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Normal Viewing Distance
Prints greater than 24″ x 18″ are obtained by “upsizing” the image via various digital methods and are printed in lower DPI (dots per inch) than smaller photographic prints in order to obtain the larger sizes.
Recommended Minimum Viewing Distance
- 24″ x 18″ prints are designed to be viewed from 3 feet.
- 30″ x 24″ prints are designed to be viewed from 6 feet.
- 40″ x 30″ prints are designed to be viewed from 8 feet.
- 36” x 48” prints are to be viewed from 5 feet (7.5 feet).
- 48” x 60” prints are to be viewed from 7 feet (10.5 feet).
Optimizing Your Viewing Experience
Viewing the above-sized images at distances closer than the recommended viewing distance may result in less than optimal viewing quality. The viewing distance of an image is based on two factors: first, the diagonal image size, and second, the pixels per inch required at that distance to give a sharp image.
The Art of Viewing Distance
Firstly, the rough rule of thumb is that the viewing distance should be 1.5 to 2 times the diagonal length. This will give you an optimal viewing distance for the overall printed size based on the human eye’s ideal viewing angle. You have to understand, however, that for a landscape, this may not be optimal, as you may actually want the viewer to pan around the image, and you may want the size of features within the image to be the basis of this calculation. This is an artistic decision, though, based on the composition of your image.
Naturally Comfortable Viewing Distance
Most likely, you’re not going to admire a small photo from all the way across the room unless you really like squinting. You’re probably also not going to stand 12 inches (30 centimeters) from a huge wall print unless you really enjoy looking cross-eyed. There’s a viewing distance that feels naturally comfortable. That distance both depends on the size of your photo and can influence its resolution.
Why Small Prints Need More Detail
Small photos need higher resolutions. When you’re looking at a small photo, such as a 4 x 6 inch (10 x 15 centimeter) print, you’re usually only a few feet or half a meter away from it. You need to be close to really see it, which means it needs a higher resolution than photos that are seen from farther away. Small prints (4 x 6 inches or 10 x 15 centimeters or smaller) need a 300 PPI resolution to look sharp. This is because we look at them up close.
Big Images
Bigger photos need less-big resolutions. Photo wall prints are big, sometimes huge, which is why they can be viewed perfectly from the other side of your living room. Because the photo will be viewed from farther away, it can have a lower resolution and still look great. Photos that will be hung on the wall don’t need to be saved at a 300 PPI resolution. At Xpozer, we print photos with a minimum resolution of 80 PPI as large as 40 x 80 inches and 100 x 200 centimeters. Billboards only need around 15 PPI because they’re viewed from super far away.
“Never mind the photos; look at all the frames!”