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

At 300 dpi, this 3,119 × 3,473 px file prints up to 10.4 × 11.6 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 20.8 × 23.2 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

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

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 Shepherd require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 26% 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 Shepherd — William Blake | Free high-res download

Songs of Innocence: The Shepherd

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

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,119 × 3,473 px · 10.8 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to10.4 × 11.6 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 20.8 × 23.2 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.

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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	347	Gallery sharp	11%
11 × 14 in	248	Sharp up close	13%
12 × 16 in	217	Sharp up close	16%
16 × 20 in	173	Poster sharp	11%
18 × 24 in	144	Fine across a room	16%
24 × 36 in	96	Too soft	26%
30 × 40 in	86	Too soft	16%

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 Shepherd 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.

Songs of Innocence: The Shepherd is a relief etching printed in orange-brown ink and hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold by William Blake, part of The Met's open-access collection. The museum dates it [1789] printed ca. 1825 (accession 17.10.5, 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 3,119 × 3,473 pixels, which prints about 10.4 × 11.6 in at 300 dpi and 20.8 × 23.2 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Because it runs tall, it wants a vertical frame; compare the crop percentage across sizes before you choose. Its warm reds and oranges suit walnut or gold, which deepen the glow instead of washing it out. 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. A warm picture light a few inches above the frame does more for a print than any paper upgrade, and the hanging centre line belongs near 57 inches.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 3,119 × 3,473 pixels — 10.8 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 10.4 × 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: 17.10.5
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗