How to Blow Up Photos for Wall Art

With all the digital cameras on the market today, almost anyone can take beautiful photographs. Some of these pieces even turn out to be worthy of being blown up into a poster-sized print. Framed or unframed, these personal masterpieces can be used as one-of-a-kind pieces of wall art.

Difficulty:

 

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Image
• Photo-editing software
• Stitch-together software
• Printer
• Glue or tape

1. • 1
     Choose a photo to be blown up to 16 inches by 20 inches or larger. The sharper the photo image, the better.
   • 2
     Scan the photo into your computer.
   • 3
     Correct and manipulate the photo through a photo-editing program if desired.
   • 4
     Move the photo into a desktop-publishing program that allows for large prints, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it will print as desired.
   • 5
     Set up the printer to print the photo in a single piece (according to the instructions for your printer model) and print the photo at the size desired. Use any photo paper (satin, gloss, flat, canvas or other) the printer will accept.
   • 6
     Move the photo into a stitch-together software program, such as Big Picture Program, if a regular-sized printer must be used.
   • 7
     Set the printer to print the photo in sections. Once printed, piece the sections together with glue or tape.
   • 8
     Experiment with various exposures and settings until the final print is of the desired depth and quality.

     
     

     Tips & Warnings

     • If you don't want to do the work at home, take the photo, along with a set of written specifications and requirements, to a local photo shop that has the capability to produce poster-sized prints or send the photo and a set of written specifications and requirements to an online service.
     • Mount poster-sized art on three-dimensional boards for a truly unique piece of art.
     • Hand-color black-and-white prints with watercolors for a soft, romantic piece.
     • Sharp photos work better when blown up than those that are already blurred or out of focus.
     • Try different types of paper to see which works best with the photo you're blowing up.
     • Carefully glue or tape a stitch-together print or you won't be able to frame it.

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