Photography for Ohio Magazine

Ohio Magazine, like many print magazines, requires photos submitted to them to be 300 pixels/inch at the size they are printed. If you are aiming to get a large cover shot published, which of the following cameras will or will not work?

1) Nikon D70 (makes 3,008 x 2,000 pixel images)

2) Canon Rebel XTi (makes 3,888 x 2,592 pixel images)

3) Nikon D80 (makes 3,872 x 2,592 pixel images)

Solution

Most magazines are close to 8.5 x 11 inches in size (well, a little bit smaller, but close enough!). The required resolution is 300 pixels/inch for any photo in the publication.

Knowing both print size and the needed resolution, the pixels required can be computed by multiplying the print size by resolution:

Height = 11 inches x 300 pixels/inch = 3,300 pixels required.

Width = 8.5 inches x 300 pixels/inch = 2,550 pixels required.

Knowing the required pixels in both height and width lets us pick the Canon Rebel XTi and the Nikon D80 as cameras that work. They produce sufficient pixels to meet the specification. The D70 would be insufficient for full-page pictures like the cover, although it could be used for smaller photos inside.