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How to photograph artwork or prepare a phone photo for printing
To prepare a photo of a flat artwork, set two matched lights about 45 degrees either side, keep the camera centred and parallel, shoot at the highest resolution your phone offers, and keep reflections off the surface. ArtzFolio print files are made at 100 pixels per inch, while the photography guides cited here say to aim for 300 DPI; the table shows what each means in pixels.
Diagram: copy-lighting setup from above. Schematic, not to scale.
Checklist
- Lay the work flat or hang it on a plain wall; remove glass if there is any (Expert Photography suggests a black flag or foam core near the camera if glass must stay).
- Use two matched lights, one each side at about 45 degrees and at the same distance (Printumo, Expert Photography).
- Centre the camera on the artwork with the back of the camera parallel to the wall; use a tripod or stabilise the phone and clean the lens.
- On a phone, shoot at the highest resolution available and fill the frame (Printumo).
- Set white balance manually and keep one colour profile; sRGB is the common choice (see sRGB).
- Save a high-quality JPEG or TIFF, keep the original, and do not re-save a JPEG repeatedly (Expert Photography).
- Crop so the edges are straight. Match the shape to the print; see the photo preparation guides.
Pixels for a photo at 100 and at 300 pixels per inch
Pixels = size in inches x pixels per inch. Megapixels = width x height divided by 1,000,000. ArtzFolio Custom works at 100 ppi (see pixels needed by size); the 300 column is what the cited photography sources recommend for their uses.
| Print size (in) | Pixels at 100 ppi | MP at 100 | Pixels at 300 ppi | MP at 300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 10 | 800 x 1,000 | 0.8 | 2,400 x 3,000 | 7.2 |
| 12 x 18 | 1,200 x 1,800 | 2.16 | 3,600 x 5,400 | 19.44 |
| 18 x 24 | 1,800 x 2,400 | 4.32 | 5,400 x 7,200 | 38.88 |
| 24 x 36 | 2,400 x 3,600 | 8.64 | 7,200 x 10,800 | 77.76 |
Check your own photo against a listed size with the photo size check.
Sources
- Printumo: how to photograph artwork for print (fetched 2026-11-12)
- Expert Photography: the easy guide to photographing artwork (fetched 2026-11-12)
Figures from these pages are paraphrased and re-checked on 2026-11-12. Where two sources disagree, both figures are shown. Hardware and wall products vary, so follow the pack instructions.
Related pages
- Pixels needed by print size
- Photo size check
- Hanging and display guides
- Care guide: keep your piece looking good
Photographing for a listing
- Photograph Wall Art for an Online Listing: Light, Angles, Shots
- Print Resolution vs Viewing Distance: Pixels Per Inch by Distance
- Lighting and Glare for Framed Art: Angles, Bulbs and Lux