×
Menu
  • Printing images

Printing images

Printing the image
To print out an image from Movavi Photo Editor:
1. Open the File menu and choose Print.
2. Choose the printer you want to use for printing the photo.
3. Click Show Details to see more options, like paper size, orientation, and scale.
4. Choose the number of copies that you want to print. If this is your first time printing a photo, you may want to first print only one sample copy to make sure you have set up everything right.
5. Click Print to begin printing!
 
Image printing guidelines
Follow these guidelines to ensure the best possible print quality:
 
1. Make sure the image is large enough for printing on the selected paper size, and conversely, choose the right paper size for your images. If you print out small images on large paper, you may find that you can see individual pixels or that the image is not smooth enough on print. Before taking the photos you want to print, use a camera with a high megapixel count, make sure that it is set to the highest available quality (some cameras allow you to shoot smaller images than the camera's maximum size), and provide good lighting conditions to minimize noise.
 
The larger the original photo, the larger a print size you can afford without losing crispness and quality. The standard for printing images is to have at least 300 pixels per inch of the photo paper. The following table shows the correlation between image size and its printed size when printed at 300 pixels per inch (~118 pixels/cm). You can use it to match paper size to your image size and vice versa.
 
Camera Megapixels
Image Size in Pixels
Printed Size in Inches
Printed Size in Centimeters
2
1600 x 1200 px
5" x 4"
13 cm x 10 cm
3
2048 x 1536 px
7" x 5"
17 cm x 13 cm
4
2464 x 1632 px
8.2" x 5.4"
21 cm x 14 cm
5
2560 x 1920 px
8" x 6"
21 cm x 16 cm
6
2816 x 2112 px
9" x 7"
24 cm x 18 cm
8
3264 x 2468 px
11" x 8"
28 cm x 21 cm
10
3872 x 2592 px
12.1" x 9.1"
33 cm x 22 cm
12
4000 x 3000 px
13" x 10"
34 cm x 25 cm
 
If you didn't find the necessary size in the table, you can easily calculate the printed size in inches by dividing the width and height in pixels by 300. Likewise, to find out the minimum number of pixels for a certain print size, multiply the width and height in inches by 300 to get the image dimensions in pixels.
 
2. You do not need to downsize the image before printing: the software will automatically fit the image onto the selected paper size. Downsizing the image will only reduce quality.
 
3. If you need to crop unwanted parts of the image, make sure that the end result is not too small. If you have a very large image, you can use the crop function to zoom in on objects in the image, but keep in mind that the output image size must be large enough for printing. You can check the image size in pixels by clicking the File Information button on the bottom panel: .
 
4. Use a high quality printer for printing out your photos. These simple guidelines will help you choose a printer:
  • Inkjet printers are much better at printing images than laser printers. Dye sublimation printers are considered the best for printing photos, however they are quite rare and can only be used for photo printing.
  • Check the printer's dots per inch (DPI) resolution: the higher the DPI, the higher quality prints it will be able to produce. For photo printing, make sure that the printer has at least 300x300 DPI.
  • Generally, a dedicated photo printer will produce better results than a general-purpose multifunction printer of the same price range.
  • Some printers may produce colors different from the original because of the way they convert RGB color (the color scheme you see on your monitor) to CMYK color (used for printing).
  • Be aware of your printer's maximum print size; many consumer printers only print photos up to 8 by 10 inches (20.32 x 25.4 cm). You should find this information on the packaging or in the printer's user manual.
 
5. Use high quality photo paper. There are different kinds of photo paper that may work differently depending on the content of your image. For example, glossy paper is better at reproducing bright colors, while matte paper is more suitable for portraits. Also, make sure that the paper matches your printer type (i.e. laser or inkjet).
 
Calibrating your display
The colors you see in print may be slightly different than those you see on your display due to LCD monitor specifics. You can try to calibrate your display for better previewing:
1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click the Display icon.
3. Switch to the Color tab.
4. Click the Calibrate button.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to calibrate your display.
6. After completing the calibration name your profile to save the changes and click Finish.

Contact support

Live Chat