Questions re print size and canvas

[PrincessMe]

Hoping to get some opinions on (1) how large I can go with a paper print and (2) people's experiences with printing on canvas.

I was going through my pictures from our recent trip and came across one "mistake" shot that looks like a gorgeous abstract impressionist painting. I want a large print of it, big enough for an over the sofa piece, if possible. 20x30, maybe even 24x36.

It was taken with a D7000, 35mm 1.8 lens, and I have the RAW. ISO 1600.

Sharpness isn't an issue because of the nature of the photo but I don't want a totally pixelated print. Can I go that big on paper? I've never tried anything beyond 16x20 and most of my prints are 8x10 or 11x14. I'm confident that it will be fine at 16x20 but would like to push it beyond that.

Also, does anyone have experience with the canvas on demand type printers? I've never tried it but it seems like it might work here because of the painterly quality of the picture. The image can't be cropped so I would have to have a border added for the wrap.

Thanks in advance - I just love this image and want to figure out how to get it on my wall without too much trial and error.

 

[photo_chick]

How large you can go depends on a couple things. The biggest factors are how you handle the file in editing and sizing and the printing method. A lot depends on the image quality as well. With your camera you should have sufficent resolution to do what you want but resolution is just one factor and honestly not a really big one anymore.

 

[WDWAurora]

I did my first canvas because snapfish was having a 60% off sale. While their print quality is dicey, this actually looks great. I only did a 12x12, but I did need the black wrap. I will do more in the future.

 

[littlekidagain]

I shoot with the Pentax K-5 so its the same sensor you have. I have prints as big as 24X36 with some cropping done. The look great. I have done canvas as big as 20X30. If your picture is not sharp canvas may be better. The texture of the canvas doesn't show sharp even when the picture is sharp. I don't print anything at home! When I send them the file and it's not big enough they usually wont print it. I usually find deals online for canvas. I just got 2 - 16x20 done on canvas for $49.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I can consistently print 44x36 jpg's from my 60D with my 1050C HP plotter and on glossy photo paper, they look great, especially if you look at them for at least 2-3 feet away+.

I have an Epson 3800 Pro that I have printed 17x24 canvas prints on from the same photos. They look great too. I'm not a big canvas guy but my wife is so she likes them. Spendy, but to her, it's worth it I guess.

You won't have any problems going big out of that camera, no matter what the medium is.

 

[PrincessMe]

Thank you all for the information! I'm glad to know I can go big. Now I just have to decide how I want to do it.

 

[Pixel Dust]

I used to have a D7000 and have made 24x36 prints with it. It's great and really no pixelation at all. Though my images for that were ISO 100 and on a tripod. It's awesome that the camera can resolve to that size.