Scanning: Resolution affect print size?

[timmy1729]

I have a picture of me and my brother that I fixed up. It was a polaroid from 1979 and wasn't that big to begin with. Not knowing what I was doing, I scanned it at 600 dpi thinking that it would allow me to print it as at least a 4x6. Well, I started setting it to print last night in Photoshop CS3 and it showed it as like 2x2.5(approximately). I would hate to think that all the work I did on that was just for a wallet size. Does scanning resolution affect the size you can print your image at? Or what does that do exactly? How would I scan the image so that I can print it at a larger size? Or do I scan it at a high resolution and then enlarge it in CS3?

[Swampy]

Hi, Timmy! Welcome to RTP!

In your scan software there should be an option for output size as well as resolution. You need to set the output size to 4x6 (or desired print size) and the resolution to at least 300 PPI.

[pixelzombie]

if you take the current file you have and turn off interpolation and change the resolution to 250ppi you will have a 4.8"X6" file...

[timmy1729]

I did a resizing using the bicubic for enlarging and it seemed to work. This weekend I will try rescanning it and setting the output size f I have that option.

PixelZombie:
How do I turn off interpolation and change the resolution properly? I want to try that too.

[pixelzombie]

go to the image size dialog box...

[TommyO]

Timmy,
You should probably do a little reading regarding resolution vs print size. Once it clicks, it makes life much easier. The underlying concept that most don't know is that pixels are not a fixed size. Pixels can shrink or enlarge. That is why the dimensions (in inches) vary while the resolution (pixels per inch) can remain the same.

Rather than type it all in again... read this post and then see if it clicks. There are also more posts in RP that relate to the same concept.

Resolution link...