega pixels.
And also refers to the density
of pixels in a one-inch segment, such as 300 ppi (pixels
per inch) or dpi (dots per inch). To display the image, it is
converted into a rectangular grid of pixels (Bitmap)
which is a compact way of conveying to the printer how far apart
to spread the pixels in a printed image and which squares are
colored and which are not. And finally, the printers
resolution will determine
how many individual points can be drawn in one inch.
Printer resolution refers to the way the printer sprays ink down
on the paper. The higher its number, the better
the final print quality will be.
Printer
Interpolation.
Many
printer manufacturers like Epson or
Hewlett-Packard
have their own, so called
Resolution Enhancement
Technologies, which
enhances resolution of the
printer, using a
software algorithm that makes an image seem as if it were
scanned at a higher resolution.
Pixel interpolation
is when the pixels are stretched out, and then the gaps between
them filled by the processors intelligent presumptions as to
what fits in between them.
The printers driver
software can insert
digital values between or among others, change by putting in
new material and
estimate a missing value by
taking an average of known values at neighboring points, in
order to print properly sized
larger than normal. In other words: The interpolation algorithm
gets the value of one pixel, and then all the pixels in the
neighboring area, and then decides what pixels to modify.
You should always check the
printers optical or true
resolution.
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Printer resolution
  
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But printer resolution and Image
resolution are not the same!