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Step 1
Understand ppi. Pixels per inch (ppi) is a measurement of the image resolution. This will define the size an image will print with good quality. The more ppi the better, but it is possible to overkill. 300ppi is the highest value that is reasonable for ink jet printers.
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Step 2
Understand dpi. Dots per inch (dpi) measures printer resolution in terms of dots of ink placed on the page when an image is printed. Photo-quality ink jet printers range from 1200 to 4800 dpi. Quality relates to the ppi: 140-200 ppi yield acceptable photo quality and 200-300 ppi yields high quality prints.
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Step 3
Understand Megapixels. One megapixel (mp) equals one million pixels. On your camera, the megapixels measures how many pixels your camera will capture—no amount of editing can change this once the picture is taken. The more megapixels, the better the quality.
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Step 4
Determine your photo needs. Mainly, how will you be using your pictures? If you are going to be printing them, what size? Are you going to be editing them with digital software?
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Step 5
Understand typical quality output. Most cameras range from 2MP to 5MP. A 3MP yields excellent quality 4 inch by 6 inch prints and good quality five inch by seven inch prints. A 4MP or 5MP camera is best for prints larger than 8 inches by 10 inches, although a lower megapixeled camera is capable of producing acceptable quality prints.
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Step 6
Determine if you need a higher end camera (over 5MP). These are for professional photographers with very high-end equipment. You may want to consider a higher end camera (4MP and up) if you are going to be doing a lot of cropping in digital editing programs.
