Small old photo: double its size, and know how big you can print

A passport-sized portrait, a thumbnail cut from an album, a low-resolution scan a cousin emailed you: Souvenotte doubles the image size while cleaning it, and rebuilds the faces it detects. The Studio then warns you if the photo is still too small for the print size you've chosen. No poster promises: the result tops out at 3,200 pixels on the long side.

The Minibon team · Updated on 27 October 2026 · Translation to review

free preview, HD from €1.99

How to digitise a small photo

• Scanner: raise the resolution

  For a print just a few centimetres across, 600 dpi or more is common practice. See what resolution to scan at.

• Phone: fill the frame

  Move closer until the photo fills almost the whole screen, without digital zoom, and check it's sharp before uploading.

• Don't overdo it

  Very large images are first reduced to 1,600 pixels on the long side, then enlarged ×2. A huge scan won't give you more than 3,200 pixels.

Steps for a small photo

1. 1. Digitise big High-resolution scan, or phone as close as possible, no zoom.
2. 2. Upload The photo is enlarged ×2 and cleaned; detected faces are rebuilt.
3. 3. Pick a size In the Studio, the size warning tells you whether your chosen size works. See which print size.
4. 4. Order or keep HD for €1.99, or a 10×15 cm print for €1.90 with the HD included, delivered in 6–10 days.

Small photos: what the tool does well, and what it misses

• Good at: a clean ×2 enlargement The image doubles in size while grain, noise and JPEG blocks are cleaned, rather than simply being stretched.
• Good at: the size warning The Studio flags when the short side drops below roughly 200 dpi for the size you've picked.
• Worth knowing: a 3,200-pixel ceiling Plenty for many prints, not enough for a large poster.
• Worth knowing: tiny faces In a shrunken group photo, a face smaller than about 24 pixels may not be detected or rebuilt.