Is it possible to create a painting in pixel brushes so it can be printed very large scale?

[Sarah Rutledge]

I have a client who wants to print my digital paintings large scale like 6-7feet. The largest size I can create the canvas is like 18" x 24." If it gets blown up larger than that the PPI is too low. How do I create painting that can be scaled really large from Fresco? Do I need to import it into Photoshop? How would I do that?

[Michael J. Hoffman]

Hi Sarah, what PPI do you believe you'll need at 7 feet print size? Typically for very large prints, the document can be scaled, for example creating the document at 1:4 scale. If you create the document at 300ppi, but 1/4 size (21"), when you print at 7 feet (84") it will be 75ppi, which should be fine for such a large output.

[Sarah Rutledge]

Thanks for the response. When I asked my printer about this, he said he wouldn't print it if the PPI was less than 220. So there is no way to adjust the PPI in photoshop? I'm also having the same problem with wallpaper designs that I'm doing. I love the Fresco brushes and need to find a good option for scaling bigger.

[jlyonns]

 I'm in agreement with Michael J. Hoffman. Most images used for outdoor advertisements of a similar size are printed at 75ppi. Unless this is massive fine art print on specialty paper, there is no need to print at a higher resolution. Check with a few printers to get their feedback on your specific project requirements if unsure.

[Sarah Rutledge]

Thanks for the response. Unfortuanately, this is for a fine art print, so that's why I'm having a difficult time finding a solution. 

[Michael J. Hoffman]

Hi Sarah, if you're taking it into Photoshop, you can scale and resample to your heart's content. It's only within Fresco that you have some limitations on the document creation size. Just make sure that in the "Image Size" dialog box in Photoshop, you check the option to "Resample Image."

I still think 220 ppi is WAY overkill for a 7' tall poster. 🙂

[Sarah Rutledge]

Thanks, Michael. It's for a fine art print, not poster quality, so I guess I'll need to bring it into Photoshop and try and learn how to resize for a larger size while keeping the PPI high.