Enlarging a digital photo often involves the use of interpolation: a process of making the pixels in an image larger.

Some digital cameras, most point-and-shoot cameras, and phones use interpolation to produce digital zoom. This allows you to focus on subjects that are outside the maximum range of the camera lens. Image manipulation programs such as Adobe Photoshop also use interpolation in post-production editing.

There are generally four types of interpolation: nearest-neighbor, bilinear, bicubic, and fractal. Knowing a little about each can help you get the most out of your photography.

Nearest-neighbor interpolation is most commonly used in-camera to view and enlarge your images so you can see detail. It simply makes the pixels bigger, and the color of a new pixel is the same as the nearest original pixel. It is not suitable for enlarging images for printing because it can produce jagged edges, also known as pixelation.