What is the largest sharp print size for Songs of Innocence: The Lamb?

At 300 dpi, this 3,199 × 3,494 px file prints up to 10.7 × 11.6 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 21.3 × 23.3 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Songs of Innocence: The Lamb?

Gallery-sharp (300 dpi or above) frame sizes: 8 × 10 in. Sharp-to-poster-quality sizes also work: 11 × 14 in, 12 × 16 in, 16 × 20 in.

Does printing Songs of Innocence: The Lamb require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 27% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Songs of Innocence: The Lamb — William Blake | Free high-res download

Songs of Innocence: The Lamb

William Blake · [1789] printed ca. 1825 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,199 × 3,494 px · 11.2 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to10.7 × 11.6 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 21.3 × 23.3 in at 150 dpi

The download is the Met's own open-access file, served by the Met. Big file — give it a minute.

Build the wall set

Art, frame, light and hanging gear, picked together. Choose a size and finish; the wall preview shows exactly what you're getting. One button sends the whole kit to your Amazon cart.

Amazon sells the physical items, sets their prices and availability, and may pay us a commission. The free museum file is separate. How we get paid →

How big can you print it?

Standard frame sizes, turned to match the artwork. "Crops" is how much of the picture you lose filling that frame edge to edge — or keep it all and let a mat take up the difference.

Frame	Effective dpi	Verdict	Crops
8 × 10 in	349	Gallery sharp	13%
11 × 14 in	249	Sharp up close	14%
12 × 16 in	218	Sharp up close	18%
16 × 20 in	174	Poster sharp	13%
18 × 24 in	145	Fine across a room	18%
24 × 36 in	97	Too soft	27%
30 × 40 in	87	Too soft	18%

Will it fit over your couch? Put this one on your wall, to scale — crop or mat, frame size, hang height and the order.

The ticket

Songs of Innocence: The Lamb is a print by William Blake (British, London 1757–1827 London), dated [1789] printed ca. 1825. Relief etching printed in orange-brown ink and hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold. Size on the museum record: sheet: 6 3/16 x 5 9/16 in. (15.7 x 14.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Rogers Fund, 1917.

In The Met's records, Songs of Innocence: The Lamb is a relief etching printed in orange-brown ink and hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold credited to William Blake. The museum dates it [1789] printed ca. 1825 (accession 17.10.8, Drawings and Prints). Spend a minute with the composition before choosing a size: notice where the eye lands first and where it rests. The Met's scan measures 3,199 × 3,494 pixels, which prints about 10.7 × 11.6 in at 300 dpi and 21.3 × 23.3 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Square works are the hardest to frame cheaply; the set builder lists the square frame sizes that fit without distorting it. Its muted earth tones are forgiving: natural wood softens the palette, walnut deepens it and black frames it like a gallery. Line work lives on contrast. Print it on smooth bright paper and give it a wider frame or mat so the fine marks are not swallowed. Light it from above with a soft warm bulb, hang the centre of the picture near 57 inches, and it will read as intended instead of as decoration.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 3,199 × 3,494 pixels — 11.2 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 10.7 × 11.6 in. That is bigger than the print itself, which measures about 5.6 × 6.2 in — the file holds more detail than you can see standing in front of the original.Line work lives or dies on contrast. Print it on a smooth, bright paper and give it a wide mat: small graphic work drowns in a thin frame and a big empty border makes it look like it came out of a print room drawer.

On the receipt

Artist: William Blake
Date: [1789] printed ca. 1825
Medium: Relief etching printed in orange-brown ink and hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold
Size: sheet: 6 3/16 x 5 9/16 in. (15.7 x 14.1 cm)
Museum: The Met · Drawings and Prints
Accession: 17.10.8
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗