Large Format Print Preparation: How Chris Burkard Sizes Files for Mural-Scale Prints
- TeamBay
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
Chris Burkard prints landscape work at sizes that can reach up to 4'x8'. Large format print preparation at that scale carries more weight than camera choice, because pixel data has to expand far beyond its original resolution without breaking down into softness or visible noise. A print that size becomes the focal point of a room, and any softness in the file shows up from across the gallery floor, not just up close.
Burkard's large format print preparation workflow follows three stages: editing fully before any resizing happens, scaling the image up in small increments rather than one jump, and sharpening only after the file reaches its final print dimensions. We see this same large format print preparation sequence across thousands of large-format files each year, particularly from photographers preparing metal, acrylic, or mural-scale prints for galleries and exhibitions.
Editing Before Resizing
All color grading, exposure adjustments, white balance correction, and tonal work happen in Lightroom before the file moves into Photoshop. Burkard finishes every creative decision at native resolution, then carries the file forward without revisiting those adjustments later in the process.
Sharpening waits until the end. Applying sharpening before resizing adds contrast along edges, and that contrast becomes more pronounced during interpolation. A sharpening pass that looks mild at full resolution can produce visible noise and rough texture once the same pixels are stretched across a mural-sized print.
The file leaves Lightroom unsharpened and fully edited, then opens in Photoshop through Edit > "Edit in Adobe Photoshop."
Scaling in Small Increments
Burkard's large format print preparation in Photoshop follows one rule above all others: he avoids resizing an image in a single jump from capture size to final print dimensions. Photoshop generates new pixel data during any resize, and asking it to create a large volume of that data in one pass increases the risk of softness and pixelation.
Inside Image > Image Size (Option + Command + I), Burkard sets units to inches and switches Width and Height to percent for easier tracking. Resample stays off while resolution is set to 300 DPI. Then Resample Image turns back on with Bicubic Smoother selected, since that interpolation method handles enlargement better than the default settings built for reduction.
From there, the image grows in 10% increments -- 100%, then 110, then 120, continuing upward until it reaches the final print size. Each increment asks Photoshop to build a small amount of new pixel data from information close to the original capture. Fog, water, distant rock texture, and sky gradients hold their structure through this method, whereas a single aggressive resize can flatten or blur those details.
Sharpening With the High Pass Filter
Once the image reaches its final print dimensions, Burkard duplicates the background layer and applies Filter > Other > High Pass -- typically between 0.9 and 1.5 pixels, depending on the amount of fine detail in the image. Lower values suit images with delicate textures like fog or mist, while higher values work better for images built around bolder shapes.
The High Pass layer turns gray, showing only edge contrast. Switching the blend mode to Hard Light returns that contrast to the image without altering color or overall tone. The result avoids the halos and over-processed edges often associated with standard sharpening filters.
Viewing distance plays into sharpening decisions at this scale. A viewer standing several feet back from a 40x60" MetalPrint experiences sharpening differently than someone viewing the same image on a screen at arm's length, so the High Pass effect gets adjusted accordingly. Reducing the layer opacity dials back intensity without requiring the sharpening process to be repeated.
Color Conversion and Export
Color profile mismanagement can shift a file's appearance during printing even after careful editing, scaling, and sharpening. Burkard converts the file using Edit > Convert to Profile, setting the destination to sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
ProPhoto RGB retains more tonal range during editing. Bay Photo's production process runs on sRGB for consistency across print materials and viewing conditions, so Burkard converts before export to keep printed output aligned with what he sees on the screen.
The final file is saved as a maximum-quality JPEG for upload and production, flattened if needed, with the color profile embedded and dimensions locked. Burkard also saves a layered PSD as a master file, allowing for future crops, adjustments, or reprints without rebuilding the entire resizing and sharpening workflow.
Material and Production
Burkard sends finished files through Bay Photo's Online Ordering or ROES, depending on size and workflow needs. For large-scale landscape prints, material choice changes how the image reads on a wall, and Burkard typically selects High Gloss MetalPrints for this work.
Metal maintains color density and contrast at large dimensions, preserves detail across long viewing distances, and provides a rigid surface for exhibition installations. A viewer standing across the room from an 8-foot MetalPrint can still experience the depth and contrast visible up close, since metal retains contrast levels that paper tends to lose at that scale. Mounted on a 3/4 Standout, the print floats slightly off the wall and casts a subtle shadow line that shifts with the room's lighting. The result removes the visual weight of a frame from a piece already large enough to command the wall on its own.
The Large Format Print Preparation Sequence
Burkard's method follows five stages: full editing in Lightroom with no sharpening, gradual upscaling in Photoshop using 10% increments, High Pass sharpening applied after final dimensions are set, color profile conversion to sRGB, and export as a maximum-quality JPEG with a PSD master saved alongside it. Bay Photo treats this sequence as the baseline for large format print preparation across material types.
A file built through this sequence arrives ready to print as submitted, without the need for rescaling or unexpected color shifts. Photographers can follow this same sequence before uploading -- edit fully, scale in increments, sharpen last, convert to sRGB, and export -- and the print that reaches a gallery wall or client installation is far more likely to match what was built onscreen.
A file prepared this way holds onto its fog texture and rock detail at 8 feet, remaining readable from across a room as well as up close. Bay Photo works from this standard on every large-format order, and we're always available to walk photographers through it as they prepare their next large-format print.
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