Hi again, Some progress: today it's reached 2%! At least that's speeded up a bit:-) 2D trees: I see exactly what you're saying, and would normally have done this, but in this instance it's a view from above, so the trees have to look OK from above and also cast a normal shadow on the ground. That's hard to do with 2D trees. No visible lights in the scene: there should be, if I was going for absolute realism, but I already cheated on that one. Rochr, I am VERY interested in your response: and a little voice at the back of my brain is whispering that this may indeed be the solution to my problem. Yes, 300dpi has always been used as the minimum, certainly since I've been in the business, working first in trad media, now digital, over 20 years. Digital printing methods have changed that. It was the client who asked for a 300dpi render, but this isn't set in stone: what he wants at the end is a high quality 20 inch square gameboard, and I guess he doesn't care (or needs to know) what hoops have to be jumped through in order to get it. I suspect, like many people, he uses the term "hi-res" to mean "high quality", when, as you point out, they need not be the same thing. So, may I ask you to expand further on this? If I need to print a 20 inch square good quality image, what size would be best to do the render at, at 72dpi? I eagerly await your reply! many thanks, Rob.