The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Yes, it can, but only through two specific changes: resizing and compression. Google says Original quality keeps photos at the resolution you shot them with, with no change to quality. Storage saver compresses photos and shrinks anything over 16 megapixels (MP) to 16 MP. Express, where it’s available, may shrink anything over 3 MP to 3 MP. Whether you’d actually see the difference on paper depends on the pixels left, the crop, the print size and how closely the print is viewed.
What each backup setting does to your file
| Setting | What Google says it does | Print size Google cites |
|---|---|---|
| Original quality | Photos are stored at the resolution you took them with, with no change to quality. Counts toward Google Account storage. | Google recommends it for photos over 16 MP and for large banners. |
| Storage saver | Photos are compressed. Photos larger than 16 MP are resized to 16 MP. Counts toward account storage. Some uploads may be converted to another format such as JPG. | Good-quality 16 MP photos can print up to 24 × 16 inches. |
| Express (where available) | Photos may be compressed. Photos larger than 3 MP may be resized to 3 MP. | Good-quality 3 MP photos can print up to 6 × 8 inches. |
All figures come from Google’s current Google Photos Help page on backup quality (accessed 2026; the page shows no publication year). Some files aren’t eligible for compression at all and stay at their original size.
Resizing and compression are different problems
Resizing removes pixels
This is the change that matters most for print. A 50 MP phone or camera file saved under Storage saver ends up at 16 MP. A 12 MP photo is below the threshold, so it isn’t resized. Under Express, though, anything over 3 MP can be cut to 3 MP, which leaves little room for large prints or crops.
Compression changes how the data is stored
Compression can discard fine detail and may change the file format. Google doesn’t say how strong the compression is or what artifacts it produces. Neither Google nor Epson has published controlled side-by-side prints of the same image at Original quality and Storage saver. So you can’t say Storage saver always matches Original, and you can’t say it always prints visibly worse.
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How big can you print a Storage saver photo?
Google’s own guidance is that good-quality 16 MP photos print up to 24 × 16 inches, and 3 MP photos up to 6 × 8 inches. Treat these as Google’s guidance, not a guarantee for every image or print provider.
Epson Europe’s general printing guidance (undated page, accessed 2026) recommends an image resolution of 300–360 dpi, but says the suitable level differs with viewing conditions. A poster viewed from across a room needs less pixel density than a photo book page held in your hands. Epson also notes that cropping can leave too little resolution for the chosen output size.
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Don’t confuse a printer’s advertised dpi, which describes its dot resolution, with your image’s pixel dimensions. Epson treats them as separate concepts.
Quick pixel check
Divide the image’s pixel dimensions by the print size in inches to get an approximate dpi. A 16 MP photo is typically about 4,900 × 3,300 pixels (3:2). At 24 × 16 inches that’s roughly 200 dpi, below Epson’s general 300–360 recommendation. That fits Epson’s point that the right level depends on viewing distance, and Google’s 24 × 16 figure should be read in that light. By the same arithmetic, a 3 MP image (about 2,000 × 1,500 pixels) at 6 × 8 inches is roughly 250 dpi. These are my own calculations from the cited figures, not tested results.
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How to check a specific photo
- Open the photo in Google Photos and view its Info/Details panel to see the backup details and pixel dimensions.
- If a Storage saver backup attempt couldn’t compress the item, Google says the details show “Not eligible for Storage saver”, meaning it stays at its original size.
- Work out the final crop. Cropping removes pixels, so a tight crop of a 16 MP image may behave like a much smaller file.
- Compare the pixel dimensions with the print size you want, using the check above and your viewing distance.
- If the original is still on your phone, camera or another backup, compare its dimensions and appearance with the Google Photos copy before you order a large or closely viewed print. This is a sensible precaution based on Google’s and Epson’s guidance, not something either company promises.
To change the setting on a computer, Google directs you to photos.google.com/settings to choose backup quality. Changing it affects future uploads. Check Google’s help page for what happens to photos already backed up.
When to use Original quality
- Your camera or phone produces files over 16 MP and you may print large.
- You plan to crop heavily before printing.
- You’re making banners or prints viewed up close. Google specifically recommends Original quality for large banners.
- You use Express and want prints bigger than small ones. At 3 MP, Google’s cited limit is 6 × 8 inches.
Storage saver is reasonable for ordinary snapshots printed at common sizes, especially when the source is near or below 16 MP. Original quality costs account storage, which is the trade-off.
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- Multiple Device Compatibility - Liene picture printer for iphone provides instant photo printing for up to mutiple simultaneous connections. Share with family and friends or print from your different devices. No additional cables required when printing photos with this phone printer.
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What isn’t known
The sources don’t measure how visible Google’s compression is on a given print. They don’t give exact compression settings, and they don’t say how any particular photo lab processes Google Photos files. A fair test would need the same original, each backup variant, matched crops and one print pipeline. Until you’ve compared the two copies yourself, treat the pixel count as the reliable figure and the compression effect as unquantified.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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