How Large Should a Photo Print Be? A Photographer’s Guide to Print Size

It is already March, and one quarter of the year has nearly passed. As I prepare for the upcoming season of street fairs and art markets, a basic philosophy of mine has resurfaced: a photograph is best appreciated when it is printed—and ideally printed large.

Of course, “large” is a relative term. The final size of a photographic print depends on several factors: the resolution of the image file, the subject matter, the printing medium, and the space where the photograph will be displayed. Still, I maintain that a print should be large enough for the viewer to step back and take in the image comfortably.