Negative or digital file
The recorded focus, exposure, grain and damage set the physical limit.
Berlin Photo Studio · Photo printing guide
FROM SCAN TO PRINT.
A scan becomes a print through a series of choices: size, crop, paper, colour, contrast and file preparation. This guide helps you choose what matters before sending the file.
FILE → CROP → PAPER
The practical starting point
Choose the print before preparing the file.
A large scan does not automatically become a good print, and a smaller file is not automatically unusable. The useful question is: what physical size, viewing distance and crop do you need?
Start with the intended print dimensions. Then check the available pixels, aspect ratio, focus, grain and tonal range. Prepare one final file for that output instead of repeatedly resizing the same JPEG.
Pixels and interpretation
Resolution, colour balance and contrast translate the source into a usable file.
Crop and final dimensions
The chosen paper ratio determines whether the image is cropped, bordered or fitted.
Paper and process
A digital photo print and a darkroom enlargement are different physical interpretations.
Resolution for printing
Pixels describe the file. PPI describes how densely they print.
For planning, 300 pixels per inch is a useful high-quality reference. It is not a promise: print quality still depends on the original negative, focus, exposure, scan, editing and viewing distance.
Print size
Ratio
At 300 PPI
What to expect
9×13 cm
≈ 1.44:1
1063×1535 px
Small everyday print; a 3:2 frame needs a slight crop or border.
10×15 cm
3:2
1181×1772 px
Direct ratio match for a standard full-frame 35mm image.
13×18 cm
≈ 1.38:1
1535×2126 px
Requires a visible crop from 3:2 unless printed with borders.
15×20 cm
4:3
1772×2362 px
A stronger crop from 35mm; suits many digital and medium-format compositions.
20×30 cm
3:2
2362×3543 px
A larger 35mm-friendly format; inspect focus and grain before ordering.
Do not upscale only to reach 300 PPI. A well-prepared file at a lower effective PPI can still make a good print, especially at a larger viewing distance. Artificially adding pixels does not restore missing photographic detail.
Aspect ratio and cropping
The paper and the photograph may have different shapes.
A 35mm frame is usually 3:2, but 9×13, 13×18 and 15×20 paper use different proportions. Medium-format cameras can produce square, 6×4.5, 6×6, 6×7 or other frames. Choosing “fill” crops the image; choosing “fit” preserves it with borders.
Paper filled edge to edge
Some of the image is removed. Check faces, hands, horizons, text and objects near every edge.
Whole image preserved
Borders appear when the image and paper ratios differ. Border widths may not be equal on every side.
You decide the final frame
Prepare the exact ratio yourself when composition is important. Do not leave an automatic system to choose what disappears.
Leave safety near the edges
Paper handling and trimming can vary slightly. Avoid placing essential details exactly at the final edge.
Two routes to a physical photograph
Digital photo print or darkroom print?
Printed from a prepared file
A scan or digital photograph is colour-corrected, cropped and sent as a digital file for photographic printing. This route works for colour and black-and-white images.
- Starts from JPEG or TIFF
- Repeatable size and crop
- Practical for complete rolls, family photographs and portfolios
- Colour and B&W available through the photo-printing service
Enlarged from the negative
A black-and-white negative is projected onto light-sensitive photographic paper and developed chemically. The enlarger crop, exposure, contrast and local adjustments are made in the darkroom.
- Starts from a suitable B&W negative
- Handmade silver-gelatin process
- Each printing decision affects the physical object
- Not the same workflow as sending a digital file
Contact sheets
See the roll as a sequence before choosing enlargements.
A contact sheet places many frames on one print. It is useful for editing, comparing exposures, understanding sequences and marking the images that deserve individual prints.
A working print, not twenty-four final enlargements.
The individual frames are small. A contact sheet is designed for overview and selection, not for judging fine detail at enlargement scale.
- Review an entire roll together
- Compare near-duplicate frames
- Mark favourites and frame numbers
- Plan larger prints with less guesswork
- Keep a physical record of the sequence
Preparing TIFF and JPEG files
Send a final print file—not a folder of possibilities.
Choose the crop, orientation and basic tonal direction before delivery. Keep your untouched master separately, then export a dedicated file for the print you are ordering.
TIFF
Useful when more editing remains
TIFF supports a lossless, larger-file workflow and is useful for archival masters, retouching and carefully prepared reproductions.
- Keep as a master when appropriate
- Flatten unnecessary layers before ordinary delivery
- Embed the intended colour profile
- Export a final print version at the requested dimensions
JPEG
Good for finished everyday print files
A high-quality JPEG is widely compatible and usually sufficient for standard photographic prints when the crop, dimensions and colour are already final.
- Use high export quality
- Avoid repeatedly saving the same JPEG
- Keep enough pixels for the chosen size
- Do not send screenshots or messaging-app copies
Before sending the file:
- Correct orientation
- Final crop or clear fit/fill instruction
- Enough pixels for the intended size
- No accidental white border baked into the file
- Dust and retouching checked at useful zoom
- Brightness and colour reviewed on a reasonable display
- Clear filename without duplicate “final-final” versions
- Print size and quantity stated separately
Available at Berlin Photo Studio
Choose the output that matches the job.
ACTIVE SERVICE
Photo printing
Standard colour or black-and-white photographic prints from prepared digital files or film scans, with common sizes from 9×13 to 20×30 cm.
Choose photo-printing options →
ACTIVE SERVICE
Contact sheet from scans
A 20×30 cm overview print for reviewing a roll, comparing frames and selecting photographs for larger prints.
Order a contact sheet →
ACTIVE SERVICE
Darkroom prints
Handmade black-and-white silver-gelatin prints enlarged from a suitable negative onto photographic paper.
Choose a darkroom-print size →Scan-to-print FAQ
Before pressing “print.”
Is 300 PPI always necessary?
No. It is a useful planning reference for close-viewed photographic prints, not a universal pass-or-fail rule. Larger viewing distances can work well at lower effective PPI, while a poor source will not become sharp simply because its metadata says 300 PPI.
What print sizes match a 35mm frame?
A standard 35mm frame is approximately 3:2, so 10×15 cm and 20×30 cm are direct ratio matches. Other paper sizes require cropping or borders.
Should I send TIFF or JPEG?
Send a high-quality JPEG when the file is finished and intended for standard photographic printing. TIFF is useful when a lossless master or more extensive editing workflow is required. The requested service and file size should guide the decision.
Will the print look exactly like my screen?
Not exactly. Screens emit light; paper reflects it. Screen brightness, calibration, ambient light, paper and the printing process all influence the comparison. A very bright screen often leads people to prepare files that print darker than expected.
Can a print fix a blurry or underexposed scan?
No. Printing may make an image feel different at a smaller size, but it cannot recover focus or shadow detail that is absent from the negative and scan.
What is the difference between a contact sheet and individual prints?
A contact sheet puts many small frames on one sheet for review and selection. Individual prints give each chosen image more space and are better for display, portfolios or detailed evaluation.
Can colour scans be printed in black and white?
Yes, but the conversion should be intentional. Review tonal separation and contrast before printing rather than relying on an automatic desaturation at output.
Do darkroom prints start from my scan?
The darkroom-print service starts from a suitable black-and-white negative. A digital photo print starts from a scan or other digital file. They are different workflows.
The photograph leaves the screen